“TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR THIS?!” — FRESH FURY OVER HUNDREDS OF HIJABS GIVEN TO CHANNEL MIGRANTS ! New figures suggest that 974 hijabs were handed out to migrants who crossed the English Channel in small boats this year, as part of clothing packs provided on arrival. The Home Office says it has a legal duty to provide basic clothing and that the items form part of standard welfare arrangements. But Conservative critics have strongly questioned whether taxpayers should be funding religious headwear in this way. The issue has now sparked another heated debate over immigration, taxpayer spending and the support provided to people arriving in the UK.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘The Government must stop handing out hijabs to illegal immigrants immediately.
‘It’s an insult to hard-working British taxpayers that they’re funding religious items for people who have broken into our country.
It should not be for us to fund someone else’s religious practices.
‘Many illegal immigrants actually hate our values.
Many come here for free accommodation and a life on benefits at our expense.
‘Illegal immigrants crossing the channel are breaking into our country.
They have no legitimate reason to flee France, which is clearly safe.
‘That’s why we must leave the European Convention on Human Rights so we can deport all illegal immigrants immediately upon arrival.’
A Home Office source said it had a legal duty to provide basic clothing, including cultural and religious items, under the Short-term Holding Facility Rules.
It added: ‘All arrivals receive a basic dry clothing pack where required.
The items available form part of standard welfare arrangements.’
The fact that three-quarters of the migrants are men is reflected in the clothing statistics: a total of 10,694 male clothing packs were handed over, including 22 in XXX Large size.
Just 2,670 packs were given to women, 773 to boys and 829 to girls.
The list also includes 572 beanie hats and 350 babygrows.
Last month, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said it was unacceptable for schools to require young girls to wear the hijab, after a London primary school insisted pupils as young as seven don them.
While her Tory shadow, Ms Trott, praised that stance, she added: ‘But she’s done nothing about it.
This would not happen under us.’
More than 19,000 small-boat migrants have arrived so far this year, down by 42 per cent compared to the same period in 2025.
However, the numbers travelling on each vessel has increased, with an average of 67 migrants packing dangerously on to every boat.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has claimed that Brexit has made it harder to stop the boats, because ‘we are not able to have the same levels of collaboration that we used to have’.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘We have made progress tackling the small boats. Crossings are down significantly.
‘We have just recorded the fewest summer arrivals since 2020.’
