UKIP MEP Mike Hookem Claims He Was Threatened At Gunpoint By Dunkirk Migrant

A UKIP MEP has claimed that he was threatened at gunpoint by a migrant near Dunkirk while he visited the area.

Party Defence spokesman Mike Hookem said that he and his group were invited to access the woodland site near Dunkirk, where he saw migrants “milling around”.

The MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire said that once he arrived, the “situation immediately turned nasty” when a man from the camp holding a handgun prevented them from entering.

He explained: “We’re down at Dunkirk and we’ve been to a migrant camp just outside Dunkirk.

"I spoke to one or two migrants who were milling around and they invited us in.

“Another guy came out and the situation immediately turned nasty.

“He was telling us to eff off, eff off, get out and produced a handgun.”

Mr Hookem said that one of the women in his group of five people was “very frightened”, adding: "We left quite quickly to get out of the area.”

The MEP, who said he wanted to visit the camp to understand more about the migrants and their reasons for wanting to reach the UK, believes that the area was home to “a lot of Iraqis, Iranians and Syrians”.

He added: "It’s not a nice place to be and these are people who want to get into our country.”

The camp was apparently a five-minute trip from the centre of Dunkirk in a wooded area.

Asked to describe the camp, Mr Hookem said: "They never allowed us in. It’s the usual camp.

“It’s a mess, defecating in the woods, no running water.”

Describing his fear of the situation, Mr Hookem added: "I was trying to guard everyone else and get them out of there.

“It doesn’t hit you until later on. The emphasis was to get out that area as quickly as possible.”

Migrants in nearby Calais have been pictured climbing fences and walking down railway tracks in an attempt to reach the UK.

Pics: Rex