Migrant Crisis in Calais: Britain's Border War (Dispatch 1)
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Published 2014-07-02
Refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, and Eritrea steadily descend on a migrant camp in the French coastal town of Calais. They hope to gain entry to the UK, just 21 miles away across the English Channel. But in May, French police destroyed their camp and told the migrants to go elsewhere. And so they moved... across the street. With the few tents and blankets they're able to salvage, the refugees formed the Salam camp, which now holds about 400 people.
Every night, the migrants — many of whom have been forced to flee war and conflict in their home countries — attempt to sneak aboard trucks headed for Britain; eight migrants have already died this year while trying to make the journey. Inside Salam, things have gotten so bad that some occupants are hunger striking in an attempt to draw attention to their plight. But the French authorities do little to help, while the UK government turns a blind eye.
VICE News spent time in the Salam camp to find out why hundreds of displaced people are being allowed to live in squalor — and even die.
Watch Dispatch 2: bit.ly/1s3YGwI
Migrants in France Are Threatening to Set Themselves on Fire: bit.ly/1lAhydl
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All Comments (21)
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"we want British authorities to take responsibility...", why!? You're not British, you're not even in England.
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the Saudi Arabia, is a very rich country with a similar religion and culture..Why didnt they go there ?
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What in God's name make them feel so entitled? The audacity of these men is disgraceful. Why doesn't the govt just send them back to their country!!!
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They have left there mums and sisters unprotected
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Not a single woman or child. Not one.
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They're being offered an asylum in France and they refuse? I don't understand.
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If we had run from our problems instead of staying and fighting for our Country's 100's of years ago we wouldn't be worth running to, it's the fight that make a Country what it is!
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I don’t understand why they think they have rights? They can get jobs in Dubai.
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if they are genuine refugees where are the women? ????
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It's not their country. They're not entitled to make demands.
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The Public are becoming increasingly concerned and angry about this illegal migration and are demanding that action is taken to stop this invasion now.
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This is heartbreaking but the western countries cannot just give away their countries to these people. Listen to how entitled they feel, passing through all these other countries to get to the one they’ve been convinced has the best handouts for them. “We live like animals.” Like hi, no one has forced you all to sleep there, go home.
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they come because they escape from their culture and wars, but then they recreate the same conditions in Europe once they arrive here
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These men should defend their countries.
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Solve your problems? Go back home is the solution.
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These immigrants MUST DO WHAT WE HAD TO DO HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, FIGHT FOR YOUR OWN COUNTRY NOT RUN AWAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU.
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The guy speaking at 1.59 to 2.10 said he fled Afghanistan as he feared for his life as he didn't want to get killed by the Afghan army or the Taliban. But at 2.24 to 2.42 he said he was willing to risk his life getting from France to Britain ! HE IS NOT WILLING TO RISK HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY BUT HE WILL FOR BENEFITS !
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People complain about their living conditions, but they are not even supposed to be there
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1:59 names at least 6 countries that don't have war that he went through because he was "fleeing war"
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Are we supposed to feel sorry for all these young fighting men , they left kids and wifes at home
