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Migrant Woes at Calais

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Migrant African workers and Middle Eastern war-weary refugees are crowding the French port of Calais, determined to smuggle themselves into Britain or die trying. The image of some 2300 odd people living in squalid makeshift shelters or lying on the ground of the still popular tourist destination is surreal, something out of a post-apocalyptic catastrophic warzone. Most of the refugees keep their meagre possessions in a single bag: spare shoes, clothes, toothpaste and soap; there is a singular objective in the minds of these people—survival. That is why those that get caught and turned away at the border do not return the way they came. For many of them, there is nothing to return to.

Britain has in one way or another, brought this influx of refugees upon itself. The island nation has a reputation as a safe haven, free from exploitation—less than a quarter of all illegal immigrants caught within the borders are deported. For rather obvious economic reasons, David Cameron and the Democratic Party have taken a stance favoring an open economy, welcoming in cheap migrant labour. While the thousands of migrants have brought international travel to a grounding halt, inconveniencing British tourists enjoying their summers, the country itself is still relatively unaffected, being on an island. England is also not part of the open borders agreement shared between over 25 members of the European Union, but the influx of immigrants leaving their homes behind to cross the Mediterranean has slowly but visibly shaken Europe. Some immigrants have traveled almost halfway around the world from as far as Pakistan, through Greece, Italy, and Spain on their search for a place to start their lives over.
It seems cruel to deny them, so close to salvation.
And yet there are no ways to avoid the fact that Britain simply cannot afford to provide employment and welfare for all those looking for a better life. It would be unethical to selectively allow certain ethnic groups into the country while other equally impoverished people still struggle to make it to the next day across the channel. The wealthier immigrants pay tourists exorbitant sums as bribes for being stowaways; some tourists make as much as 20,000 euros for a two hour drive across the border. Others risk their lives to stow away in cargo trucks and lorries, hoping that border security or a curious driver does not chance upon them until they are across the border. However, with a 2,000 pound-per-head fine for any illegal immigrants caught hiding away in a vehicle, truck drivers are more motivated than ever to remain vigilant. Despite the threat of confrontation, some of them carry weak firecrackers to convince stow always to leave their hiding spots in the wheel base or cargo hold of the truck.
French police and British border officials are working together to mitigate the damage, but it is becoming apparent to everyone involved that these people are not going anywhere soon without concerted and widely coordinated political assistance. The migrants at Calais are but the first waves of what is predicted to be a long, ongoing future trend, with thousands more following their footsteps in search of a life where they would not have to struggle each day to wake up the next.

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