Britain’s Border Force brought migrants ashore in the port of Dover on Monday after picking them up from an inflatable boat as they crossed the Channel, the latest in a surge of crossings that is causing political tensions with France.
Taking advantage of a spell of hot weather and calm sea conditions, more than 500 migrants have made it to British shores since Thursday, many in overloaded rubber dinghies.
“CROSSINGS ARE UNACCEPTABLE”
British ministers have called the surge in crossings “unacceptable” and have called on France to do more to prevent boats from setting off from northern France.
“We have to make this route completely unviable,” said Chris Philp, the minister for immigration compliance, in a statement on Sunday. “We intend to return as many migrants who have arrived as possible.”
Pro-migrant charities accuse the government of over-reacting to the crossings for political gain, when the numbers are tiny compared with the flows of migrants routinely arriving in Mediterranean countries like Greece and Italy.
Many of the migrants come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be granted the right to remain in Britain.