US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has criticised European nations over migration, accusing them of allowing what he described as an invasion of their shores during a speech marking the anniversary of the Normandy Landings, also known as D-Day, in France.
Hegseth claimed that different European beaches were being stormed by various dangerous ideologies. He then asked when the European capitals would do something about what he termed ‘invasion’. The US defence secretary also said he believed it was not too late for governments to address the issue.
Hegseth was speaking in Normandy, 82 years after Allied forces stormed French beaches to liberate Nazi-occupied northwestern Europe during World War II.
Migration has emerged as a major political issue across Europe, with parties advocating stricter immigration policies gaining significant support in opinion polls. Hegseth’s remarks represent another instance of criticism directed at European migration policies by senior officials in the Trump administration.
Immigration remains a key priority for the administration of US President Donald Trump. Since January 2025, agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have carried out thousands of arrests as part of the administration’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts.