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The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, Jim Ratcliffe, has apologised for “offending some people” after claiming that the United Kingdom had been “colonised by immigrants,” while insisting that immigration should remain a subject of open public debate, AzerNEWS reports.

Ratcliffe’s comments drew criticism from Keir Starmer, who described the remarks as “offensive and wrong.” Fan groups and anti-racism organisations also condemned the language used by the Manchester United co-owner.

“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern,” Ratcliffe said in a statement. “But it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.”

Manchester United did not directly comment on Ratcliffe’s remarks, but said the club “prides itself” on being “inclusive.”

Ratcliffe made the original comments during an interview with Sky News, saying: “You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonised. It's costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn't it?”

He also claimed that the UK population had increased by 12 million over the past five years. However, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the population rose by around 2.7 million, from 66.7 million to 69.4 million, over that period.

The controversy highlights the sensitivity of the immigration debate in the UK, as well as the scrutiny faced by high-profile business figures involved in major sports institutions.