logo
Speaking French, Swedish, German… the migrants booted out of EU in asylum crackdown & on small boats to ‘soft touch' UK

Speaking French, Swedish, German… the migrants booted out of EU in asylum crackdown & on small boats to ‘soft touch' UK

The Irish Sun2 days ago

MORE than 2,000 migrants are massing in the Jungle camp outside Dunkirk in northern France.
And their aim — to cross the Channel and take advantage of 'soft touch' Britain after they were turfed out by the EU countries where they previously lived.
4
Migrants climb walls and cut fences near Dunkirk's Jungle camp
Credit: Chris Eades - Commissioned by The Sun
4
While the number of asylum claims across Europe is falling, the figure for the UK is going up
4
Jungle camp residents form a queue behind an aid truck
Credit: Chris Eades
Shocking new figures have revealed that while the number of
And as small boat crossings to Britain are increasing daily, the level of 'irregular' crossings into the EU countries from Africa, the Balkans and Eastern Europe have significantly reduced.
When The Sun visited the overcrowded
And that is because a huge majority of the migrants waiting to come here have lived in those European countries for years.
These are people who have already paid out thousands to
Huda plans to apply for asylum in the UK after her original claim in the Netherlands was turned down when she was living in the northern city of Groningen.
She told The Sun: 'I don't want to cross the Channel, but what choice do I have?
Most read in The Sun
"I spent seven years living in Holland and I was happy and settled there.
'Then one day in 2023 they told me to leave.
Channel migrants queue for cash in hand jobs as secrets of UK's £260bn illegal economy revealed
"They said my asylum claim had been rejected and I would be deported.
'They kicked me out of the refugee camp and I became homeless the same day.
'I was very upset and I still don't know why my asylum claim was turned down.
"The people doing the interview did not believe what I said.
'But I know many, many people who had their claims rejected in Holland.
"I don't think the Dutch government understands the situation in Somalia.
'I've tried to claim asylum in France, too, but they told me to go back to Holland.
'Now I'm sleeping in
'HUMANITY IN BRITAIN'
'There is more humanity in Britain and I want my children, who are ten and eight, to join me over there.'
The decision by EU countries to get tough on immigration — in response to rising public concern — is reflected in the latest figures.
In the first quarter of this year, there was a 17.6 per cent fall in asylum claims across the EU, according to the European Commission's statistics service Eurostat.
At the same time, there was a 17 per cent rise in asylum claims in the UK, from 93,150 to 109,343, according to the Home Office.
EU countries clamping down include the Netherlands, where the Party for Freedom, founded and led by firebrand
Elsewhere, the
Even centrist
European leaders have yanked away the welcome mat at the same time as they are ploughing millions into border security — with significant results.
Irregular crossings to the Canary Islands from Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia in West Africa were down 34 per cent in the first quarter of this year, according to the EU's border security agency Frontex.
4
Somali mum Huda Abdi aims to apply for asylum in UK after being rejected in Holland
Credit: Chris Eades
Crossings into what is termed the Western Mediterranean — Africa into mainland Spain — were down ten per cent over the same period.
The Central Mediterranean crossing point, where migrants take small boats from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Algeria to Italy and Malta — has witnessed a three per cent fall compared to last year.
Meanwhile, there has been a 30 per cent reduction in crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean migrant route into Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, where barbed wire fences have been erected along the border with Turkey.
The Western Balkan passage through Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia has seen a 58 per cent reduction.
And crossings from the Eastern land border, from Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the Russian Federation, have dropped 37 per cent despite Vladimir Putin pushing migrants in that direction to stoke political unrest.
The only border bucking the trend is what Frontex terms 'exits towards the UK', with Channel crossings up five per cent compared to the first three months of last year.
Around 50,000 small boat asylum seekers are expected to reach our shores by the end of 2025 — each
This is a huge reduction on the 157,651 who reached Italy in 2023, before the Italians paid £85million to Tunisia to boost border security.
That figure seems like a bargain compared to the £476million that was given to French border police over three years by the UK Home Office.
Aid worker Rob Lawrie has seen at first hand how the migrant wave has turned towards the UK, having spent ten years helping out at camps in northern France.
'CRIMINAL NETWORKS'
Rob, from Leeds, who hosts the To Catch A Scorpion podcast, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Dunkirk camp is now 'very full', with a 'few thousand' living there.
He previously told the same programme: 'The problem is that asylum cases are dropping off massively in Europe in terms of being accepted.
'What we see in the camps of France is different nationalities from African nations — from Afghanistan, Iraq and other nations — they speak either German or Swedish or Belgian and Danish.
'And that's because they've been in those countries for two or three years and eventually had their second or third appeal denied.
'They're not going to go back to Eritrea, or whatever their country was, because of why they left.
'So their only option is now to go down to northern France and once again put their lives into the hands of these organised criminal networks.'
Teenager Adau Abraham, from
Adau, 18, said: 'It is clear they don't want me here in France.
"I tried to claim asylum at the application centre, but they told me I was too late and I would have to come back the next day and try again.
'Then, when I was walking back to the Jungle, the police stopped me and arrested me.
I can't afford to waste any more time in Europe so I am going to England to try again
Sadia Hassan
"They said that as I didn't have any papers, I was illegal in France.
"They put me in jail for three hours, which was terrifying.
'They told me they didn't want to see me again, that I had one week to leave France, or else.'
Student Ali Yousef, 25, intends to move to Britain after he was kicked out of Germany.
He said: 'I was living in Munich for a year or so and everything was good until they told me to leave.
'I had friends there and German people seemed nice, but the authorities do not care about our needs.
'They rejected my claim, even though I have tribal issues in Somalia.
"I was deported last year and now I will go to the UK and try again.'
Sadia Hassan, 20, from Adale, Somalia, had her asylum claims rejected by two EU countries.
Standing with a female friend outside the Auchan store, she said: 'I lived in Holland for two years and they wasted my time.
"Then I went to Germany and lived there for three months, but they said no, too.
'I can't afford to waste any more time in Europe so I am going to England to try again.
Read more on the Irish Sun
'If they reject me, I don't know what I will do"
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme -
Sun Club.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The EU's indictment of Israel in Gaza: the hard work begins
The EU's indictment of Israel in Gaza: the hard work begins

RTÉ News​

time3 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

The EU's indictment of Israel in Gaza: the hard work begins

The review into whether Israel is in violation of its obligations under its trade relations with the European Union, due to its conduct of the war in Gaza, was shrouded in secrecy and hobbled by last minute timing. National capitals only got the assessment late on Friday afternoon - foreign ministers are supposed to give a detailed response at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. Diplomats complained about having little time to assess the review's contents. The less time they have, the more potential for a divisive debate at the Monday meeting. The paper was circulated not long before EU ambassadors were scheduled to meet to discuss it at 6.30pm Brussels time on last night. "Until a few days ago, we had no idea if it would be just an oral presentation," an EU diplomat said yesterday morning. "Now we have confirmation it will be a written report, which for us is extremely important. The value of a written report is greater." The review was ordered by the EU's Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas after a majority of EU foreign ministers supported a Dutch proposal last month to assess whether Israel was in breach of the human rights and international humanitarian law obligations enshrined in Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The review was carried out by the EU's Special Representative for Human Rights. It essentially collated existing findings produced by a plethora of UN bodies. Yet, over seven pages it was a searing indictment of Israel's alleged failure to abide by human rights law, and the rules governing the protection of civilians during war, both in Gaza and the West Bank. It focused on Israel's complete blockade of any food, medicine and fuel entering Gaza for 11 weeks from 2 March, before Israel eventually permitted a "militarised" food distribution service which was accompanied by "deadly" shootings of Palestinians. Since the Hamas 7 October attacks, discrimination, oppression, and violence against Palestinians had increased in the West Bank, with a "significant increase in Palestinian fatalities" and attacks by Israeli settlers, accompanied by "sustained settlement expansion". There were road closures, checkpoints, and barriers that "permanently or intermittently restrict the movement of Palestinians across the West Bank." These increasingly undermined Palestinians' access to livelihoods, healthcare, education and other essential services. The "unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians" in Gaza was "a direct consequence of the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) failure to comply with fundamental principles of [International Humanitarian Law]". The report said of the verified Palestinian deaths caused by attacks on residential buildings in Gaza, 44% were children - "mainly young children and babies." The fact that these deaths did not reflect the demographic of Hamas combatants "points to indiscriminate attacks." The use of heavy weapons, including airstrikes, on civilian shelters (including tent encampments and schools) "raise concerns about Israel's compliance with the principles of precautions in attack, and proportionality". Attacks on hospitals and medical centres in Gaza included "direct strikes, sieges, the use of snipers, raids, and the apparent arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of medical staff, patients and their companions, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering at hospitals", and the killing of many emergency medical workers. Israel had failed to comply with binding International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings in early 2024 to provide humanitarian aid in Rafah "with a view to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of the Genocide Convention." And on the review goes… Needless to say, the report found that Israel's obligations under human rights and international law to protect civilians were in breach, as were its obligations under Article 2 of its agreement with the EU. Ireland and Spain first highlighted concerns last year that Israel was in breach of Article 2. The trenchant support for Israel by Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and others meant there was no consensus for a review to take place. That changed after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapsed in March and the IDF intensified its assault on Gaza, including the prolonged humanitarian blockade. Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp revived the Irish-Spanish initiative in April, and at a meeting of his counterparts in May, the pendulum swung in favour of action. 17 member states - including Ireland - supported a review of Article 2 compliance (two countries joined the list afterwards); sentiment at EU level was clearly shifting. Yet, the divisions remain. Despite last night's report, we are in for a protracted period of step-by-step diplomacy. Ms Kallas will canvas the views of 27 foreign ministers on Monday, and then brief EU leaders during their summit in Brussels next Thursday. Yesterday, diplomats were emphasising the need for unity. So sensitive is the Israel-Gaza issue, that a menu of options against Israel will be kept off the table for now. "There are those among the 17 (member states) who wanted the review but who don't actually want any measures against Israel to be taken," says a senior EU official. "They want to use this as a way of applying pressure to Israel. There are those who definitely want measures to be taken, and there are those who didn't even want the review in the first place." A senior EU diplomat, from a country in favour of the review, said: "It's clear what needs to happen: first of all, we want as broad agreement as possible on the outcome of the review. We know it will not be unanimous, it will not be consensual, but we hope that a big group of member states can subscribe to the conclusion of the review." That would, in theory, allow Ms Kallas to take the findings to the Israelis and use the threat of punitive measures to encourage Israel to massively increase humanitarian support and to move towards a ceasefire. Preserving unity next week will be challenging. When EU ambassadors had their first meeting on the forthcoming review on Wednesday, the divisions were already clear. "You could see the different positions of member states reflected in the more procedural interventions," says one diplomat. "The Irish, Belgians, Spanish and Slovenians were pushing for an immediate discussion among ministers about next steps and consequences, whereas others were fiercely pushing back on that: the Hungarians, the Czechs, the Germans and - to a lesser extent - the Italians." It is understood the Irish government initially wanted Ms Kallas to lean towards some kind of list of options the EU could take against Israel, now that it had been found in violation of Article 2. However, Dublin had apparently accepted the prevailing view that unity was vital and that the threat of further action could convince Israel to change its policy towards humanitarian aid, and towards a ceasefire. In this scenario, we would have to wait for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in July before Ms Kallas presents a range of options Europe could take. In a statement, Tánaiste Simon Harris welcomed the findings of the review. "Ireland has always been clear that any such review can only reach one conclusion – there is clear evidence that Israel is in breach of its obligations under Article 2 of the Agreement. We now expect the EU and its Member States to take concrete actions in follow up to the review." External events could also derail any consensus building. Diplomats stressed the need to keep the Article 2 issue separate from the Israel-Iran war raging in the background. "It's part of Israel's strategy to divert attention from what is happening in Gaza and in Palestine," says one diplomat. "That's precisely what we don't want. The situation in Gaza and Palestine is absolutely critical, and we need to keep a very strong focus on it." "On the Iran-Israel issue," says another diplomat, "some foreign ministers will make the point that given what's happening, perhaps we should hold off on the review, hold off on making this an issue in our conversation with Israel. I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time." There is also growing frustration - shared in Dublin - at those EU capitals which have emphasised quiet diplomacy with Israel. One source suggested that "whispering to the Israelis" had yet to deliver any meaningful response in 18 months of the Gaza war. Pressure is building elsewhere. This week, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot spearheaded a joint letter - co-signed by Tánaiste Simon Harris, as well as the foreign ministers of Finland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden - calling on Ms Kallas to ensure that the EU is compliant with last summer's ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. The advisory opinion held that Israel's occupation was illegal, and that countries were obliged to ensure they did not support the occupation through trade. The Belgian initiative chimes with the Irish government's view that the ICJ ruling is binding on EU member states and that a ban on products from illegal settlements is effectively a legal obligation (ie, the legal impetus for the Occupied Territories Bill). Belgium expects other countries to join the call. A senior diplomat from one member state said his government was in favour of the Belgian initiative, but preferred not to sign the letter given that its recommendation - banning settlement products - was one of the "options" that could put pressure on fragile EU unity. The private view within the European Commission is that the EU is broadly in line with the ICJ ruling. However, the Commission has sent a number of legal opinions to the member state working group on international judicial affairs (COJUR). "The issue has been back and forth without any consensus," says a senior EU official. "It's never reached the political level, but it's been discussed by diplomats." The Belgian letter essentially calls for Ms Kallas - who represents both the Commission and member states - to speed the process up. It urges the Commission to bring forward measures to ensure that member states are in compliance, given that the "European Union is founded on the values as stated in the UN Charter, such as the respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights…[and that] all EU Member States are parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice." Whether the Commission will introduce new legislation to reflect the growing clamour - as reflected in the Occupied Territories Bill - for a ban on goods coming from illegal Israeli settlements remains to be seen. One source suggests that the Commission could provide for individual member states to make their own national arrangements. The fact that the review of Israel's conduct, for so long a disregarded Irish-Spanish gambit, has finally happened and does not pull any punches is, relative to the EU's tortuous policy on Gaza, an achievement. However, the length of time it has taken to hold Israel to account, and the fact that even now a punitive response could take several months, will further call into question the EU's moral backbone, with the death toll in Gaza standing at over 56,000, according to Palestinian authorities. The fact that the EU's role in foreign policy necessarily gives each member states a veto (foreign policy is normally a fundamental expression of national sovereignty) is of meagre comfort to those who believe Europe should have done more and done it quicker. Diplomats are increasingly frustrated that in the generational challenges of our time - Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Israel's response to the Hamas October 7 attacks - the EU's voice has been blunted by division and national vetoes. In the event that Ms Kallas does provide a menu of responses to foreign ministers in July, it is by no means clear what happens next. The EU has never taken action against a trade partner for such a breach of a trade agreement. A full suspension of the Association Agreement would require unanimity, with a Hungarian, German and Czech veto almost certain. There has been speculation that suspending elements of EU Israel trade would only require a so-called Qualified Majority Vote (QMV). On the basis of the 19 countries which supported a review, that qualified majority could be reached. However, one EU official questioned whether even this would be possible. "Even suspending some trade could be seen as a sanctions measure, and that would therefore require unanimity," said the official. "We've also discussed a complete ban on trade with Israel, and that would be against our WTO obligations - so that is a non starter." For any measure to be taken it would require a proposal from the European Commission, meaning the issue runs - once again - straight into national divisions. On only two occasions in the history of the EU has an issue gone to a vote among the College of 27 commissioners (each from a member state) since the body strives for consensus. There is no doubt that attitudes to Israel have hardened, even among its traditional allies. Last month, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a TV interview: "What the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip, I no longer understand the goal. To harm the civilian population in such a way … can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism." Whether this pressure, which should be amplified by the publication of the review, makes any difference to Israel's conduct remains an open question.

The Irish firms seen as safe from Trump's planned ‘revenge tax'
The Irish firms seen as safe from Trump's planned ‘revenge tax'

Irish Times

time4 hours ago

  • Irish Times

The Irish firms seen as safe from Trump's planned ‘revenge tax'

Ireland's largest public companies, CRH , Flutter Entertainment and Smurfit Westrock , are on track to be cocooned from the Trump administration's planned controversial 'revenge tax', as tax advisers warn of the potential impact on other Irish businesses and individuals invested in the US. A provision in Donald Trump 's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), known as section 899, would allow the US to impose higher taxes of as much as 20 per cent over time on foreign companies, individuals or investors connected to jurisdictions that impose 'unfair foreign taxes' on US individuals and companies. Specified 'unfair' taxes include the 15 per cent global minimum effective tax regime that Ireland and other EU countries implemented last year on foot of an agreement, reached in 2021, by members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Foreign companies operating in the US that are majority-owned by US investors would not be affected by the special tax, according to the Bill's wording. Dublin-based CRH, Flutter Entertainment and Smurfit Kappa, each of which has major US operations, are all majority-owned by US investors, according to spokespeople for the three. READ MORE Spokesmen for Kingspan and Kerry Group, the next two largest Irish plcs with significant US business, which are believed to be majority-owned by investors outside the US, declined to comment. Companies may dip in and out of scope over time as investor registers evolve. The US House of Representatives passed the OBBBA last month. A Senate Republican version of the Bill, published on Monday, also includes the revenge tax, even if it proposes that enforcement is delayed by a year until 2027. The Senate version is set to be voted on by July 4th. 'If the provisions are enacted and commenced, it will suddenly become more expensive for an Irish company to have a presence in the US,' said Cormac Kelleher, an international tax partner with Forvis Mazars Ireland. 'It could also cause Irish companies planning to set up a business in the US to think twice – and maybe to look at alternative markets. Still, others might just have to take the tax hit, if the US is a very important market strategically for them.' Section 899 would increase the rate of US tax imposed on companies and investors from what the Senate version calls 'offending foreign countries' by 5 percentage points per year, up to a maximum increase of 20 points above the statutory rate. The surcharges would apply to areas including withholding taxes on dividends, royalties and interest as well as income tax on US business. While the Senate version specifies interest on US bonds would be exempt – providing relief for overseas investors in the country's $36.2 trillion (€31.4 trillion) government debt market – European investors in dividend-distributing US companies stand to be affected. Capital gains on investments are not included in this new tax plan. 'It is likely too early at this point for individuals to be able to get a clear picture of how the rules might affect Irish individuals that have US investments,' said Harry Harrison, a tax partner with PwC Ireland. 'Individuals holding investments in US stocks should talk to their tax advisers about the potential impacts, but bear in mind it will take time for the companies they have invested in to figure out to what extent they will be affected, and to make this information available to the market.' The Global Business Alliance lobby group estimates that Section 899 could cost the US 700,000 jobs over time, reduce gross domestic product by $100 billion annually, and negatively impact the value of US assets.

Iran, Israel launch new attacks after Tehran rules out nuclear talks
Iran, Israel launch new attacks after Tehran rules out nuclear talks

RTÉ News​

time6 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Iran, Israel launch new attacks after Tehran rules out nuclear talks

Iran and Israel have exchanged fresh attacks, a day after Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme while under threat and Europe tried to keep peace talks alive. Shortly after 2:30 am in Israel, the Israeli military warned of an incoming missile barrage from Iran, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Interceptions were visible in the sky over Tel Aviv, with explosions echoing across the metropolitan area as Israel's air defence systems responded. At the same time, Israel launched a new wave of attacks against missile storage and launch infrastructure sites in Iran, the Israeli military said. Sirens also sounded in southern Israel, said Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency service. An Israeli military official said Iran had fired five ballistic missiles and that there were no immediate indications of any missile impacts. There were no initial reports of casualties. The emergency service released images showing a fire on the roof of a multi-storey residential building in central Israel. Local media reported that the fire was caused by debris from an intercepted missile. Israel began attacking Iran over a week ago, saying its longtime enemy was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this. Its air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based human rights organisation that tracks Iran. The dead include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, according to authorities. Reuters could not independently verify casualty figures for either side. Talks show little progress Iran has repeatedly targeted Tel Aviv, a metropolitan area of around four million people and the country's business and economic hub, where some critical military assets are also located. Israel said it had struck dozens of military targets, including missile production sites, a research body it said was involved in nuclear weapons development in Tehran and military facilities in western and central Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was no room for negotiations with the US "until Israeli aggression stops". But he arrived in Geneva yesterday for talks with European foreign ministers at which Europe hopes to establish a path back to diplomacy. US President Donald Trump reiterated that he would take as long as two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel's side, enough time "to see whether or not people come to their senses", he said. Mr Trump said he was unlikely to press Israel to scale back its airstrikes to allow negotiations to continue. "I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens," he said. The Geneva talks produced little signs of progress, and Mr Trump said he doubted negotiators would be able to secure a ceasefire. "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this one," Mr Trump said. Hundreds of US citizens have fled Iran since the air war began, according to a US State Department cable seen by journalists. Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the Security Council his country would not stop its attacks "until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled". Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani called for Security Council action and said his country was alarmed by reports that the US might join the war. Russia and China demanded immediate de-escalation. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was ready to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment but that it would reject any proposal that barred it from enriching uranium completely, "especially now under Israel's strikes".

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store