A male asylum seeker attempted to board a bus used by Reform UK Chairman Lee Anderson's staff near Dunkirk, France, on Tuesday. Security staff blocked his path, but he became aggressive, repeatedly swearing and trying to board the vehicle.
Speaking in Arabic, he demanded to be taken to England on the bus. In a desperate attempt to stop it from leaving, he placed both hands on the bonnet, shouted, pushed, and refused to move.
Tense Atmosphere in Migrant Camp
The incident added to an already tense atmosphere, one laced with the smell of burning plastic and rubbish rotting in the summer sun. The characteristics of this camp were completely different from previous ones visited by reporters. There were noticeably more women and children.
Mr Anderson commented on this, questioning why so many of the mega dinghy crossings are almost exclusively men. Those in the camps tried to cover their faces as journalists joined Mr Anderson.
Living Conditions and 'Shops'
The men, women, and children in the camp lived in tents nestled amongst the trees. They had set up washing lines for their clothes and had access to around 50 portaloos placed next to a main road. The migrants even had their own 'shops', with cigarettes, baguettes, fruit, vegetables, sim cards, and juice all on sale. However, rubbish was also piled high, leading to fires.
Asked what he had seen in the camps, Mr Anderson told reporters: “Squalor. Terrible living conditions. Lots of desperate people filled with hope that one day they might get to the UK, filled with hope by people smugglers and by NGOs, who are operating here and actively encouraging people to make that perilous dangerous journey across the English Channel, knowing full well that any one of the people we are looking at could die. They could literally drown. And there’s children here as well.”
Anger Directed at Mr Anderson
The migrants directed a lot of anger towards Mr Anderson. Hassan, 22, from Somalia, made repeated threats before being calmed down by the offer of cigarettes. He said: “I’m going to England - I need to be in the UK. I’m going to Scotland, I like it - Edinburgh.”
He said he had paid 1200 euros and lived in a tent nearby. “I have to search for my family and I’m not going to be a billionaire, not going to be big, I want a normal life.” Hassan then turned on Mr Anderson, declaring: “I don’t like what you are doing. My story is bad.” He then called the Reform chairman a “mother******”.
He added: “We need food, we don’t eat. You don’t need to eat. You just come with your car and go with your car, it’s easy for you. I’m black. I’m different to you. I’m not a criminal.”
Mr Anderson responded: “On a human level you do feel sorry for this chap. But he’s going to be trouble and cost us a lot of money. Do we want that sort of person in our country? I don’t want him in my village. Most people in our country wouldn’t want him living in an HMO near them.”
The Somalian also threatened to kidnap the only member of Mr Anderson's team.
Ongoing Crisis
The camp’s inhabitants were once again being cared for by charity workers. During Mr Anderson’s visit, more than 100 people were queuing for a free lunch, with similar scenes for around 30 minutes.
The expose will renew attention on the French police, as well as the role NGOs play in the smuggling crisis. But one thing was perfectly clear during the visit: thousands are still waiting to cross the Channel, prepared to endure squalid conditions to wait for the opportunity to reach what Mr Anderson described as 'El Dorado'.
