Epping asylum row erupts on GB News as Carole Malone rages over 'entirely wrong' claim

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Jonathan Lis in explosive row with Carole Malone - WATCH
Ben Chapman

By Ben Chapman


Published: 24/07/2025

- 18:58

The confrontation centred on data indicating that individuals from Afghanistan and Eritrea

A fierce disagreement erupted on GB News when political commentator Jonathan Lis and journalist Carole Malone clashed over Ministry of Justice statistics regarding migrant crime rates.

The confrontation centred on data indicating that individuals from Afghanistan and Eritrea face conviction for sexual offences at rates 20 per cent higher than British nationals.


Malone challenged Lis directly when he claimed that most sexual offences in Britain were not perpetrated by asylum seekers. She immediately countered his assertion, stating it was "entirely wrong" on a per capita basis.

The exchange intensified when presenter Ben Leo pressed Lis to respond to Malone's specific statistical claim about Afghan and Eritrean conviction rates.

Carole Malone and Jonathan Lis

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A huge row erupted on GB News

Lis acknowledged he lacked access to the figures Malone cited, prompting her frustrated response: "You do this every time. You won't address a fact."

When Lis conceded the statistics "might well be true", Malone insisted: "It is true."

The debate shifted to cultural considerations when Lis questioned what conclusions should be drawn from such data, asking whether Britain should bar all Afghan nationals from entry.

Malone responded firmly: "You know what? If they are the ones abusing women and children, no, don't let them in."

Their disagreement deepened over whether cultural backgrounds influence criminal behaviour, with Lis maintaining that individual wrongdoers rather than entire cultures bear responsibility.

GB News panel

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The panel were locked in a fierce debatre

The heated television debate occurred against a backdrop of escalating community tensions across Britain. Recent demonstrations at a taxpayer-funded asylum accommodation facility in Epping turned violent, whilst separate protests took place in Canary Wharf.

These incidents have prompted warnings from senior political figures about potential widespread unrest. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage both expressed concerns about a possible "summer of unrest" ahead.

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Conservative MP Matt Vickers characterised the current migration situation as being "on steroids" under Labour's leadership. He highlighted that the government had effectively "rolled out the red carpet" by changing legislation to allow those who enter Britain illegally to pursue citizenship.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds addressed concerns about potential civil disorder, stating that government agencies and police forces prepare for all eventualities.

A protester in front of police officers in EppingPA | Protestors descended on Epping

He cautioned against unhelpful speculation whilst acknowledging public frustrations require attention through addressing core issues.

Shadow Minister for Crime and Policing Matt Vickers raised alarm about declining police numbers, citing 1,316 officers leaving the force within the past year.

He attributed this reduction to National Insurance increases introduced in October's Budget, claiming the government was "literally taxing the police off our streets."

Vickers warned that reduced police presence would have serious consequences for community safety, particularly given predictions of summer unrest.

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