Hegseth warns of migrant 'invasion' of Europe in D-Day memorial speech

in brief

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has used a D-Day anniversary speech to appear to link immigration by sea to the wartime liberation of Europe.

His comments echo those of other Trump administration officials.

US defense secretary Pete Hegseth urged Europe to counter what he termed an "invasion" of its coastline by migration, as he marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War Two D-Day landings in France.

Hegseth also called on European countries to do more to contribute to their own defence, in a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy.

However, he conspicuously skipped the main international ceremony later in the afternoon marking the anniversary of the Allied landings, which heralded an end to World War Two.

"Sadly, today different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies," Hegseth said.

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On "beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive," he said.

"When will European capitals do something about that invasion? Or is it too late?"

"May we learn from this past," Hegseth said in reference to the pivotal involvement of US troops in the landings.

"The men buried here fought in a war-fighting alliance where every partner ... brought its full measure of industry, courage and sacrifice," he said in front of the 9,387 white crosses of US soldiers killed in action during the Battle of Normandy.

"Not empty slogans, not lavish summits, not communiques.

"Real allies doing real things, taking real losses for a shared cause worth fighting and dying for."

Hegseth did not use the word immigration, but his remarks echoed broader Trump administration criticism of Europe over migration, borders and what US officials have described as censorship of nationalist and far-right voices.

On Saturday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office condemned Vance for blaming immigration for the killing of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old British student stabbed to death in Southampton, even though both Nowak and his killer were British.

In December, the Trump administration's national security strategy warned that Europe faced the "prospect of civilisation erasure" and could become "unrecognisable" within 20 years.

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