Hegseth attacks Europe over 'invasion' of migrants on its beaches in D-Day speech

The US defence secretary was speaking in Normandy, 82 years after allied forces launched their operation to liberate Nazi-occupied north-western Europe. Hegseth attacks Europe over 'invasion' of migrants in D-Day speech Watch: Hegseth criticises Europe on migration in D-Day speech Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Hegseth attacks Europe over 'invasion' of migrants on its beaches in D-Day speech Watch: Hegseth criticises European migrant response in D-Day speech US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has criticised European nations over migration for allowing what he described as an "invasion" on their shores, during a D-Day anniversary speech in France. Hegseth was speaking in Normandy 82 years after allied forces stormed French beaches to liberate Nazi-occupied north-western Europe in 1944. "Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies," Hegseth said. "Beaches in Spain, in Italy, in Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion?" Migration has become a major political issue across Europe, with parties supporting hardline immigration policies surging in the polls. Hegseth's comments mark a further criticism of European migration policy by senior members of the Trump administration. On Friday, US Vice-President JD Vance blamed the death of the 18-year-old British student Henry Nowak, who was fatally stabbed last year in Southampton by Vickrum Digwa, on the "mass invasion of migrants" and said the "only response" was "righteous anger". Downing Street responded by criticising "people trying to interfere in our democracy," adding that the Nowak family had "said they do not want his death to be used to create further division". "people trying to interfere in our democracy ," adding that the Nowak family had "said they do not want his death to be used to create further division". Speaking in France, Hegseth said that in the years since D-Day some European capitals have grown too "comfortable" with their hard-fought freedoms, forgetting that "freedom is not free". "The men who fought and died here restored freedom to Europe," Hegseth said. "That freedom must be maintained by this generation of leaders and war fighters or what they fought for was merely temporary." A young person wearing a baseball cap and a backpack and carrying a suitcase stands in the middle of the image. To the left of the image a passport with a boarding card is held up. To the right of the image is a migrant family of a man, woman and child on a beach, walking. In the top right corner is a partial view of a UK visa document Track UK's latest migration numbers - net migration, visas, asylum and small boats Migrant crisis: How Europe went from Merkel's 'We can do it' to pulling up the drawbridge D-Day was the largest seaborne military operation ever attempted and involved the simultaneous landing of tens of thousands of troops from the UK, US and Canada on five separate beaches in Normandy in northern France. US President Donald Trump has also criticised European immigration policy, telling the UN last year that European countries were "going to hell" due to "uncontrolled migration". In response, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the president's remarks were "not right", while accepting the "challenge" of tackling illegal migration, particularly from people crossing the English Channel in small boats. Sea arrivals into mainland Europe peaked in 2015, when the UN said more than a million people crossed the Mediterranean. Between April 2025 and March 2026, there were a combined 169,341 sea arrivals to the UK, Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus. Crossings to the UK accounted for about 23% of the total. Between 1 January and 3 June 2026, a total of 9,142 people crossed the English Channel by small boat to the UK from France. This was down by 38% on the same period the previous year. In December, the Trump administration unveiled its new National Security Strategy, which asserted that if current trends continue Europe would be "unrecognisable in 20 years or less" and its economic issues are "eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilisational erasure". In December, the Trump administration unveiled its , which asserted that if current trends continue Europe would be "unrecognisable in 20 years or less" and its economic issues are "eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilisational erasure". Domestically, the Trump administration has made anti-immigration policy a key tenet of its agenda, with agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) making thousands of arrests since January 2025. US President Donald Trump, wearing a suit and pictured in front of a US flag, looks to his right. Trump administration says Europe faces 'civilisational erasure' UK asylum system is on 'the brink', cross-party MPs' report warns Downing Street hits out after Vance post about Henry Nowak The US military strikes Iranian drones and radar sites and Tehran says it has targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The US vice-president wrote the "only response is righteous anger" when referring to Henry Nowak's death on X. The ban came as a second infected calf was identified in Texas, and the US state declaring a state of disaster over the outbreak. A service was held at the Cenotaph in Hull to mark the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. Tributes are under way to mark the largest military seaborne operation ever attempted. The streets in Burton-upon-Stather were "full of soldiers" every night as tanks were tested. The US president said on Friday he expects to meet the leaders of top AI companies next week. The package to fund agencies including ICE until the end of Trump's term had face Democratic opposition over immigration agents killing two US citizens.