France & U.K. Sign Deal to Stop Asylum Seekers from Crossing English Channel
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This new deal aims to add more police patrol in France in an attempt to halt incoming immigrants attempting to cross through the English Channel to the United Kingdom
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The interior ministers of France and the United Kingdom- British Home Secretary Suella Braverman (pictured left) and French minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin (shown right)- have signed an agreement that intends to place more patrols near the beaches of northern France to further stop immigrants from crossing the English Channel via small boats. This situation, in particular, has proven to be a source of tension between the two countries.
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Immigrants being intercepted at the coast of France
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In a recent development, the British government has agreed to pay France around 82.2 million Euros- $75 million- for France to increase its security presence by more than 40% across sea access points along the coast. This price is nearly 10 million euros- $10 million- more than an existing deal.
In terms of security, a planned 350 members of the French security forces will be heavily patrolling following the new deal. Furthermore, London and Paris have pledged to use technological and more human resources- including drones and night vision equipment- on the French coast to detect better, monitor, and intercept the boats.
The proposal also seeks to fight crime across current migration routes, with both ministers agreeing that their respective countries will gather information from asylum seekers that had been intercepted to tackle smuggling networks.
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Unfortunately, more than 40,000 people this year have made the hazardous journey to cross, which happens to be one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. So much so that the number of immigrants that have traveled in 2021, 28,000, has nearly tripled since 2020, when only 8,500 crossed.
The majority of this group is Albanians, Iranians, and Afghans.
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Dozens of immigrants have passed over the years, the most notable loss including the 27 migrants that died in November 2021 when a packed smuggling boat capsized in the English Channel near Calais and Dunkirk. Of the 30 passengers aboard, 16 were identified as Kurdish from Iraqi Kurdistan, including ten men, four women, and two children. Four more men were Afghan, three Ethiopian, a Kurdish man from Iran, a Somali woman, one Vietnamese man, and an Egyptian man. Four were suspected to be smugglers and were arrested shortly afterward. Two others survived the ordeal and were rescued, while one remains missing.
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In conclusion, although both sides have seen the issue of immigration at their borders, both have continuously argued with one another, insinuating that the other hasn't served its due diligence regarding the situation.
"The government must take a more comprehensive approach and create an orderly, fair, and humane asylum system that recognizes that the vast majority of those taking dangerous journeys are refugees escaping for their lives," said Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council charity in Britain, after commenting on how enforcement measures would do little to stop the desperation and determination of people attempting the crossings.
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Camila Rodriguez- Education Coordinator
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