Hundreds of migrants attempting to cross from France into the UK once again attempted to storm the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in the early hours of Friday, forcing one platform to be shut, disrupting services once again.
The situation in Calais is unacceptable. That's why I asked Theresa May to chair a meeting of COBRA.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) July 29, 2015
Cameron came under fire Friday when he said the problem had become worse in recent months because:
"…You have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain."
The Refugee Council said this was "unacceptable language" and that Cameron was misrepresenting the situation. According to figures from the UN's Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 200,000 people have arrived on Europe's shores this year, having risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
"Irresponsible, De-humanising Language"
The figures show that the UK receives below the EU average in terms of asylum applications per head of population. Germany, Sweden, Italy, France and Hungary receiving far more asylum applications.
The lives of others are important. Where they come from is irrelevant. Migrants need our support. #migrantcrisis pic.twitter.com/TfnKOzOUbt
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) July 31, 2015
Refugee Council Head of Advocacy Dr Lisa Doyle said: "It's extremely disappointing to hear the Prime Minister using such irresponsible, de-humanising language to describe the desperate men, women and children fleeing for their lives across the Mediterranean Sea.
"This sort of rhetoric is extremely inflammatory and comes at a time when the Government should be focused on working with its European counterparts to respond calmly and compassionately to this dreadful humanitarian crisis.
"It's easy to see why people are alarmed by the pictures they're seeing and the reports they're reading: it's utterly heart-breaking to hear of people losing their lives. That's why it's so important that the Prime Minister shows real leadership by ensuring he uses responsible, careful language and doesn't feed into people's fears by misrepresenting the situation."
"Britain has a proud tradition of protecting refugees. It's important that tradition is safeguarded in times of crisis."
The UK is home to less than 1% of the world's refugees — out of more than 50 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. In the UK in 2010, 25% of the people who applied for asylum were granted it. In some countries, such as Switzerland and Finland, over 70% of applications succeed.
