White House sources say US President Donald Trump plans to press Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders about migration during this week's G7 summit, following violent unrest in Belfast that drew international attention.
European diplomats fear Mr Trump may use the disorder linked to the alleged attempted beheading of a man in Northern Ireland to push for tougher action on migration and border controls, the sources added.
The suspect, described by police as a Sudanese asylum seeker, remains in custody and has been charged with attempted murder. The victim, identified locally as Stephen Ogilvie, a man in his 40s originally from Scotland, sustained significant injuries to his face, neck and back and remains in serious condition in hospital.
White House officials have increasingly framed migration as a security concern for the US and its allies. A senior administration official told The Telegraph that migration 'can be a transit point for illegal migration to the United States' and warned that demographic and cultural changes in allied countries could affect alliance cohesion.
Police vehicles in Glengormley, near Belfast, where fires raged as people took to the streets following the stabbing in the city - Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images
'We don't want Five Eyes partners ruled by sharia courts. We don't want mutual defence pacts with societies viciously hostile to the idea of the West defending or sustaining itself,' the official said, referencing the Five Eyes intelligence partnership between the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Mr Trump would raise migration at the summit because, in her words, 'Left-wing policies of unfettered migration and destructive globalism have made once-great European cities unrecognisable.' Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Sir Keir's migration approach, calling it 'horrible' and urging tougher border enforcement, including proposals to use military assets to stop small-boat crossings.
Graphic footage from Belfast of the alleged attempted beheading circulated widely and shocked officials in Washington, becoming a focal point for American media coverage. One administration official said colleagues who saw the video found it 'horrifying but not surprising.'
The possible confrontation at the G7 would continue a series of tensions between Mr Trump and Sir Keir. Mr Trump pressed European leaders on immigration at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, arguing that unchecked mass migration undermines Western economic strength — a line he is expected to reiterate at the summit in Evian, France.
US objectives for the G7, according to a White House official, include 'working with G7 partners to strengthen responses to illegal immigration and drug smuggling.' The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the EU attending as a non-enumerated member.
Members of the French gendarmerie pose with motorbikes near Evian, where the G7 summit begins on Tuesday, after attending a security briefing for the event - Gendarmerie Nationale/AFP via Getty Images
Last year, JD Vance, a prominent US political figure, said at the Munich Security Conference that European governments had retreated from shared values and ignored voter concerns on migration and free speech. The Trump administration's recent counter-terrorism strategy has described Europe as vulnerable to exploitation by hostile groups that take advantage of open borders.
Statistics cited in reports show about 31,000 migrants crossed the English Channel illegally in 2025 — the highest annual total since the recorded arrivals began in 2018. The issue has pushed immigration to the top of many voters' concerns and helped boost support for parties critical of current migration policies.
Senior US officials said Mr Trump and Sir Keir are not scheduled for a formal bilateral meeting at the summit, but will have opportunities to speak on the sidelines. Relations between the two leaders cooled after disagreements over the UK's refusal to allow US use of British bases for strikes related to Iran and over UK decisions not to provide certain military assets for US-Israeli operations in the Middle East.
A UK government spokesman responded: 'This Labour Government is restoring order and control to our borders after the previous government's open borders experiment. Our plan is working. Enforcement, removals and asylum decision-making are up. Net migration and the number of people in asylum hotels are down. But we will continue to go further and faster to tackle illegal migration.'
The debate at the G7 is likely to centre on how allies balance border security, asylum obligations and international cooperation — with migration set to be a contentious topic in conversations between Washington and European capitals.
