More immigrants crossing the Channel

Paul Taylor, a contributing editor at POLITICO, writes the “Europe At Large” column.

PARIS — Terrorists, gangsters and people-smugglers will be among the big winners if negotiations on the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the EU end without an agreement later this year.

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, when the Brexit transition period expires, the screens connecting British police, cybersecurity services and justice officials with the bloc’s crime-fighting databases, traveler records and forensic archives will go dark.

It’s not just the gilded statue of the goddess of justice atop London’s Old Bailey Central Criminal Court that will be blindfolded. U.K. police and prosecutors also risk being suddenly unsighted by the loss of vital real-time information.

Instant access to passenger data, DNA, fingerprints and criminal records around Europe will be a thing of the past. Extradition may take a year or more rather than an average of 48 days under the European Arrest Warrant. Requests for judicial cooperation may revert to being handled in slow motion through diplomatic channels rather than directly between justice officials.

We can and should expect our partners and allies to work in cooperation so we can help each other. If however you choose to separate from those allies and work openly against them and refuse to agree to terms we ahve negotiated and agreed with them - then I see no reason whatsoever why they should continue to help. Simple.

At present, the UK economy is very fragile, with many thousands of people either on furlough which will soon end, or already claiming universal credit because they have lost their jobs. I don't think the country can support migrants too. Unfortunately these people are fleeing dangerous countries, and are desperate. There must be a better solution than western countries turning them away, but I have no idea what it is. I hope better minds than mine can work out a solution for these poor people.

They are economic migrants if they were refugees fleeing for their lives they would presumably have claimed asylum in the first safe country which I believe to be the law.

last two replies raise interesting and important points - neither are addressing the question asked by the OP.

We should welcome refugees. All refugees.

Anything less is inhumane. Hunting them down and hounding them back to the French coast is unspeakable.

GrannyGravy13

They are economic migrants if they were refugees fleeing for their lives they would presumably have claimed asylum in the first safe country which I believe to be the law.

Not necessarily. Read the Dublin III Regulation. They are not allowed to claim asylum in more than one EU country, but after December 31, it's irrelevant anyway.

Antonia

At present, the UK economy is very fragile, with many thousands of people either on furlough which will soon end, or already claiming universal credit because they have lost their jobs. I don't think the country can support migrants too. Unfortunately these people are fleeing dangerous countries, and are desperate. There must be a better solution than western countries turning them away, but I have no idea what it is. I hope better minds than mine can work out a solution for these poor people.

Unfortunately, there isn't a better solution. Nobody wants them and I can't see why any country should stop them coming to the UK. They're our problem.

I wouldn't expect France to take any responsibility for immigration into UK, if UK if not part of Europe.

Last thing I heard was the French were helping migrant boats get safely into UK waters, it’s not their problem, migrants in France are just ignored - they don’t exist unless they cause a public order problem.

We haven’t given them much reason to be helpful recently.

No, I don't think France should help

We wouldn’t help France if it were the other way round.

They are causing problems for the French, so they are glad to be rid of them.
I think what France should do is allow us to police the French ports and stop them from leaving.
If something isn't done, there will soon be a welcoming committee on our beaches from the far-right and the whole business will result in violent confrontation.

I think what France should do is allow us to police the French ports and stop them from leaving.

What a joker you are, ladymuck!

Why on earth should France let us police their border? What is more, police their border to keep people, who the French really don't want, out of the UK?

We've left the EU, you know. No more co-operation between friends and allies. The UK has made it very clear that the EU member states are neither...

We already pay the French for stopping migrants leaving and coming here illegally.
We can either pay them more ( as they are asking) or police our own waters better than we have been doing.
ladymuck I agree it would be better if we could do that near the coast in France, and it would also stop any future drownings.Can’t see France agreeing.
Yes, it’s a UK problem, but nobody wants to see these inflatables full of people overturning in the Channel.We may be out of the EU, but we can still work with the French to mitigate this problem.

We could - but there is no reason why they should agree.

They will rightly say- you wanted out, you didn't want to cooperate with us, you wanted to police your own borders - up to you now.

"Last thing I heard was the French were helping migrant boats get safely into UK waters, it’s not their problem, migrants in France are just ignored - they don’t exist unless they cause a public order problem."
What is your source for this Davidhs?
There are centres for migrants set up across France. There is support for integration and learning the French language. As I said on the other thread I met and talked with some of the young men in our local centre in rural France. They were very grateful for the help they were getting and the support of local people. They had abandoned any idea of going to the UK, though one of them was still hoping to get in contact with his uncle. Obviously some do run away and continue to try and reach the UK, but it does not mean that the French authorities are not trying.
Please can you cite the sources for your remarks as they don't match the reality of those who live here.

I thought it was the case that we can pay the French for their help - as lemongrove said, but the French want us to pay more for their future cooperation.

I don’t think we have the manpower to guard our own coastline alone - we have barely enough resources to police our streets.

That's the UK's problem Puzzler.

80,000 more asylum seekers in France than the U.K. so they are doing more than their bit. I heard the mayor of Calais on the radio saying it’s costing the town much more than they are getting in terms of policing, clearing up rubbish, supplies etc. They don’t feel any obligation to help the UK as they are no longer a member state.

I am in agreement with what you say growstuff so UK will have to get a contract signed with France and pay.

lemongrove is right, we already pay France to stop migrants from attempting to cross the Channel but they are now asking for more money to do it - £30m is the figure, I think. I believe it is also the case that asylum seekers must ask for asylum in the first safe country they come to which would not normally be England. The reason they prefer to come here is because they speak English or they already have relatives here (some will say there are other reasons but perhaps best not to go into that). As to whether France should still be helping to stop the influx to the UK post Brexit, I don't see why not. It is a commercial deal that is open to negotiation. That is why they are asking for more money.

How do you know what they are grannygravy did they tell you they were Economic immigrants
I d Swap a hundred immigrants for some of our waste of space sit on their bum people
As the mayor of Liverpool says Refugees are welcome here Nigel Farage isn’t

I agree with most of you who say why should France take responsibility now that we have cut the link?
This topic has been brought up before.
As I see it the root of it is that many if not most of these migrants only want to come to the UK. Often they already have family here, and they can speak english better than french.
When this whole problem started we were in rural France. Busloads were brought to our rural dept. where there were offers of agricultural jobs and housing in the many empty properties around.
But no, they wouldn't get off the buses, only wanted UK or cities.
Other non-agricultual parts of Fance had the same experience - generous offers of help turned down.
Most of the immigrants who did stay were from the french-speaking countries of N.Africa. ex french colonies.
So, to be creative. we will welcome them but they must agree to help out in our agricultural communities, which have lost their ex-EU workers. In order to receive our usual benefits package.