Nigel Farage has launched a powerful attack on Britain’s handling of the small boats crisis as he appeared alongside grieving mother Siobhan Whyte, whose daughter Rhiannon was murdered by an illegal migrant in October 2024. Speaking in Warwickshire on week five of his tour ahead of the 7 May local elections, the Reform UK leader said the British government – past and present – bears ultimate responsibility for the tragedy and for the wider security risks created by uncontrolled Channel crossings.

Farage: ‘This death was wholly unnecessary’

Farage reminded reporters that almost 200,000 people have now crossed the English Channel in small boats, including around 70,000 since the current Prime Minister took office and some 5,000 already this year despite winter sea temperatures. He warned that many young men are arriving from “dangerous countries”, deliberately destroying ID documents and phones in the Channel, and coming from cultures where women are not treated even as “second-class citizens”, which he linked to an upsurge in sexual violence.

He highlighted the case of Rhiannon Whyte, a 27‑year‑old hotel worker and mother of one who was followed and stabbed to death at a railway station by Sudanese illegal migrant Deng Chol Majek, just weeks after he arrived in the UK by small boat. Rhiannon was stabbed 23 times in around 90 seconds with a screwdriver, in what Farage called one of the most shocking cases yet arising from the small boats crisis.

Farage argued that in “almost every country in the world”, illegal entrants are detained and deported rather than placed in hotels or dispersed housing, and said Rhiannon’s murder was “wholly unnecessary in every way” and “totally avoidable” if Britain had enforced firm border controls and immediate detention for illegal arrivals. He accused the government of failing to deliver on past promises to “stop the boats” and “smash the gangs”, saying there is no credible Plan B and that £800 million given to France since 2014 has not stopped crossings.

Siobhan Whyte: ‘He took her life in 90 seconds’

Rhiannon’s mother, Siobhan Whyte, then gave deeply emotional testimony about her daughter’s murder and the impact on her family. She described how the killer had been in the UK for just around 11 weeks after fleeing North Sudan and being refused asylum in other European countries, yet was still able to enter Britain and be housed in an asylum hotel where Rhiannon worked.

Fighting back tears, she recalled how her daughter was stabbed through the brain stem and left to die, saying the attacker has never shown any remorse, called forensic experts liars and refused to explain why he did it. She said her grandson has been left without a mother, her other children without a sister and herself without her daughter “for these scumbags that are allowed into this country illegally”.

Siobhan warned that if politicians do not act, “if it’s not Rhiannon, who next?”, pointing to a pattern of young girls being raped and fears that there will be more murders unless small boat arrivals are stopped. She said migrants should not be allowed onto Britain’s streets until authorities know who they are, what diseases they may carry and what criminal backgrounds they have, and criticised the focus on those dying in the Channel over British victims like her daughter.

Farage blames government and warns of security risks

Asked who he held responsible for Rhiannon’s death, Farage said “the people that are ultimately guilty are the British government”, arguing that despite “massive public demand” for tougher action, nothing meaningful has been done by either the previous government that promised to stop the boats or the current one that pledged to smash the gangs. Siobhan agreed, blaming both the government and Sir Keir Starmer for failing to protect women and girls.

Farage also raised alarm about national security, questioning how many of the young men arriving might sympathise with extremist groups such as ISIS. He said even if 1 per cent of arrivals held such views, Britain could be “storing up terrorism problems for the future”, and claimed security services are deeply worried. He argued that the first duty of government – to protect its citizens – is being neglected and warned journalists not to underestimate the level of public anger over the issue.

Reform UK calls for detention and removal

Setting out Reform UK’s approach, Farage said anyone who arrives illegally by small boat or in the back of a lorry must be detained immediately rather than housed in hotels or HMOs. He said tens of thousands currently in such accommodation should never be granted settled status and must not be allowed to stay, warning that any amnesty would simply encourage more crossings.

He also criticised the use of hotels and HMOs in residential areas, where local residents can suddenly find 15 young men living next door, and accused the Home Office of waving through around 97 per cent of cases in the end. Farage contrasted this with veterans and British citizens sleeping on the streets, echoing Siobhan Whyte’s plea that “our own” should be helped first.

The press conference ended with Farage urging voters to use the upcoming May elections to send a clear message on small boats, border security and the protection of women and girls, arguing that only a fundamental change in policy will prevent further tragedies like the murder of Rhiannon Whyte.