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May and Cameron make excuses while Europe tries to rise to refugee crisis May and Cameron make excuses while Europe tries to rise to refugee crisis
(about 1 hour later)
Theresa May took the trouble to go all the way to Brussels on Monday for an EU extraordinary meeting that she herself had played an instrumental role in calling to discuss the refugee crisis. Theresa May took the trouble to go all the way to Brussels on Monday for an extraordinary EU meeting that she herself had played an instrumental role in calling to discuss the refugee crisis.
When she got there, the home secretary announced that the UK would not be taking part in Europe’s main response to the crisis, the emergency relocation of 160,000 refugees to help lighten the load on Italy, Greece and Hungary.When she got there, the home secretary announced that the UK would not be taking part in Europe’s main response to the crisis, the emergency relocation of 160,000 refugees to help lighten the load on Italy, Greece and Hungary.
David Cameron travelled even further to make the same point. At a refugee camp in Lebanon, the prime minister said Britain’s aid spending had dissuaded “hundreds of thousands” of refugees from heading to Europe.David Cameron travelled even further to make the same point. At a refugee camp in Lebanon, the prime minister said Britain’s aid spending had dissuaded “hundreds of thousands” of refugees from heading to Europe.
Cameron and May were both trying to address criticism that Britain is not doing enough to tackle the gravest refugee crisis that Europe has faced since the second world war. Both stressed that Britain had already taken in 5,000 Syrian refugees since the crisis began four years ago and their new commitment to take 20,000 refugees direct from Lebanese and Jordanian camps by 2020.Cameron and May were both trying to address criticism that Britain is not doing enough to tackle the gravest refugee crisis that Europe has faced since the second world war. Both stressed that Britain had already taken in 5,000 Syrian refugees since the crisis began four years ago and their new commitment to take 20,000 refugees direct from Lebanese and Jordanian camps by 2020.
But their cry of “we’ve already given” at the moment when Europe is trying to deal humanely with the 380,000 people who have arrived on Mediterranean shores so far this year is far from adequate. They have left Britain sitting on the sidelines making feeble excuses instead of throwing its not inconsiderable weight behind a European effort to rise to the situation.But their cry of “we’ve already given” at the moment when Europe is trying to deal humanely with the 380,000 people who have arrived on Mediterranean shores so far this year is far from adequate. They have left Britain sitting on the sidelines making feeble excuses instead of throwing its not inconsiderable weight behind a European effort to rise to the situation.
May offered a short soundbite in which she publicly called for European action to “break the business model of the criminal gangs of people smugglers”, to set up registration centres urgently in Italy, Greece and Hungary to fingerprint all those who make it to Europe, and to set up “removal centres” in transit countries in Africa. Related: 10 truths about Europe’s migrant crisis
May offered a soundbite in which she called for European action to “break the business model of the criminal gangs of people smugglers”, to set up registration centres urgently in Italy, Greece and Hungary to fingerprint all those who make it to Europe, and to set up “removal centres” in transit countries in Africa.
It is all of a piece with a Brussels press announcement on Monday that the EU’s naval taskforce in the Mediterranean – in which HMS Enterprise is playing a key role – is one step closer in its mission to begin “boarding, seizing and diverting” refugee boats on the high seas.It is all of a piece with a Brussels press announcement on Monday that the EU’s naval taskforce in the Mediterranean – in which HMS Enterprise is playing a key role – is one step closer in its mission to begin “boarding, seizing and diverting” refugee boats on the high seas.
The home secretary wants everybody fingerprinted – with powers to detain them if they won’t cooperate – so that anyone who manages to slip out of Italy or Greece under the radar can be tracked on a central database in case they try to claim asylum in another EU country.The home secretary wants everybody fingerprinted – with powers to detain them if they won’t cooperate – so that anyone who manages to slip out of Italy or Greece under the radar can be tracked on a central database in case they try to claim asylum in another EU country.
But it is her backing for the latest “Fortress Europe” proposal of removal centres in Africa that is perhaps the most alarming. The plans appear to open the way for the rapid return across the Mediterranean of failed asylum seekers from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea who cannot be sent back home. Instead they would be sent to a removal centre or “safe camp”, presumably to sit and wait, possibly for years, until it is safe for them to go home.But it is her backing for the latest “Fortress Europe” proposal of removal centres in Africa that is perhaps the most alarming. The plans appear to open the way for the rapid return across the Mediterranean of failed asylum seekers from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea who cannot be sent back home. Instead they would be sent to a removal centre or “safe camp”, presumably to sit and wait, possibly for years, until it is safe for them to go home.
There is a possibility that May and Cameron’s policy of providing protection for refugees “anywhere but Europe” could eventually gather support as Germany’s generosity reaches its limits. But in the meantime Britain’s refusal to lighten the load within Europe is losing Cameron a lot of goodwill before his renegotiation of the terms of Britain’s EU membership. There is a possibility that May and Cameron’s policy of providing protection for refugees anywhere but Europe could eventually gather support as Germany’s generosity reaches its limits. But in the meantime Britain’s refusal to lighten the load within Europe is losing Cameron a lot of goodwill before his renegotiation of the terms of Britain’s EU membership.
Back in Britain, ministers are urgently trying to sort out the practicalities of Cameron’s pledge of sanctuary for 4,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees. Although significant numbers of the public and 60 councils have offered support, all the signs – including the sudden appointment of a minister for Syrian refugees, Richard Harrington – suggest they have yet to get to grips with the situation. t Back in Britain, ministers are urgently trying to sort out the practicalities of Cameron’s pledge of sanctuary for 4,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees. Although significant numbers of the public and 60 councils have offered support, all the signs – including the sudden appointment of a minister for Syrian refugees, Richard Harrington – suggest they have yet to get to grips with the situation.