MP is creating myths around refugees

IN her article in last week’s paper, MP Laura Farris wanted to “dispel myths surrounding small boats crossing in the Channel”, specifically claiming that it was “not true” that, “the Government had not got on top of the problem” or that “some of its rhetoric, demonised people displaced by conflict”.

To claim the Government is on top of the problem would have been laughably untrue even before the tragic loss of life last week.

As for not demonising refugees: Priti Patel has claimed that “70 per cent of those crossing the Channel were economic migrants”, despite the fact that the vast majority are eventually classed, even by our hostile asylum process, as genuine refugees.

She has also accused refugees of “asylum shopping”, David Cameron spoke of the “swarm” of people wanting to come [from Calais] to Britain” and repeatedly members of the Government refer to “illegal immigrants”, as if fleeing a war zone was a criminal act.

Mrs Farris then created two myths of her own:

Firstly she claims that arrivals by small boat were “taking precedence over asylum seekers from conventional routes”.

That is total nonsense as the Government can process as many applicants as it wants through other routes –it has nothing to do with those crossing the Channel.

In reality it has provided no safe routes for the majority of refugees from conflict zones

Secondly she claims “as a country we will always provide safe entry for those in need”.

The UK takes a smaller number of refugees per head of population than just about any country in the EU.

Germany, France and Spain took three times as many in

2020.

Our “generous” policy towards Afghan refugees has seen just three families settled in West Berkshire.

Laura Farris voted for a bill that will put refugees in jail if they do not arrive by a (non-existent) approved route, will allow patrol boats to “push back” small boats into French waters, and send refugees to offshore “processing” centres, presumably because locking them in condemned ex-army barracks is not cruel enough.

We could probably reach an agreement with France to return those crossing by boat, by agreeing to take a larger number of refugees, by a safer, regulated route.

That would break the smugglers’ business model and more fairly share the responsibility for refugees fleeing conflict and persecution.

However, that would require Laura Farris and her Government to put the welfare and lives of desperate people above their need to be seen as “tough on immigration”, so I doubt it will happen

GRAHAM STOREY

Garden Close Lane

Newbury