The Hindu : France blames U.K. for crisis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 02, 2002

International

International

France blames U.K. for crisis

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JUNE 1. The asylum row between Britain and France hotted up on Saturday after the French Government suggested that the U.K.'s refugee crisis was of its own making.

Rejecting the charge that lack of adequate security at the French end of the Channel Tunnel was responsible for the stream of illegal immigrants into Britain, France said the fault lay with the former's lax asylum rules.

The French Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, said refugees wanted to go to Britain because it was easier to find asylum there than in any other European country. "They want to go to England, where there are no identity controls and where an asylum request is all they need to be able to work,'' he told Le Monde newspaper, reacting sharply to the British criticism that the French refugee camp at Sangatte, near Calais, barely 1.5 km from the Channel Tunnel, encouraged daily attempts by its inmates to enter Britain illegally.

Despite intense pressure, France has refused to close down the camp or shift it saying only a "harmonised'' E.U.-wide asylum regime would solve the problem. In other words, it wants Britain to bring its asylum rules — the most liberal in Europe — in line with those in other E.U. countries. France has promised to increase security at Sangatte, but Britain is not happy with the progress. Mr Sarkozy's remarks came a day after the British Home Secretary, David Blunkett, announced a controversial plan to send illegal immigrants back to either their own native country or to a "safe third country'' they might have passed through on their way to Britain. The move, which is seen in European countries as an attempt by Britain to "dump'' its unwanted refugees on them, evoked a sharp response from the French ambassador here who made it clear that in the absence of a bilateral agreement, Britain could not take such a decision "unilaterally''.

The plan was also attacked by refugee groups which called it a breach of international human rights as it seeks to deny failed asylum seekers — those whose applications have been rejected — the "right'' to stay on in Britain while their appeals are pending. Under the proposed rules, they would be able to file an appeal only from the country to which they have been deported.

The United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights has reacted sharply to the alarm in Europe over immigration and said that fears of an influx are exaggerated.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has warned France against delays in improving security around its side of the Channel Tunnel following complaints that hundreds of inmates of the Sangatte camp try to sneak into the tunnel every day in a desperate bid to enter Britain.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

U.S. concerned about infiltration into India

'Pak. has indicated it is acting on curbing terrorism'

No change in ground situation, says Fernandes

'Illegal workers' in Malaysia being ferried back

Straw's grim assessment causes alarm

Russia hopes for breakthrough in Almaty

Polls expose failure of Algerian establishment

Senior U.N. post for Shashi Tharoor

France blames U.K. for crisis

UNHCR begins repatriation of Tamil refugees

Kyoto Protocol: E.U. members ratify treaty