” Shame “, “Drama of inhumanity”, need to“Welcome with dignity”… The representatives of the opposition parties, Thursday, November 25, took a critical look at the action of the Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, the day after the sinking of a boat of exiles which made at least twenty- seven dead in the Channel.
Asked at the microphone of RTL, the tenant of the Place Beauvau argued that “France tries[yait] to be human in this story ”, recalling that “The French state has rehoused 12,000 people since January and distributes 2,200 meals a day”. For him, the priority for the State must be to fight against smugglers, who now function as “Mafia organizations”, who “Fall under organized crime”, with the use in particular of “Encrypted phones”. “Since the 1er January, we arrested 1,500 smugglers ”, assured Mr. Darmanin, Thursday.
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” Work together “
Speaking of a “International problem”, partly linked to “The attractiveness of the British labor market”, the minister urged border countries to take their part in the fight against smugglers. “France must stop being the only one fighting against smugglers”, he said. There are “Criminal associations” in Belgium, Germany and England, the minister said, arguing that countries should work ” together “ on this topic :
“We tell our Belgian, German and British friends to help us. (…) France expels 20,000 people a year, England only 6,000. ”
In addition, the Minister of the Interior said that a fifth person suspected of being a smuggler in connection with the shipwreck the day before had been arrested on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. Four suspected smugglers were arrested late Wednesday afternoon, also suspected of having a link with the tragedy. According to Mr. Darmanin, the fifth smuggler arrested that night had “A German license plate” and had “Bought Zodiacs in Germany”.
” Dignity “
The day before, the environmental MEP Karima Delli had criticized the Minister of the Interior, pointing out his responsibility in the death of migrants in the Channel. “This is the result of Darmanin’s policy of firmness. Shame on us. How many dramas will it take before the government acts? “, was she annoyed on the social network Twitter, before continuing: “We don’t need false crocodile tears, we want a dignified welcome policy. “
For his part, the deputy La France insoumise Adrien Quatennens spoke of a “Terrible tragedy” on BFM-TV, vehemently criticizing the action of Mr. Darmanin. “There is no difficulty justifying the mistreatment of exiled people. We don’t have to tear up tents ”he said, referring in particular to a report released in October by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch (HRW). “We don’t have to confiscate their toys from children and their personal effects from parents. We can and we must treat people humanely ”, added the “rebellious” deputy.
“It is a drama of inhumanity, not of fate”, also estimated Laurent Berger, secretary general of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT). “We will never have to get used to these tragedies, I have sadness, indignation and anger”, declared the trade unionist in the program “Télématin”, before continuing:
“Migrants around Calais are not welcomed in terms of accommodation, reception, respect for fundamental rights. They are fleeing impossible situations in their country, they are not there for pleasure, but not for obligation. It is not by erecting walls, by hiding misery that we will get there. “
“Instrumentalisation of the migration issue”
Denouncing “The crocodile tears of certain European leaders”, “Like Boris Johnson”, Mr. Berger also considered that “The instrumentalisation of the migration issue” in France was “Unworthy”. For the Socialist President of the Regional Council of Occitanie, Carole Delga, “There are political responsibilities when we caricature immigration” , she estimated at the microphone of Sud Radio.
It is imperative to “Denounce the bad agreements of Touquet”, insisted the LFI deputy Adrien Quatennens, who considers that he “Must act quickly otherwise it will happen again”. “In order not to abandon the exiled in the hands of smugglers, we need a legal migration route to the United Kingdom”, also proposed the elected representative of the North.
On the side of the associations, the voices are unanimous. “There is no point in incriminating smugglers first or attacking associations. The real leaders are those who refuse to welcome ”, lambasted the League of Human Rights (LDH). The Utopia56 association urged the State to assume its responsibilities “Not only for this tragedy, but for all those which, inevitably, will follow if the State continues to persist in its murderous policies”.
“The militarization of the border is strict, very strict, it encourages networks of smugglers”, says Juliette Delaplace, coordinator of Secours Catholique on the Coastline. Same analysis for Pierre Roques, coordinator of the Auberge des migrants, for whom “With so many police officers, people are forced to put themselves in the hands of the smugglers”.
Attempts to cross the Channel on board small boats have doubled in the past three months, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea, Philippe Dutrieux, had recently warned. As of November 20, 31,500 people had left the coast since the start of the year and 7,800 migrants had been rescued. A trend that has not abated despite the winter temperatures. According to London, 22,000 migrants made the crossing over the first ten months of the year.
At the end of a crisis meeting on this subject, France invited “The ministers in charge of Belgian, German, Dutch and British immigration, as well as the European Commission, at a meeting” Sunday in Calais, Matignon reported on Thursday. “This meeting should make it possible to define the ways and means of strengthening police, judicial and humanitarian cooperation” for “Better fight against the networks of smugglers at work in migratory flows”, explained the services of the Prime Minister.
Shortly before, the president, Emmanuel Macron, had “Let know” to Boris Johnson in a telephone interview “That he expected the British to cooperate fully and refrain from using a dramatic situation for political ends”.
