September 19, 2025 12:38 PM IST
First published on: Sep 19, 2025 at 12:38 PM IST
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US President Donald Trump gestures next to Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a joint press conference at Chequers near Aylesbury, England. (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump suggested that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could deploy the military to stop illegal migration during a news conference marking the end of his second state visit to the UK. Speaking after discussions at Chequers, Trump drew parallels with the US border, where he said he had taken strict measures to prevent illegal crossings. “You have people coming in and I told the prime minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use,” he said, reported BBC.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has increased deportations and cracked down on unlawful border crossings in the US.
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In a Fox News interview given later in the day, Trump encouraged Starmer to take a “strong stand” on immigration, claiming the influx of migrants was hurting the UK “badly.” The president said illegal immigration “destroys countries from within and we’re actually now removing a lot of the people that came into our country,” BBC reported.
UK-US talks, tech deal and other discussions
During his two-day visit, Trump and the prime minister also discussed a range of topics, including Palestinian statehood, the Ukraine war, free speech, and energy.
The leaders announced a new tech deal aimed at boosting cooperation in AI, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies. Trump described the pact as a move that would help the allies “dominate” the AI sector.
Trump and Starmer skirted around several contentious issues, including the sacking of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US and free speech being under attack in the UK. However, Trump said he had a “disagreement with the prime minister” on recognising Palestinian statehood, accusing Hamas of “putting the hostages up as bait” in Gaza.
Trump and Starmer presented a unified stance on tackling illegal migration. Standing alongside Trump, the prime minister said his government had been taking the issue “incredibly seriously” and talked about new migrant return deals with countries including France. “That’s an important step forward,” he said, adding, “But there’s no silver bullet here.”
More than 30,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, as per BBC, the earliest this figure has been reached since reporting began in 2018. The rise has put pressure on Starmer to come up with solutions. Trump also suggested the UK could open up the North Sea for oil and gas drilling, citing energy pricing concerns.
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US President Donald Trump gestures next to Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a joint press conference at Chequers near Aylesbury, England. (AP Photo) 
