The British Ambassador to Macedonia, Matthew Lawson, publicly confirmed that "there is not and never has been" any agreement between Britain and Macedonia on accepting migrants. This directly refuted claims by the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia and its leader Venko Filipche, who had asserted that the government was prepared to receive migrants from Great Britain in exchange for financial compensation.

VMRO-DPMNE reacted immediately, calling the opposition's claims a "fabricated narrative" designed to spread panic and manipulate the public. The ruling party stated that "the lie has been fully exposed" and called for accountability for spreading disinformation.

SDSM, however, did not back down from its position. The party pointed to a statement by the British Home Secretary on a new model of voluntary return for rejected asylum seekers — under which Britain offers up to 40,000 British pounds in financial incentives per person. Simultaneously, SDSM linked this information to several decisions by the Macedonian government: approving 10,000 new work permits for foreigners for 2026, easing conditions for foreign workers, and shortening administrative procedures for their admission.

Both parties accuse each other of disinformation, and the dispute unfolds in sharp tones without concrete official documents that would fully confirm or refute the claims. The political exchange reflects growing tensions between the government and opposition in the period ahead of upcoming political events.