The response of the French authorities to growing disorder around Calais has been inadequate. Only yesterday, long after these problems became apparent, did the French promise to deploy more police to the area. Even when the officers arrive, there are grave doubts about their effectiveness, since in many instances, the police response to illegal attempts to enter the tunnel is merely to drive the immigrants a short distance from the tunnel before releasing them, inevitably to return and try again.
Equally extraordinarily, Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister has written to Eurotunnel, a private company, seemingly blaming the firm for not doing enough to secure the tunnel entrance. That will not do. SecuringFrench borders is the job of the French state.
That state is not known for either inefficiency or restraint in enforcing the will of the country’s politicians. It is extremely hard to imagine that illegal immigrants congregating in such numbers elsewhere in France would be treated with such apparently leniency.
There are strong grounds to suspect that the French government has deliberately taken a relaxed approach to detaining and removing immigrants near the tunnel because it regards permitting their departure to the UK as a cheaper and easier option than returning them to their countries of origin.
Frankly, the French are attempting to shirk their responsibilities and transfer their problems to Britain. Faced with a crisis that is international in nature, such national selfishness is simply unacceptable.
Val says and all I see are sad displaced people, with nowhere to go. I worry about all the dogs in overflowing refuges but I also have concern for people in a similar situation, nowhere to go, no one seems to care.
With dogs the final answer is euthanasia,( with many staying in their own countries this could happen) with people surely we need all countries to find a solution and a place for these poor people, who want a chance at life. Had you been born in Syria or Africa, it could be you.
You can send your comment if you disagree .. but I hope we all have some humanity and feel their pain.
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