The latest UK-France agreement aims at tackling the migrant crisis. The countries signed the deal as the number of people arriving on the south coast through the journey topped 40,000. The value will also see a 40% boost in the number of officers patrolling beaches in northern France (Yahoo News). More migrants arrived in the UK as the Government signed the new multi-million-pound deal (Guernsey Press). More important than the agreement is the question, “Why do migrants leave France and try to cross the English Channel?”
Deal struck with France to curb migrant Channel crossings
Gibraltar Chronicle says that the Government signed a new multi-million pound deal with France to reduce Channel crossings. British immigration officers will be in French control rooms for the first time—the latest UK-France agreement to tackle the migrant crisis. The UK and France signed the deal as the number of people arriving on the south coast after making the journey topped 40,000. The value will also see a 40% boost in the number of officers patrolling beaches in northern France.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman and French interior minister Gerald Darmanin singe off further measures in Paris on Monday morning. The measures include drones and night vision equipment to help officers detect crossings. The agreement also includes monitoring ports to prevent migrants from entering the UK in lorries. For management, the officers will use more CCTV and sniffer dogs.
How much does it cost the UK?
As it says in Euronews, the UK will pay France €72.2 million under the agreement in 2022-2023. This figure is up from this year’s amount of around €63 million. In return, France commits itself to increase by 40% the number of officers patrolling French beaches by. Similarly, according to Gibraltar Chronicle, the cost paid by the UK to France will rise to 72 million euros annually. This equals £63 million. Rishi Sunak said the cost to reporters travelling with him to Indonesia for the G20 summit. In the same line, Guernsey Press says the agreement hikes the figure paid to France by the UK to around 72 million euros (£63 million) in 2022/23.
The agreement falls short of what is needed
Guernsey Press: Rishi Sunak said the move would contribute to his efforts to control illegal migration Sunak added that he was “confident” numbers would come down over time. However, he declined to guarantee they would fall next year. Critics criticised the deal. Conservative MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke said it “falls short of what is needed”. Human rights group Amnesty International UK said the sale was no different from previous agreements. It accused the Government of “recycling the same failed response”. The Refugee Council said the move would “do little to end the crossings”.
According to Euronews, critics say the UK should open up more legal routes for people to come to the country. The UK Refugee Council and others accuse the British Government of under-resourcing the asylum system. “Carrying on the annual ritual of signing ‘the deal to end it all with France’ isn’t a solution,” tweeted Daniel Sohege. She is a specialist in international refugee law. She said, “It is just paying out yet more money on a policy that has been proven not to work”. She added, “we need that money put into the asylum system.”
Crossings on the rise
As Guernsey Press says, Government figures show 972 people arrived in 22 boats on Saturday (Nov 12, 2022). Moreover, 853 people arrived in 26 boats on Sunday (Nov 13, 2022). These crossings took the total crossings for the year so far to 41,729. Total crossings last year were 28,526.
Why do migrants leave France and try to cross the English Channel?
“Why do migrants leave France and try to cross the English Channel” is the central question Sunak’s Government must consider. According to Breaking News, Enver Solomon claims the deal fails to address the main question. The main question is, “Why do migrants leave France and try to cross the English Channel?” Therefore, Solomon says the deal will “do little to end the crossings”. Enver Solomon is the chief executive of the Refugee Council. He called for a focus on creating more “safe routes”. He emphasised working with the EU and other countries to “share responsibility” for the “global challenge”. He believes in urging the Government to do “far more” to reduce the backlogs in the current asylum system.
Concerning the question “Why do migrants leave France and try to cross the English Channel?, INFO MIGRANTS refers to two reasons. It says many are desperate to escape the unemployment and homelessness they experienced elsewhere in Europe. British Red Cross says there are five reasons people may make the journey. 1. Joining family already in the UK, two and knowing some of the language, 3. Basic needs not being met in France, 4. Rejection and lack of access to asylum systems in other countries, and 5. People smugglers dictate journeys.
In the same line, Oasis Cardiff refers to some common reasons. The most common reason people choose the UK is to join their families already in the country. Another common reason people come to the UK is that they speak the language. Family ties and the ability to talk about the language make rebuilding a life easier to face. Another reason is the conditions in French refugee camps and informal settlements.
The UK is a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention
Enver Solomon says, “The Government must take a more comprehensive approach and create an orderly, fair and humane asylum system”. He says the system must “recognises that the vast majority of those taking dangerous journey are refugees escaping for their lives,”. He adds that it is a global issue that will not be resolved by enforcement measures alone. The Government needs to face up to this fact (Breaking News). Moreover, seeking asylum is a Human Right. We all have a right to seek asylum. Under the UN Refugee Convention, people seeking asylum do not have to seek asylum in the first safe country they reach. The UK is a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention (Oasis Cardiff).
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the agreement as a “small step in the right direction.” Starmer told broadcasters this was “a much bigger challenge that the Government still isn’t gripping”. He also warned of the cost to taxpayers (Guernsey Press).
To sum up, the Government must pay more attention to the question, “Why do migrants leave France and try to cross the English Channel?” With the deal, Sunak’s Government is violating a Human Right. Furthermore, the agreement is not in the right direction, and taxpayers must pay for it. The UK government must think of a humanistic and fair solution to the problem.
