New reporting shows that some of those in Calais ‘jungle’ camps waiting to take a ‘small boat’ crossing to England have previously resided in European Union member states.
The Sun newspaper claims to have found that “a huge majority” of the migrants based in coastal northern France had spent years in western Europe already. This helps explain how reporters met scores of Afghans, Eritreans, and Somalis who are fluent in conversational German, Swedish, and Danish, among other languages.
Many are preparing to apply for asylum in the UK because of the rejection of their long-standing claims lodged in European countries. Having got this far west, they are opposed to any form of deportation that would involve a return to their country of origin.
The pattern of migrants reacting to a crackdown from inside the EU seems to be reflected in the figures. In the first quarter of 2025, European Commission statistics indicate a 17.6% drop in asylum claims across the EU. Mirroring this, the UK faced a 17% rise in asylum claims in the UK—from 93,150 to 109,343—according to Home Office figures.
Since British prime minister Keir Starmer took office, 40,000 individuals have arrived in the UK via ‘small boat’ Channel crossings—leading Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice to label the government ‘incompetent muppets.’
