Some asylum seekers in the UK town of Dover are reportedly attempting to board lorries to travel back to Europe, a surprising reversal of the usual migration route. The trend emerged during a visit to an encampment near a lorry rank in the Kent seaside town.
Encampment and rough sleeping
The two underpasses flanking the lorry park were largely empty but littered with tents, clothing, and food wrappers. A 20-year-old asylum seeker from Senegal said he is choosing to stay on Britain's streets while he lodges an asylum appeal. He acknowledged that his case is not as strong as those fleeing persecution, saying it is based on "family problems," which he did not elaborate on.
Lorry crossing as a backup plan
The Senegalese migrant described hopping on a lorry and heading back across the Channel as a feasible backup plan, though he was choosing against it because he only knows English and no other European languages. He said the lorry crossing, either via the Channel Tunnel or ferry, is "not an easy one," but people have done it, as they have also come the other way.
Security concerns
A lorry driver who works predominantly in Europe said he saw cash change hands while waiting to cross from Dover to the continent during a rare recent trip. The report suggests that while it may seem positive that migrants are leaving of their own accord, their ability to do so illegally raises alarm bells about border security. The article argues that if entry routes into Britain are seen as navigable without visas or strict border control, it puts the country in a dangerous position, emphasizing the need to know who is coming in and going out and to ensure they abide by the law.
