Darren Jones on BBC Question Time (Image: BBC)
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Senior minister Darren Jones has been accused of “a dangerous distortion of the truth” after he incorrectly told a BBC Question Time audience that the majority of migrants crossing in small boats are women and children. Nearly three-quarters of people crossing the Channel in small boats are adult men.
But Mr Jones, who is deputy to Chancellor Rachel Reeves in his role as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, told the TV show’s audience: “When you’re there on the site seeing these dinghies put together by these organised criminal gangs which are clearly not safe, and when you see that the majority of people in these boats are children, babies and women.” Downing Street refused to apologise or correct the record when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson was questioned by journalists on Friday. Mr Jones now faces demands to apologise after getting the facts wrong.
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He was interrupted by fellow guest Zia Yusuf of Reform, who said: “More than 90% of them are adult men.”
But Mr Jones insisted: “I’m saying it’s not true.”
While the 90% figure is not correct either, it is far closer to reality than the claim made by Mr Jones. Home Office data show there have been 157,803 small boat arrivals between 2018 and March 2025. In total, 115,675 were men aged 18 or over – 73% of the total, a clear majority.
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There were just 17,016 adult women and 25,112 arrivals were people under the age of 18.
Asked about Mr Jones’s comments, a No 10 spokesman said: “The Government is absolutely focused on tackling these vile smuggling gangs that risk lives in the Channel.”
And asked if the Prime Minister had confidence in Mr Jones, the spokesman said: “Yes.”
But Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, said: “Darren Jones is completely out of touch with reality.
“Since 2018, 73% of small boat arrivals have been single adult men. Yet Labour MPs like Jones still push the fairy tale that these boats are full of women and babies. It’s a dangerous distortion of the truth.
“No wonder this is shaping up to be the worst year on record for small boat crossings. If this is what passes for reality inside the Labour Government, Britain is in serious trouble.”
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Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “Labour’s Darren Jones claims the majority of illegal migrant crossings at Dover are 'children, babies and women'.
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“This is simply not true. Another clueless Labour minister.”
Independent MP Rupert Lowe said: “Last night on Question Time, Labour minister Darren Jones stated ‘the majority of the people in these boats are children, babies and women'.
“This is a lie. I have written to the minister, requesting an urgent public correction.”