About

In recent years increasing numbers of people have crossed the English Channel in small boats. They have done so principally in order to claim asylum in the United Kingdom, with most doing so upon arrival. These journeys have profound implications for those who take them, as well as far reaching political implications. They have created a media-storm and a political crisis, leading to a series of reactive policy plans and interventions. These include funding for enhanced border controls in France, the removal of refugee rights from Channel crossers, and an agreement with Rwanda to deport Channel crossers to their country for asylum processing.

Channel crossings are created by increased bordering and the removal of both safe and legal routes, and safer clandestine routes to seek asylum (such as stowing away in lorries). All over the world, research shows that where borders are strengthened, migrants (who do not stop moving) are funnelled into more dangerous routes. Strengthened borders, then, create business for smugglers, and inadvertently produce more risky routes. There is no acknowledgement of this fact in political and public discourse but it must be acknowledged if small boat Channel crossings are to be stopped.

Instead, increased Channel crossings in recent years have been responded to with the enhanced militarisation of the English Channel. The deployment of drones, coastal patrols and warships have been matched by the deployment of a militarised discourse, in which ‘unwanted’ asylum seekers are portrayed as an invading force rather than potentially vulnerable people fleeing conflict or poverty.

While there is a large body of research focussing on informal camps in Calais and the motivations of, and challenges faced by, those who find themselves there (including work by the project team), there has been no systematic analysis of the British role in, and response to, those who manage to make or attempt a journey across the Channel. Our research fills this gap. It examines the phenomenon of irregular Channel crossings and British political and policy responses to them. We explore civil society responses and the experiences of Channel crossers themselves. Across the project we integrate different types of knowledge and work closely with NGOs, migrants and policy makers to inform strategies for more sustainable responses.