The United Kingdom must free itself of European Union regulations governing asylum seekers if there is to be any hope to curb the burgeoning migrant crisis in the English Channel, Brexit leader Nigel Farage has said.
Speaking after a number of Conservative members of parliament calling themselves the Common Sense Group wrote to Boris Johnson calling for legislation to be brought forward to change the asylum system in the UK, Nigel Farage said even more than that had to be done, calling for the country to withdraw from the EU migrant allocation scheme.
Discussing the growing migrant crisis on England’s southern shores with talkRadio host Mike Graham Tuesday morning, Mr Farage challenged the whole framing of the immigration debate, noting the vast majority of boat arrivals to the UK from safe European nation France’s northern coast this year have not been “asylum seekers”, but rather are “illegal immigrants”.
Responding to the letter signed by dozens of Tory MPs to Boris Johnson calling for new laws to radically change the migration system, Mr Farage said that even if the government wanted to do something, it would take months — time in which thousands of more illegals would come.
Mr Farage said: “We are told that some primary legislation may get put before parliament this autumn.
“But the problem is, how many thousands more will come, and need to be housed, and put pressure on those communities before anything passes into law. And I actually think that the government needs to say to the European Union as part of the negotiations that are ongoing — we are overriding the Dublin Regulations which allows people, effectively, to not claim asylum in France but to come to Britain. And we’ll overrule them immediately. That’s the only way we are going to stop the flow this year.”
While the Dublin Regulations Mr Farage cited as a stumbling block to Britain regaining control of its own borders has been sold by the European Union as positive protection for both migrants and states, it, in fact, prevents nations from turning back illegals. The way the regulations forces the hands of states has led to the scenes seen in the English Channel, where migrants are escorted across the water by French patrol boats and picked up by British Border Force ships, unable to turn them back.
Migration Watch UK’s Ben Loughnane told Breitbart London that freeing Britain from the Dublin regulations was an essential step on the road to regaining control of the nation’s borders. Explaining why Farage’s call was important, he said on Tuesday: “Until we leave Dublin III we cannot eliminate the pull factors which incentivise these crossings. Whilst leaving Dublin III will not itself stop crossings, it will free us of obligations which are most often against our interests.”
Leaving the compact would not be a “magic bullet” solving the migration crisis, however. Loughnane said it was merely the first step which would have to be followed up with significant other developments: “Subsequent legal changes, radical reform of our asylum system, and the elimination of loopholes and incentives which drive illegal crossings will go a long way to reducing the numbers. Those who consider coming in illegally must know that they will be returned, or they will continue to come. Currently, they know the opposite, that it is very likely they will get to stay – even if their asylum claims are rejected.”
Ultimately, the Migration Watch UK spokesman said, while the UK remains subject to Dublin rules, headline catching moves by the government like sending more Border Force boats or even the Royal Navy to the Channel would have no real effect, as they would still be bound to bring migrants ashore — the majority of whom will never be deported.