The UK and France are intensifying their crackdown on small boat crossings in the English Channel, deploying drones, teargas, and riot squads against asylum seekers, yet offering few safe alternatives, according to a report by Diane Taylor in The Guardian. The report highlights the case of Garang*, an 18-year-old from South Sudan, who survived the violence on French beaches and now struggles to contact his displaced family from the UK.
Leaders agree to intensify crackdown
During talks on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed that while they are making progress in reducing Channel crossings, they need to go further. Burnham stated the government wants to "prevent smugglers exploiting vulnerable migrants," but he remained silent on providing alternative safe routes for those fleeing conflict.
The UK government increasingly uses military language, such as "surge" and "neutralise," regarding small boat crossings. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has vowed to be "relentless" in this effort. French authorities have deployed surveillance drones and additional officers to tackle dinghy launches from other parts of the coast.
Refugees face violence and desperation
Garang is among thousands of refugees who have faced teargas and beatings from French riot police when boarding dinghies to the UK. He survives on a £10-a-week allowance from the Home Office, which is insufficient to make long-distance calls to his family in South Sudan. He borrows phones from anyone with credit to try to reach his mother, who is displaced.
Home Office data shows that those in small boats overwhelmingly come from war zones: Eritreans fleeing indefinite military conscription, Afghans escaping the Taliban, Iranians opposing the regime or converting from Islam to Christianity, and Sudanese escaping civil war. The report notes that nobody steps into an overcrowded dinghy unless they are desperate.
Impact and statistics
Channel crossings from France to the UK have dropped by more than 40% this year compared to the same period last year. However, the UK ranks 16th in Europe per head of population for asylum claims. According to newly released data, 41% of asylum seekers were already in the UK with a visa or leave prior to claiming, and 20% arrived by other routes, such as lorries. Countries like Turkey and Iran take in far more refugees.
The report criticizes Nigel Farage and Reform UK for poisoning public discourse on refugees. It calls on the UK government to restore humanity by promoting safe routes and reminding the public of the small absolute numbers of refugees arriving and their experiences. Garang recently reached his brother by phone, but the call disconnected before he could speak to his mother. He remains determined: "Now I know she's alive I will not give up trying to call whenever anyone lets me use their phone," he says. "All I want is to speak to my mum."
