(Thumbnail image from dailymail.co.uk)
“French police detain hundreds of illegal immigrants as they clear out a refugee camp known as the jungle…Most of the migrants are Afghan men and boys, some as young as 14, who often travel to France with the hope of eventually making it to Britain, which is seen as a better place than France to begin a new life.” (MSNBC)
We’re looking at media reaction to the French government’s decision to clear “the jungle." We're also checking into media analysis of European immigration policy.
...With perspectives from France24, CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera English, Canada.com and NPR.
France24 explains the situation now facing the 270 arrested migrants...
“In terms of their rights, we have proposed that they go back to their own countries. 180 of them have decided to opt for this. Others have said they want to take up their right to ask for asylum and 170 have initiated these steps. And there are others in an irregular situation, they will be taken back to the border.”
A report from CNN says France’s re-location plan isn’t a cure-all, but a French official on France24 sees this as a step in the right direction.
“They have to go somewhere so the criticism of them is that they are simply displacing the problem, moving it on somewhere else.”
“I’m not under any illusions that some camps will undoubtedly spring up but insofar as we’re intervening, we can more or less banish the idea spread by the people traffickers, that the solution for the migrants lies here in Calais”
In reports from CNN and the BBC, the French government and refugee groups are calling for Britain to participate in the re-location efforts.
“The French government has been trying to get Britain to take some responsibility for the people staying in these camps because without that desire to get to Britain, without Britain shutting off the border in the way that it does, the problem wouldn’t exist here.”
“The UK-based Refugee Council wants Britain to accept some migrants, particularly children, with family connections in the UK.”
A report from Al Jazeera English describes what Britain plans to do. In a report from the BBC, an official from Migration-watch UK, an independent think tank pushing for managed immigration in Britain, explains why.
“Britain has ruled out taking the migrants in, with Alan Johnson, the UK home secretary, saying genuine refugees should apply for asylum in the country where they entered the EU.”
"We entirely support asylum for genuine cases, but it seems Britain is now seen as a soft touch...You have to look at the system as a whole, you can't just say there are vulnerable children."
Canada.com says the camp’s closure is a step in the right direction for Europe’s immigration policy; NPR adds that there’s room for reform, starting with uniformity of law stretching across the European Union.
“Europe took a small step Tuesday in its attempt to get a handle on a growing migration crisis.”
“For France, the Jungle was inhumane and a sign of what is wrong with European immigration policy. The EU's 27 nations each maintain their own immigration policy, complicated by some open borders, creating a confusing mix of laws, accords and bilateral agreements.”
What do you think about the French government’s decision to close the camp? Do you think Britain should take partial responsibility or should the EU come up with a uniform plan to deal with all migrant cases?
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