Immigration
will be on our minds tonight. Michael Buchanan will report for us - he sent us this...
"from the port of Cherbourg where security officials are engaged in a daily game of cat and mouse with immigrants, mainly from Iraq, who are constantly trying to illegally cross the Channel to England. The metal fence which surrounds the port is backed up by 24 hr CCTV and the officials have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on improving security this year. But there are breaches everyday, and both the French and British authorities admit that some immigrants do manage to sneak onto the back of lorries and cross the Channel. "
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After watching the Panorama programme last week about the desperate circumstances in which people attempt to gain access to Europe via the Canaries and elsewise, this will be a timely follow up.
A couple of years ago we heard a lot about their plight, but the risks taken by people desperate to improve their lot in European countries I still find quite heartrending. Mind you, after heaing about Zimbabwe and Darfur, it isn't difficult to see that those risks must seem worth taking .....
Iraqis?
If we hadn't gone there, most of them wouldn't be coming here.
(Abusive user whose patience is appreciated)
What is the draw of the UK over France. I mean, these refugees have endured the danger and hardship of escaping Iraq and getting to a safe, prosperous place (France) why not just stay there and work illegaly, apply for refugee status, what have you? Wjy put themselves through another border crossing and risk getting caught crossing the Channel (or intercepted on the British side)? Is it Britiain's well established Iraqi ex-pat community, it's religious tolerance when compared to France? One just wonders.
Re 3. Abdul Rahim, I think it is that they probably speak english, not french
UK is awash with immigrants, and always has been. We are of largely immigrant-decent. However, when the threat of disease is as it is on the continent from which immigration comes, we're in trouble!
Take Africa for instance; A continent awash with HIV and Aids. If the disease has spread so viciously on the African continent, then way would it not here?
Does the government not think that they should screen at least the people that are recorded as entering the country? If not for public health, then for the NHS that will have to treat the patients, both British-born and not.
This may seem a little extreme, but disease can be extreme too.
Sounds like a plumbing problem...
Let's pay the Polish to 'improve the flow'.
Nobody's commented on the lovely sunset in pic 3.
Is there some problem with the way the world is distributing its resources that we haven't been told about?
Are there some counties without adequate housing, schools hospitals etc and no jobs either? Perhaps povery even homelessness or even hunger?
Perhaps there are countries laid to waste because America has been conducting a war there for the last few years.
Anyway, we should be told.
What a gorgeous sunset!
No Norbert Dentressangle trucks? That can't be France.
What a gorgeous sunset!
#10 David McNickle wrote:-
No Norbert Dentressangle trucks? That can't be France.
They are all in the UK this week. Can't move for them on the M40.
Big Sis (7). It would be very satisfying to sit here and take credit for planning to take the picture of the fence at sunset, but the truth is that I'd forgotten to take a shot of the perimeter and only remembered at sunset!
I had a major dilemma in the making of this piece in that I spotted some people crawling under the fence, and sprinting to hide among a few parked lorries. At the time I knew the security services didn't know they were in the port, so I was standing there wondering if I should tell the authorities. My usual instinct would be to leave well alone, but witnessing a crime - which was in all honestly the reason I was hanging around the fence - raised difficult questions in my mind. The journalist said "job done", the citizen said tell someone. Fortunately, within about 15 minutes the police found the immigrants and marched them out, but if they hadn't I'm not sure what I would have done. I bet there are some ´óÏó´«Ã½ guidelines about it all which I'm about to dig out.
Michael - I'm glad you brought that up. Listening last night as you were describing the guy testing the fence I wondered what you would do if he did get through. If you do find out what the guidelines are it would be interesting to hear them!
Don't worry about immigration. Campbell souperman has the solution (condensed form available on PM tonight).
Don't worry about immigration. Campbell souperman has the solution (condensed form available on PM tonight).
If this appears twice or in watered-down form, it's because I submitted it and a message appeared, "Done but with some errors" or similar, so I clicked on "Post" again and was declared delicious.
Witchiwoman (14)
I just spoken to someone about my ethical dilemma and the advice boils down to "it all depends!" There is no hard and fast rule but basically the worse the crime, the greater the duty to tell the authorities. So if I were to see someone committing a terrorist offence, I'd be expected to call the police.
As for the crime that I witnessed, there was less a requirement for me to report it as the authorities were aware that this sort of thing was happening anyway. The member of the Editorial Policy team I spoke to said we are not - and should not - become the eyes or ears of the police, as that could prevent us from doing our jobs. I totally agree, and having spoken to the guy, I'll have a clearer idea of what to do in future.
Michael - thanks for that. Its quite an interesting debate as to what qualifies as detached observational reporting and the responsibilities of an individual. Ah, the joys of common sense!
RJ Molesworth (12), So France is full of Eddie Stobart trucks instead?
RJ Molesworth (12),
I guess all of Eddie Stobart's trucks must be in France.