UK urges France to take 'tougher action' on Channel migrants

On August 1, the United Kingdom reportedly urged France to take tougher measures to stop migrants using the channel to reach the UK. After the surge in Border Force Figures, which shows 96 migrants were intercepted by police on July 31 and twenty-four hour earlier official figures showed at least 202 migrants managed to cross to Britain in 20 boats, a single-day record. According to media reports, British Immigration Compliance Minister Chris Philp said that the number of illegal small boats are coming through the channel is unacceptably high. He also requested the French government to take tougher actions.

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Agreement to combat migrant traffickers

Earlier this month the United Kingdom and France had inked an agreement to create a new joint police intelligence unit to combat migrant traffickers and reduce the number of illegal Channel crossings. According to reports more than 3,400 people have crossed so far this year and in 2019 around 2,758 migrants were rescued by the French and British authorities while trying to make the crossing, which was four times more than 2018, according to French officials.

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Last week Bishop Paul Aleenan urged both the UK and French governments to address underlying reasons why people risk their lives crossing the English Channel. Bishop Aleenan said in his message released on July 23 that, “Their focus must be in determining why so many choose to flee their home country and use their influence to eradicate the underlying reasons why these same people are willing to risk their lives in the open sea.” He also added that the protection of the vulnerable must be a priority.

(Representative Image) (Image Credit: AP)

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