Tackle migrant crisis at source to prevent tragedies

‘The whole principle of asylum is you claim it in the first country you reach’

- Ross Clark Political commentator

HOWEVER shocked we may be at the deaths of 27 migrants attempting to cross the Channel on Wednesday, there was a sad inevitability to this tragedy.

The rising number of people taking to overloaded dinghies to cross the cold waters of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes was always likely to result in this kind of incident.

The only wonder is that it hasn’t happened before – at least not on this scale.

All human disasters hit us emotionally and this is no exception. But this is a particularly emotive case because of the rancorous debate over migration. Some have already declared the dead victims of callous western governments who ignore the needs of asylum seekers in order to please voters fearful of migrants.

Others blame well-meaning charities for encouraging people to try to reach Britain.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin even brought up the subject of Britain’s labour market, which he says is tempting people to cross.

Yes, M. Darmanin, we do have a more open labour market than France, and a far lower jobless rate as a result – but it is pretty disgraceful to infer we therefore have the deaths of 27 people on our hands.