GB News Presenter Patrick Christys Reveals What Illegal Migrants Did to Him While Reporting in France
GB News presenter Patrick Christys has said he faced serious danger while reporting on the migrant crisis in northern France.
The 34-year-old presenter travelled to France to film a special report looking at migrant camps, small boat crossings and people-smuggling operations. While speaking to GB News Breakfast from his hotel room, Christys claimed that he and his team were attacked during their investigation.
He said they were targeted with bottles and sticks, and claimed that at one point, a man appeared to be carrying what looked like a spear.
Christys said viewers may see footage of the incident in his upcoming programme. A short clip from the report showed him standing in a wooded area while a group of men watched him from nearby.
As Christys spoke about the size of migrant camps in northern France, some of the men appeared to move closer towards him and his team.
He said the situation was particularly worrying because he had experienced threats before while reporting on people smuggling and illegal migration.
Christys claimed that after a previous investigation into human trafficking, his family received death threats and they had to temporarily leave their home.
He said reporting on the migrant crisis can sometimes put journalists in dangerous situations, particularly when they investigate criminal groups involved in people smuggling.
According to Christys, he and his team faced several frightening situations during their latest trip to France.
He also questioned claims that the migrant crisis was improving. Christys said that, from what he had personally seen in northern France, some of the migrant camps appeared larger than during his previous visits.
His investigation also looked at how migrants travel around northern France and how some may obtain money before attempting to cross the English Channel.
Christys said his team investigated a bus service that could be used to travel across parts of northern France from Belgium.
He also claimed that some migrants are given payment cards funded by French or European authorities. According to him, these cards are not normally supposed to allow cash withdrawals.
However, Christys claimed his team discovered a shop where people could exchange money from the cards for cash. He suggested that cash obtained in this way could potentially be used to pay people smugglers.
The investigation then became even more dangerous, according to the presenter.
Christys said he and his team entered the shop without knowing that they were apparently walking into an area connected to an organised criminal group.
He claimed the situation quickly became threatening and that members of his team were eventually chased out of Dunkirk.
The presenter said the experience showed how dangerous it can be to investigate the networks operating around migrant camps and Channel crossings in northern France.
Despite the risks, Christys said he believes journalists should continue investigating what is happening on the ground and showing the public what they discover.
His full report is expected to include footage from the trip, including the moments when he says he and his team were threatened and attacked while carrying out their investigation.
