Will Calling In The Military Solve Britain's Problem Of Illegal Migrant Crossings?

Britain is planning to call on its military to stem the flow of migrants illegally crossing the waters of the Channel from France.

The use of the military is the latest attempt by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deal with an immigration problem that is rapidly rising to the top of Britain’s political agenda.

Yet it is far from clear how the armed forces can effectively keep asylum seekers from continuing to land in larger numbers.

Illegal border crossings from France to Britain have been a constant problem for many years.

People packed in rubber dinghies regularly attempt the sea crossing separating the French coast from Britain, which at the Strait of Dover – the narrowest stretch of the Channel – consists of only 33km of water.

Technically, none of the migrants will qualify for asylum since they were already in France, and international law as well as European procedures ban asylum seekers from “shopping around” for their preferred destination; they are expected to seek residence in the first country they land in.

Yet many try to get from France to Britain partly because they may speak a bit of English, and also because the British do not have identity cards so, once safely ashore, a migrant can work for many years in the underground economy without being disturbed.

Recently, the number of registered arrivals has soared. A total of 28,300 arrived by small boats last year, three times the number recorded during 2020. It is anyone’s guess how many remain unrecorded.