Campaigners slam military plans for refugees
‘Instead of knee-jerk militarism, we need real, grown-up policies that tackle the root causes of global problems.'
Quakers and other peace campaigners have condemned government plans to deploy the armed forces to tackle refugees in the English Channel.
Barbara Forbes, from Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network, told the Friend: ‘The Hansard transcript of the recent discussion on an MP’s “urgent question” about this suggestion made for utterly soul-destroying reading. MP after MP spoke about their wish to stop “illegal immigrants” and one of the main concerns was about how it would be funded. Only a few MPs spoke up in support of the people who are making these perilous journeys to save their lives. The tone of the debate showed that the people who are totally bound up in the current system are denying the Light within each individual human being. That is very distressing… and reveals the mountain we still have to climb.’
The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) branded the ideas by Boris Johnson and Priti Patel as ‘desperate and insulting’. Research by the Refugee Council shows that a third of people crossing the Channel in small boats are from countries that have recently been bombed by UK armed forces.
Symon Hill, campaigns manager of the PPU, said: ‘Instead of knee-jerk militarism, we need real, grown-up policies that tackle the root causes of global problems. This plan will do nothing to address the threats that we really face, such as price rises, poverty, health crises and the climate emergency.’
Others denounced the news that the Royal Navy is set to take charge of operations looking to stop people crossing the channel within weeks.
The charity Care4Calais claimed that the tactic is illegal and said it will seek a judicial review. This was backed by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents some border and immigration officials and has threatened strike action.
The Labour MP Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, said the plans were an attempt to ‘distract’ from the Covid rule-breaking parties in Number Ten. The shadow home secretary pointed out that the government brought the navy in to patrol the Channel three years ago in 2019. ‘HMS Enterprise and HMS Mersey did not intercept a single boat and the cost to the Home Office was £780,000,’ she said.
The education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, defended the plans, saying the government wanted to ‘go after the illegal smugglers who are putting these people’s lives at risk’. According to Sky News, when told those were not the people on the boats, Nadhim Zahawi added: ‘Well, they’re the ones we want.’
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