Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about migrants crossing the Channel.
I was deeply saddened by the loss of life in the Channel as a boat carrying migrants sank in French waters near Dunkirk. My thoughts at this terrible time are with the loved ones of those who died. This awful incident highlights the danger of crossing the Channel by small boat and the ruthlessness of the criminals who are exploiting vulnerable people.
The French authorities are leading the law enforcement response and the UK Government is fully supporting this. We are determined to bring to justice the ruthless criminal people smugglers whose actions endanger lives. The Home Secretary has been clear from the beginning that the criminals exploiting vulnerable people will be stopped and I offer my support to this important work. The fatalities were especially sad because the crossing being attempted was unnecessary – the family were already in a safe country, France, and they could have claimed asylum there.
I entirely agree with you that that the number of small boat crossings is unacceptable. The Home Secretary has said that we must make this route unviable in order to secure a long-term solution to the issue.
The National Crime Agency, Border Force and the Police have been engaging closely with the French authorities to crack down on the criminal gangs who facilitate these crossings. Firm action is needed to protect our border and save the lives of migrants who are being so cruelly misled by criminals and people smugglers.
The Home Secretary has outlined a two-part plan to stop the entry of migrants to the UK across the Channel. I welcome the work taking place to stop the boats from leaving France in the first place. Ministers are urging the French authorities to move migrants who are caught attempting to reach the UK by boat away from Calais and the UK is funding patrols on the beaches of northern France to prevent migrants crossing in the first place. The second part of the plan is to intercept and return anyone who attempts to make a crossing. I understand that the Government has asked the French to consider interceptions at sea and has offered to work with the authorities in France on joint exercises to highlight how boats can be returned safely.
Once the occupants of the boats arrive on our shores, they do not automatically receive the right to remain in the UK. France is a safe country with an established asylum system. Those coming across the Channel should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.
This has never been about escorting boats across The Channel. Once an unseaworthy small boat reaches the sea, the first priority is to save lives, this is something I agree with and will not apologise for. The Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and those on board the small boats are not wearing suitable life jackets despite the rough waters. It is important not to forget that these people are desperate and will put their own lives and those of their children at risk rather than go back to France. This is a complex and extremely challenging issue.
If the occupants of small boats are intercepted by the Border Force or Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) they are medically assessed and transferred for interview by immigration enforcement officers. At this point they may make a claim for asylum and will be processed in the usual way. However, if an individual is known to have made a claim in another country the Home Office will look at the process of returning them as promptly as possible.
The UK continues to be one of the world’s leading refugee resettlement states. As a country, we resettle more refugees than any other in Europe and are in the top five countries worldwide. Since 2015, the Government has resettled more than 25,000 vulnerable refugees in need of protection through our refugee resettlement schemes, with around half being children. These refugees are resettled directly from conflict zones (such as Syria) rather than from safe European countries such as Italy or France as the previous s67 Dubs amendment did. We believe that it is most important to prioritise those refugees in dangerous situations, not those already in Europe.
There are also safe and legal routes for those refugees seeking to be reunited with their family. In the year ending March 2020, over 7,400 refugee family reunion visas were issued to partners and children of those previously granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK. This is 37 per cent more than in the previous year. From 1 January, these very effective and fair family reunion rules will also apply to relevant family members of UK refugees where the family member in an EU state, replacing the EU’s Dublin rules, unless an alternative agreement can be reached with the EU in the meantime.
I hope you can see from this response that the Government is taking firmer action to stop these crossings. I am encouraged by this work but will push the Government to continue to act fast to make this route unviable and end the cruel and dangerous people smuggling between France and the UK.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards, Alister