Photo credit: CTV News
US Vice President JD Vance has sparked a row with the United Kingdom, linking the murder of an 18-year-old to what he described as the consequences of mass migration, prompting a sharp rebuke from the UK government.
The Times of India reports that Vance commented on social media on the killing of Henry Nowak, who was fatally stabbed in Southampton in December by an indian-origin individual, Vickrum Digwa. The case has drawn significant attention in recent days, particularly among anti-immigration activists and right-wing commentators.
“Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit.
“His murder is as tragic as it is enraging,” Vance said.
The US Vice President went on to argue that the circumstances surrounding the case reflected broader societal failures and urged what he called “righteous anger” in response.
23-year-old Digwa was convicted of murder this week and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. Following the attack, Digwa falsely told police that he had been racially abused and was the victim of the incident. Officers initially treated the wounded Nowak as a suspect before discovering he had suffered a fatal stab wound and attempting to save his life.
Digwa used an eight-inch Sikh dagger in the attack. Despite efforts by sme groups to portray the case through the lens of race and migration, both Nowak and Digwa were British citizens.
Vance nevertheless linked the killing to immigration, writing that Henry “should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.”
“Henry was far from the first to so needlessly lose his life, and I fear he won’t be the last,” he added.
His remarks drew an immediate response from Downing Street, which accused external actors of inflaming tensions around a deeply sensitive case.
“We have seen people trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
He noted that the victim’s family had appealed for restraint and unity following Henry’s death.
