US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has incorrectly asserted that European countries are experiencing an “invasion” of migrants, following Vice-President JD Vance’s connection of Henry Nowak’s murder to what he termed a “mass invasion of migrants.”
Speaking at a D-Day anniversary event in Normandy, Hegseth made these remarkable comments 82 years after Allied forces landed on French beaches to free the country from Nazi occupation in 1944.
Hegseth stated, “Sadly, today, different dangerous ideologies are storming beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria. Boats and individuals are arriving. When will European capitals take action against this invasion?”
Despite Hegseth’s claims, official data indicates that irregular migration has significantly decreased since its peak during the 2015 refugee crisis. For instance, Greece has seen arrivals by small boat drop from 856,723 in 2015 to 41,696 in 2025, marking a 95% decrease. Similarly, Italy has experienced a decline from 153,842 arrivals in 2015 to 66,316 in 2025, representing a 56.9% reduction.
In the UK, net migration has plummeted to its lowest level since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at an estimated 171,000 in the year ending December 2025, down by nearly half (48.3%) from 331,000 the previous year. This figure is the lowest for any 12-month period since the year ending March 2021, when it was 132,000, and is 82% lower than the record high of 944,000 in the year ending March 2023.
According to the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, around 36,000 individuals arrived by small boat in the year ending May 31, 2026, reflecting a 13% decrease compared to the previous year.
Hegseth’s statements followed Vice-President JD Vance’s assertion on X that there should be “righteous anger” in response to Henry Nowak’s murder, which Vance partly attributed to “the mass invasion of migrants.”
Downing Street responded to Vance’s comments, criticizing “individuals attempting to meddle in our democracy and incite division on our streets” in light of Nowak’s case.
The 18-year-old student, Henry Nowak, was handcuffed by police officers who disregarded his pleas after being stabbed and left to die by his killer, Vickrum Digwa, who claimed he was the victim of a racist attack.
A spokesperson for No10 stated, “In recent days, we have seen individuals trying to interfere in our democracy and incite division on our streets. The Nowak family is mourning Henry’s tragic murder. They have expressed their desire not to exploit his death to foster further division, hatred, or tension. We should respect their wishes. Our politics should unify people even in the most dreadful circumstances. That is our country’s essence.”
Vance’s remarks came after the US State Department associated “two-tier policing” with Mr. Nowak’s death, mirroring a statement made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
The US Secretary of State emphasized, “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are evident signs of societal decline. These must be rejected throughout the West. The United States extends its condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom during this troubling time.”
Downing Street dismissed “any hint of two-tier policing across the United Kingdom.”