UK: Handful of English Channel migrants spark crisis

Britain's home secretary and French interior minister have agreed to step up efforts to end illegal migrant crossings into the U.K. from the French coast.

The agreement came shortly after six Iranian men were found on a beach near Deal in Kent on Sunday as the number of those who made the dangerous English Channel crossing reached almost 100 since Christmas day, putting immigrants under the spotlight once again and causing a national emergency in the U.K.

Sajid Javid and Christophe Castaner will reportedly launch an action plan this week to increase patrols and intelligence sharing to end what they described as "illegal human smuggling".

Javid, who cut short a family holiday in South Africa over the migrants reaching the U.K. coasts, is expected to chair a meeting on Monday with senior officials from the Border Force, the National Crime Agency and other authorities.

Many of the migrants trying to reach the British soil are thought to be from Iran and Syria.

Since November, more than 220 people have attempted to cross the Channel in small boats, according to a BBC report.

Criticism

Meanwhile, opposition’s Labour Party has accused the Conservatives of whipping up concerns about the immigration issue in wake of the upcoming vote on the EU withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons.

Labour’s shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, accused the government of exploiting the issue.

“There’s no question that with Brexit, and also with the approach of the meaningful vote in January, people are being whipped up about migration issues, because the government thinks this is the best way of frightening people to vote for their deal,” Abbott said.

“It’s the [Nigel] Farage technique -- ‘hordes’ of people trying to enter the country. You frighten people about that.”

During the campaigning period before the 2016 EU membership referendum, the Leave campaign -- spearheaded by then UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage -- used big posters of immigrants and anti-migration slogans.

The Leave campaign had also claimed that millions of Turkish people would migrate to the U.K. if the country carried on as a member of the EU.

Army deployment

Also speaking on the weekend to the local press, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said British navy vessels could be deployed in the Channel.

“We have not had any requests as yet, but if the Home Office is in need of armed forces support then our navy, air force and army stand ready to assist,” Williamson told the Sunday Telegraph, echoing U.S. President Donald Trump who recently ordered U.S. troops to use force to stop migration from Mexico.

"We have a duty to reach out the hand of humanity, support and friendship to people who are in danger and seeking a place of safety," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Twitter.

Abbott also accused the defense secretary of using the situation for party politics.

“I think Gavin Williamson is just nakedly trailing his coat for the leadership, and I think that’s a little bit unpleasant, given that these are real human lives at stake,” she said.

UK policy

Immigration into the U.K. has become a controversial issue often exploited by far-right organizations and Brexiteers.

According to official figures, there were 74,000 more EU citizens who came to the U.K. than people leaving for other EU countries this year.

This was the lowest estimate for EU net immigration since 2012 and the lowest immigration level since 2014 with a great effect of Brexit uncertainties.

However, the non-EU net migration reached its highest since 2004 at 248,000, according to data from the Office of National Statistics.

Britain had pledged to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 after Europe had to face an influx of migrants in 2015. The number was not found impressive back then, as it was so small when compared with the vows made by various other EU countries.

Refugees across the world

Turkey is hosting more than 3.5 million refugees according to figures provided by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This is the highest number of refugees hosted by any country in the world.

Most of the refugees hosted by Turkey have fled Syria as it has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on protesters with unexpected ferocity.

Turkey is followed by Pakistan and Uganda each hosting 1.4 million refugees, according to UN figures.