What is the result of the very poor situation of the asylum seekers of the English Channel?
What is the reason for the differences between UK and France over the refugees in the English Channel?
What do the inspectors’ report on the situation of asylum seekers in the English Channel indicate?
Despite promises by the UK Home Office to look into the situation of asylum seekers, reports indicate that these people are experiencing very poor conditions after crossing the English Channel and entering the UK. In a report, the UK prison inspectors criticized the “very poor” conditions of detention of asylum seekers in the English Channel after entering the country, as well as the lack of support from relevant institutions, especially in providing security for asylum-seeking children.
The British government’s vain promises about asylum seekers
The very poor situation of the asylum seekers of the English Channel is such that the UK government has always promised to solve their problem. A committee of prison inspectors, as well as an independent monitoring group, have examined the situation of asylum seekers over the past three months and concluded that migrants and asylum seekers are not doing well and that conditions are bad for them upon arrival in the UK.
Reports from the UK prison inspectors and Independent Oversight Committees indicate that English Channel asylum seekers are being held in “very poor” conditions upon arrival, while the Home Office has repeatedly promised to improve. It has given the situation of asylum seekers in this country. The UK prison inspectors and Independent Oversight Committees have visited several refugee detention centers in the country over the past three months.
Limited progress in the living conditions of asylum seekers
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, stated that despite the guarantees obtained in previous inspections last year (2020), only limited progress had been made; While this year (2021) asylum seekers, including a large number of single and homeless children, are still being held in very poor conditions. “Despite some limited progress, detainees, including large numbers of unaccompanied children, continued to experience very poor treatment and conditions,” Taylor said. Pointing out that it is clear why no further improvement has been made in this regard, Taylor blamed the Home Secretary for the situation and criticized the lack of coordination between the responsible agencies for this purpose.
The group that prepared this report emphasizes the need for immediate action to improve the situation of asylum seekers. Reports indicate that families with young children had to spend more than 24 hours in tents near Port of Dover, the first port in front of the English Channel.
Inspectors report on the poor condition of asylum seekers
The very poor situation of the asylum seekers of the English Channel has worried the inspectors, because they say that the situation in the asylum centers is getting worse day by day. During a visit to the Tug Haven center near the English Channel in the past two months (October), inspectors noted the cold weather, especially the cold double-decker buses, which sometimes house asylum seekers. The inspectors added that a number of children, including infants as well as adults, especially those from the more vulnerable groups, spent the night there and their injuries were not treated.
The need for immediate action to resolve the refugee crisis
The report emphasizes that immediate action is needed to resolve the crisis. Inspections conducted in September 2020 showed that despite the Home Office officials promises of immediate action, no steps had yet been taken to improve the plight of the asylum seekers. The report also finds that many refugee women have been sexually harassed by traffickers along the way and have not received the necessary support from relief workers.
The English Channel and the UK-France dispute
The English Channel and the events that followed the migrants’ attempt to travel to the British coast through this passage have always been the focus of tensions and differences between Paris and London. According to statistics confirmed by the official British news agencies, nearly 26,000 people have reached the coast of this country by small boats through the English Channel since the beginning of this year; Statistics that have tripled compared to the same period last year.
British and French accusations against each other
Although the illegal entry of asylum seekers off the coast of northern France is not new, the drowning of 27 people in the waters of the English Channel on November 24 and widespread international reactions prompted Paris and London to take more serious action. But the two governments do not agree with each other and reciprocally shift responsibilities to each other. These differences have damaged relations between the two countries, which have already been affected by other issues, such as the rights of fishing in the English Channel or the Aukus security-defense pact. On average, about 2,000 people, including 700 children alone, have been held in the British county for 26 hours in the last three months. The report states that the longest detention period was for a person who was detained for four days after crossing the English Channel and entering UK. A child has been detained at the scene for more than 90 hours.
The very poor situation of the asylum seekers of the English Channel has also raised the voices of human rights organizations. They object to the UK government’s negligence in this regard and accuse Boris Johnson of not being serious about resolving the issue. Also, the agreements reached between UK and France have always been fruitless, and after a while, tensions between the two sides have resumed. These disputes have led to the drowning and killing of a number of asylum seekers in the English Channel every month. The report comes at a time when the UK government has come under fire for a series of scandals and is not doing well. Boris Johnson is likely to step down from the Conservative leadership due to incompetence and be replaced by someone else.
