UK and France working ‘at pace’ to block Channel asylum seekers
The UK and France are working “at pace” to stop asylum seekers from illegally entering the UK by boat, according to immigration minister Chris Philp.
Philp was in Paris today to meet his French counterparts, telling reporters afterward that Emmanuel Macron agreed that something had to be done to stop migrants crossing the English Channel by boat.
“It’s clear more needs to be done,” Philp said.
“If we can make this route unviable, which we are determined to do, then migrants will have no reason at all to come to France in the first place.
“If a shared plan can be agreed, we would be obviously be prepared to support that … in all the ways necessary to make it a success.”
Pictures of people travelling to Dover from Calais, often in small dinghies, have been leading this week’s media coverage, after increases in the number of migrants making the journey.
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About 4,000 asylum seekers have crossed the Channel to the UK this year, including 235 in just one day last week.
The Sun reported today that some of the people smugglers organising the journeys are offering “kids go free” deals and that the passage cost around £500 per person.
The EU’s Dublin Agreement states that asylum seekers should be settled in the first European country they arrive in, however this often does not happen.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said yesterday that the agreement should potentially be reviewed to better manage the flow of asylum seekers, calling its current format “rigid and inflexible”.
“One of the issues which is highlighted by the crossings is that asylum seekers are required to claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is clearly not happening in many places,” he said.
“They are travelling onward and taking dangerous journeys to places like the UK and this is something that should be looked at.”
The increase in illegal arrivals has led to home secretary Priti Patel to call for the Royal Navy to patrol the borders and send the migrants back to France, while other government figures have also called for stronger measures to prevent further arrivals.