US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth Denounces European Migration Policies at D-Day Commemoration
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a sharp critique of European migration policies during a D-Day anniversary address in Normandy, France. Speaking 82 years after Allied forces landed to liberate Nazi-occupied north-western Europe, Hegseth drew a parallel between the historical invasion and contemporary migration flows.
"Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies," Hegseth stated. He specifically named Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria, questioning when European capitals would "do something about that invasion." The commentary arrives as anti-immigration parties gain traction across Europe.
Sea arrivals to mainland Europe reached their zenith in 2015, with over a million individuals crossing the Mediterranean. Between April 2025 and March 2026, the UK, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Cyprus recorded a combined 169,341 sea arrivals, with UK crossings constituting approximately 23% of this total.
Hegseth’s remarks extend a pattern of criticism from senior Trump administration figures regarding European migration. US Vice-President JD Vance recently attributed the death of British student Henry Nowak to a "mass invasion of migrants," advocating for "righteous anger." Downing Street responded by condemning "people trying to interfere in our democracy" and highlighting the Nowak family's plea against their son's death being used for division.
Previously, US President Donald Trump told the UN that European countries were "going to hell" due to "uncontrolled migration," a statement Prime Minister Keir Starmer deemed "not right." The Trump administration's National Security Strategy, unveiled in December, warned that Europe risked "civilisational erasure" within two decades if current migration trends persist. Domestically, the administration has pursued an aggressive anti-immigration agenda, resulting in thousands of arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents since January 2025.
