From jungle snacks to swan myths, Farage cooks up controversy

Nigel Farage recently claimed on LBC radio that Eastern European migrants are eating swans and carp in Royal parks. The bizarre allegation was quickly debunked as fake news, after journalists fact-checked it and found out

The Royal Parks charity rejected Farage’s claim, saying: “We’ve not had any incidents reported to us of people killing or eating swans in London’s eight Royal Parks. Our wildlife officers work closely with the Swan Sanctuary to ensure the welfare of the swans across the parks.”

Even a video shared on social media by right-wing influencers claiming to show ‘migrants eating swan’ has been fact-checked and shown that the video was from an episode of Animal Squad, broadcast in the UK, from 15 years ago – in 2010.

The laughable fake claim of Farage comes despite his own stint on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, in 2023, where he consumed cow’s teats, camel udders, insects, and fermented delicacies in the jungle.

The fact remains that Nigel Farage’s remarks mirror the unfounded claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump during the previous U.S. presidential election campaign, where he claimed that Haitian migrants were consuming Americans’ pets. This is obviously a deliberate attempt by Farage to induce fear, confusion, and mistrust within the population.

GOING FURTHER

• Farage condemned for falsely accusing eastern European migrants of eating swans from royal parks | THE INDEPENDENT

• Nigel Farage's claim that migrants are eating swans is dismissed by Royal Parks | EVENING STANDARD

• Royal Parks debunks Nigel Farage claim migrants are ‘eating swans’ | THE TIMES

• Is there evidence for Nigel Farage’s claim that migrants are catching and eating swans and carp? | FULLFACTS

• Video claiming to show ‘migrants eating swan’ was from 15 years ago | THE LONDON ECONOMIC

• Nigel Farage eats udders with straight face in I’m a Celeb Bushtucker trial | THE INDEPENDENT

Sources:

▪ This piece was first published in Europeans TODAY.

---