Status of migrants questioned by Minister
HOME SECRETARY Sajid Javid has questioned whether migrants using small boats to make risky journeys across the English Channel are genuine asylum seekers.
Speaking yesterday on a visit to Dover amid a “major incident” over the number of people attempting the journey to Britain, he questioned why they had not sought asylum in the first safe country they entered.
He also suggested that those picked up by UK authorities faced having asylum requests denied as a deterrent to prevent others undertaking the same dangerous journey. Last month Mr Javid announced that two more Border Force cutters would patrol the English Channel after scores of migrants risked the perilous crossing over the Christmas period.
The Home Secretary, who cut short a family holiday in South Africa to take personal control of the situation following criticism of the Government’s response, defended describing it as a “major incident”.
He told reporters that 539 people had crossed the Straits in 2018, with 80 per cent making the journey in the last three months of the year.The Conservative Cabinet Minister said “almost every case” saw those crossing go on to seek asylum in the UK, adding: “A question has to be asked: if you are a genuine asylum seeker why have you not sought asylum in the first safe country that you arrived in?
“Because France is not a country where anyone would argue it is not safe in anyway whatsoever, and if you are genuine then why not seek asylum in your first safe country?” Following talks with high-level officials on Monday, Mr Javid redeployed two cutters from overseas to join HMC Vigilant, which is already patrolling off the south coast.
■ Last night a 33-year-old Iranian national and a 24-year-old British man were arrested in Manchester on suspicion of arranging the illegal movement of migrants across the English Channel into the UK, the National Crime Agency said.