‘Shameful incompetence and ignorance’
THE deepening migrant crisis following the 27 deaths in the Channel dominated the newspaper comment sections.
Daily Mail
Sarah Vine said some might say [the latest deaths] were an accident waiting to happen.
“But the truth is this is no accident,” she said. “This tragedy has come to pass not because of some unforeseen misfortune, some mysterious twist of fate, but as a direct result of spectacular incompetence on the part of politicians on both sides of the Channel. And it is utterly shameful.”
She said it wouldn’t take a huge effort on the part of France to start turning back this tide of human misery.
“But Macron won’t because he sees this situation as the perfect stick with which to beat post-brexit Britain, to punish the Government politically for failing to stem the flow of immigration despite, nominally at least, having fought hard to ‘take back control’ of the borders.
“The most important thing as far as Macron is concerned is that Brexit is seen to have been a failure; one can’t help thinking this objective has made him blind to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding on his own doorstep.”
Daily Express
Jayne Ayde, director of Get Britain Out, said that despite the huge rise in migrants trying to get into Britain, the Home Office is still throwing money at the French to ask them to resolve the issue.
“[This is] despite no evidence to show they – or any other EU Member State – have any interest in standing up and taking responsibility towards these desperate people moving through their countries,” she said.
“It is about time the whole of the EU undertook their responsibilities when migrants come across their borders, instead of digging their heads in the sand, and pretending it is everyone else’s problem, but not their own.
“The Prime Minister must intensify co-operation with France – and the rest of the EU – and, if necessary, speedily implement additional new legislation to help give our Border Force officials more powers to deter further crossings.”
The Guardian
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the government needs to accept that if there were more safe and regular routes in place for people – such as a wide-ranging resettlement programme, humanitarian visas and reformed family reunion rules – fewer people would feel the need to make such dangerous journeys in the first place.
“The movement of people in search of safety is not just a policy challenge for our government but one that Europe and other Western nations are facing,” he said. “Like the climate crisis, it requires a multilateral response – working collaboratively with other countries. This includes working together to address the factors that force people to seek safety.”