Calais Migrants Resort To Their Last Hope Of Reaching The UK: The Human Rights Posters

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IN Calais, France, migrants have been protesting, demanding human rights protection. They have alleged police brutality against them, with some claiming to have suffered broken hands and legs.

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The British Government is not keen on the migrants making it to the UK. There is an increased police presence in the town after dozens of migrants tried to storm a ferry bound for Dover.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, immigration minister James Brokenshire stated:

“Obviously it’s up to the French to maintain security and order on their own soil, but we want to do what we can to help. We offered the port of Calais £3m three months ago to help improve security … we now offer our French partners the fences that were used this week to keep the Nato summit safe in Newport. These could replace and enlarge the inadequate fencing in Calais which is too easy for illegal immigrants to scale.”

And:

Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart has threatened to blockade the port unless the UK helps to control the number of migrants, claiming the town has been “taken hostage” by more than 1,000 migrants who want to cross the channel.

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Why is the UK such a pull?

Former Conservative Home Secretary Lord Howard, who was the MP for Folkestone and Hythe until 2010, said the UK was not a soft touch for migrants.

“I’ve some sympathy for the mayor of Calais and the problems which she’s had to face but she’s directing her frustration and her anger at the wrong target.

“The general principle which every member state of the European Union has subscribed to is that people fleeing persecution should apply for asylum in the first safe country they reach.

“France used to take this very seriously. When I was home secretary we had agreement with France under which if people came to the United Kingdom from France and claimed asylum we would return them to France, and France dealt with their claim.”

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