NORMANDY: United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth used a speech marking the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings to criticise European migration policies, urging governments to take stronger action against illegal migration.
Speaking in Normandy, France, where Allied forces landed in 1944 to help liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, Hegseth said some European countries were facing challenges from what he described as dangerous ideologies arriving through irregular migration routes.
“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?”
The remarks reflect the Trump administration’s broader focus on stricter immigration controls, which remain a key pillar of United States domestic policy.
Migration has become a major political issue across Europe, with several governments facing pressure from parties advocating tougher border controls and stricter immigration policies.
Hegseth also warned that some European nations had become too comfortable with freedoms secured through past sacrifices.
“The men who fought and died here restored freedom to Europe,” he said. “That freedom must be maintained by this generation of leaders and war fighters.”
The comments came a day after United States Vice President JD Vance criticised migration policies while discussing a fatal stabbing case in Britain, further highlighting the administration’s stance on immigration.
European leaders have offered differing responses to such criticism. While acknowledging challenges linked to illegal migration, several governments have rejected suggestions that migration alone poses an existential threat to European societies.
The debate over migration continues across Europe as governments seek to balance border security, humanitarian obligations and labour market needs amid changing demographic and political realities.
