Newnsight presenter Victoria Derbyshire was kept well and truly on her toes on Monday evening as Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Reform UK councillor Laila Cunningham debated the latest on the migrant crisis plaguing the UK.

The pair’s discussion sparked quite the reaction from BBC viewers at home as the two found themselves disagreeing with each other over Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposals for tougher asylum reforms.

Packed full of constant interruptions, allegations of “racism”, and accusations that the Labour government was treating small boat migrants “like c**p”, the fiery exchange occurred moments after Ms Derbyshire had welcomed Justice Minister Sarah Sackman onto the show to clarify the government’s stance.

When asked why Labour was now “allowing anyone who arrives illegally the chance to apply for asylum”, Ms Sackman replied: “Well, Britain has always been an open and tolerant society offering a sanctuary to those who are fleeing war and persecution, but you can’t have compassion unless you have control of your borders.

“We were elected on a manifesto to secure our borders, and what that means is translating to plans that we’ve heard today about how we’re going to clamp down on illegal migration, deter those who are crossing the Channel illegally, often putting their lives at risk — if you like, a vile trafficking process which is leading to people risking their lives.

“That’s what we want to see an end to, whilst at the same time opening up safe and legal routes for those who do want to come here legally.”

Ms Derbyshire pressed on whether the government planned on “taking jewellery from asylum seekers” to fund accommodation while they’re in the UK. “The Home Secretary could not be clearer. We’re not going to be taking personal possessions such as jewellery off asylum seekers,” Ms Sackman answered.

“What she did say is that where asylum seekers have significant assets — where they can afford to make a contribution to the cost of their accommodation, which is currently being paid for by the British taxpayer — then it’s fair that they do so.”

She reiterated later in the discussion: “We’re not going to be taking people’s personal effects. What we are going to be doing is ensuring they have assets. We’re going to be ensuring that we have a fair, safe, and effective system.”

Ms Derbyshire then turned to the Green Party leader for his thoughts on Ms Sackman’s answers, as well as the Home Secretary’s proposals as a whole.

In rather animated fashion, Mr Polanski passionately fired back: “Every single Labour MP needs to look to their conscience. The interview we just heard — you said it yourself — the question was, you never told anyone when they voted, they were voting for this. This is extreme, this is inhumane, and it is a government of cowards.

“Rather than take on the powerful — because the issue here is not immigration, it’s inequality — they went for pensioners, they went for the disabled, and now they’re going for people who are fleeing war and conflict.

“I am furious, so many people are furious, because this is a totally unconscionable way to deal with things. And how dare the minister say we are an open, tolerant country? How dare she come tonight to Newsnight and talk about compassion, at the same time they’re talking about seizing people’s assets?

“I am a child of Jewish ancestry. I am Jewish. We have seen this with Nazi Germany. We are seeing it in 2025. This government needs to hang their heads in shame.”

Shaking her head at Mr Polanski’s decision to draw parallels with Nazi Germany, Ms Cunningham then weighed in: “You can’t just have compassion for the illegal immigrants coming on boats, and not compassion for the girls that are being sexually assaulted by them, and the people that are killed on our streets.

“We do have men that come on boats, and within eight days sexually assault 14-year-old girls. I find it really galling that the Green Party are so focused on illegal migrants, but they don’t have any compassion for our young girls and women.”

“I’m not sure that’s true,” Ms Derbyshire intervened as she once again turned to Mr Polanski for a reply. He said: “Well, first of all, an asylum seeker who is coming over here cannot come over here illegally, because we need safe and managed routes…

“France is a safe country, but Britain is also a safe country. Germany takes twice as many asylum seekers as Britain. Secondly, sexual assault is a deeply, deeply awful and tragic thing that we need to prevent and stop. There is absolutely no evidence that the people who are sexually assaulting people are people seeking asylum.”

Incensed by Mr Polanski’s claim, Ms Cunningham could bite her tongue no longer. “There are convictions of people who came on boats. They have been convicted. Have you seen the case in Epping? Are you not watching the news? Of course, there is evidence,” she fumed.

Mr Polanski interrupted to go on the defensive, putting to Ms Cunningham: “Well, this is the very definition of racism. It’s finding one case and saying, actually, this is the class of the entire people seeking asylum. Listen, listen. The people seeking asylum—”

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Ms Derbyshire had to intervene to stop Mr Polanski hijacking the discussion, urging him to let Ms Cunningham finish.

Ms Cunningham calmly responded to Mr Polanski’s claims: “So we have a Borders Act, and it is actually illegal to come into our country without a passport, without documentation.

“So the way it happens, they come on a boat, and they are illegal migrants, and they land on our shores, and they say the word ‘asylum.’ And they are granted all the rights of asylum seekers, yet they’re coming from France.

“And the illegal entry offence is neutralised. We only prosecute one percent of illegal entry into this country. How can we be a democratic, sovereign country when we have decriminalised illegal entry into our country?”

Mr Polanski attempted to interrupt once more, but Ms Cunningham went on undeterred: “I want to see some compassion — and some compassion for the girls that are being sexually assaulted, the boy, the man who was killed in Uxbridge.

“And I find it quite shocking that the minister you just had on, all she spoke about was the safety of the people coming on boats. It’s obvious that the safety of women and girls in this country is not Labour’s priority because she didn’t mention it once. And that’s what we’re fighting for.”

Ms Derbyshire weighed in to emphasise Labour’s stance. “I’m sorry, just on that, Labour have a commitment to halve violence against women and girls, but within a decade — by the end of the decade, I think I’m right in saying that,” she pointed out.

As the programme continued, tempers refused to settle down. Later in the show, Mr Polanski cut into a report by Newsnight’s Nick Watt to say: “Migrants aren’t destroying this country, bankers are bankrupting this country, fossil fuel giants, arms trade companies, they’re the ones that are destroying this country.

“Ultimately, if we want to stop the small boats – and I want to stop the small boats,” he said, prompting Ms Cunningham to pull him up: “No, you don’t! Why do you want to stop them if they’re all asylum seekers?”

The Greens leader hit back: “I want them to have safe and managed routes… and not treated like numbers or pieces of c**p like the Labour Party are treating them.”

Ms Cunningham went on to reiterate that Reform UK’s “position is that if you have come here illegally, you have committed a crime and you will be detained”, before suggesting Ms Mahmood’s policies are “in the right direction”.

The two then clashed once more when Mr Polanski suggested hotels and barracks were unsuitable for small boat migrants who should be treated with “dignity” and given housing. Ms Cunningham argued British people should be a priority for housing.

Mr Polanski ended the debate by snidely remarking that the conversation surrounding small boat migrants was just “a distraction from Reform and their billionaire mates.”

The numerous clashes garnered quite the reaction from those watching at home, many of whom took to X to share their opinions.

Among the responses to the debate were a number who were less than impressed with the Green Party leader, with complaints focussing on his conduct during the debate as well as the claims and remarks he was making about the wider issue and Epping, specifically.

“It’s funny watching @ZackPolanski interpret everything the wrong way and making out that it’s simply racist and nothing else. It’s funny as he’s the one that said we need to have nuance in our conversation yet he has none himself,” one X user pointed out.

“Well said Laila. He tried twice to interrupt her AGAIN! What a surprise. He’s a rude liar,” a second raged while a third similarly hit out: “Polanski accuses her of being racist because she dared to mention Epping, the man is deranged. Well done, Laila.”

Elsewhere, a fourth took aim: “Having functional borders is apparently ‘extreme’ in Zack’s delusional, Narnia based worldview. Zack is the coward. Too much of a coward to face reality and so he builds ideological castles in the sky and then attempts to hypnotise people into believing they are real.”

And a fifth targeted the BBC over Mr Polanski’s accusations: “So typical of the BBC priorities they give this clown a platform rather than focus on how broken the asylum system is and how it has crippled the infrastructure and impacted the economy.”

However, Greens supporters waded into the online discourse to put up a defence for the party’s new leader, including one who argued: “Zack is absolutely correct. The UK is already far down a dark, dangerous and divisive path. Dehumanising and othering desperate people is the road to hell for all of us.”

“And that’s why @ZackPolanski is winning hearts and minds. Honest, truthful, plain speaking, direct, to the point. I really like that about him. Note to MPs: this is what we want,” a second applauded, before a third weighed in: “Zack Polanski is the only one talking sense.”

But the reaction to the debate was far from binary. Others took to X to argue that neither political figure covered themself in glory following the heated exchange.

“We must never allow our main electoral choice to come down to the Greens (or indeed Labour) and Reform. They were both absolutely awful,” one X user hit out, while a second complained: “The state of these two so-called influential politicians, firing out soundbite after soundbite shows the state of British politics.

“No coherent debating or acknowledgement of a very difficult situation, just we solve it by these ridiculous snippets.” (sic)