Last week, immigration was the word on everybody’s lips. We learnt that the UK is refusing to fund future search and rescue operations off the Italian coast, fearing it will encourage more people to make the dangerous journey from North Africa.
The Mayor of Calais was invited to give evidence before the Home Affairs Select Committee, telling us that the problem is that Britain is seen as a ‘soft touch’. Then we learnt about the asylum cases backlog: the Home Office has failed to resolve 29,000 asylum applications dating back to at least 2007.
Amid this growing hysteria, you would be forgiven for forgetting we are talking about human beings. The majority of those risking their lives crossing the Mediterranean or boarding lorries in Calais are from Syria, Eritrea and Somalia – places torn apart by conflict. They are refugees, not economic migrants; people who have escaped war, conflict and persecution and are seeking a place of safety.
You would also be forgiven for thinking all British citizens are united in the belief that we are taking more than our fair share and that the most sensible thing to do is build higher fences.
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