The migration crisis worsens in Calais with some 3000 people sleeping rough, trying to hitch a ride to Britain. The BBC correspondent says the reason the migrants want to come here is that they see it as ‘Eldorado’. What a disappointment it will be to them when they arrive and find that the BBC cancelled the show back in 1993. And an even bigger disappointment when they find that the ‘El Dorado’ they really seek – I did know really – was, like the BBC soap based in Los Barcos, mythical.
In all seriousness, I would imagine that the places these migrants are coming from are unimaginably awful otherwise they would never leave in the first instance. No one who was happy with their lot would travel halfway across the world, and maybe further, with just a rucksack to show for their worldly possessions. But why would they want to come here?
Whilst we are still on the subject of myths, perhaps they are keen on our generous benefits, which are handed out willy-nilly to foreigners as soon as they ask, and the generous luxury flats which are maintained by the local authorities which are awash with money. If they are, then someone has sold them a pup. Five years of David Cameron banging on about benefit scroungers may have persuaded them to come here to join in the milking of the system, but they will soon learn the truth if they have believed every word Dodgy Dave comes out with. Local authorities are skint. If migrants are put up anywhere, it will probably be in hostels, not hotels.
Perhaps they have come here for the weather. I mean, you would, wouldn’t you? What is not to love about the battleship grey summer days to which they will soon become accustomed? And all those jobs paying the minimum wage and zero hour contracts? Luxury! Bring it on.
The answer is simple though, isn’t it? Bring up the drawbridge. Don’t let them in. Actually, it’s not simple.
The majority of migrants will be from failed states. The only way some of these states will be turned round is by investment and by…gulp…maintaining overseas aid. It was a clarion call of the far right in the recent election that overseas aid should be scrapped because we have enough problems at home. Well, we do have a lot of problems at home but I see a different argument. If overseas aid is used wisely and failed states succeed, then there will be less migrants on the move, Calais will be less crowded.
This is not me saying I don’t like immigrants since if it wasn’t for immigrants I wouldn’t even be here. Immigration, when managed properly, is beneficial, with migrants bringing skills and paying tax to the country. And there will always be an obligation on Britain to take in our fair share of asylum seekers.
But the chaos in Calais and in various places throughout the world represents not just failed states but a failed response by the rest of the world in alleviating poverty and helping to end wars and not starting them. Charity begins at home and so does helping to fix broken states abroad. We do want to stop the mess in Calais but unless we recognise and deal with the reasons for it, it won’t end anytime soon.
