The British foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has said that too much Immigration will endanger living standards in Europe. Speaking in Singapore, Hammond said that current European law meant it was too easy for immigrants who arrive in Europe illegally to remain. He claims Europe “can’t protect itself and preserve its standard of living and social infrastructure” until the law is reformed. Hammond’s remarks come at a particularly sensitive time for the immigration debate.
According to the Telegraph, around 4,000 migrants are gathered at the French port of Calais, from where they hope to cross the English Channel and reach the UK.100 or more are believed to join them every day.
A large number enter the EU via Greece, which is starting to become overwhelmed by the influx.
Many migrants try to enter the Channel Tunnel, through which trains run.Some try to board the trains, while others walk the 31 miles alongside the tracks, in pitch darkness and at constant risk from trains travelling at over 100 mph. Hammond has commented that "there is more that can be done to enhance the security of the tunnel."
However he believes the key is to tackle the "root cause" of the problem. For him, the way to do this is to crack downon illegal immigrants. "So long as there are large numbers of pretty desperate migrants marauding around the area there will always be a threat to the tunnel's security."
Yesterday, 9th, an alliance of migrants, activists and Calais locals protested against the erection of a mile-long fence barring access to the Tunnel.
They denounced the methods used by French police to suppress the migrants, and paid tribute to those who have died on their journey. Among the slogans they carried was, "We are not animals". According to BBC News, the fence cost £7 million and was funded by the British Government. A similar project was seen through on the Serbo-Hungarian border last month.
On Saturday, a “suspicious”-looking lorry was stopped on the M1 motorway in Hertfordshire, north of London. 18 people were found inside, believed to be Vietnamese illegal immigrants. They were arrested along with the driver.
The shadow foreign secretary, Labour’s Hilary Benn, has criticised Hammond's position. He called for “responsibility and international leadership, not scaremongering”, adding that many of the migrants have fled war-torn Syria and deserve compassion.
