From a very foreign viewpoint (NZ) how are these people gettting to France in the first place?
And is it really just a stepping off point to get into the UK? Why not stay in France/the Netherlands/Belgium/Germany etc...
Sorry if a dumb question, just trying to understand....
Not a dumb question at all.
The question why dont they stay in the first safe country they get to and seek asylum there has been asked many times the red cross site suggests -
Facts about Channel crossings and why people make them
There are a lot of misconceptions about why men, women and children seeking asylum risk their lives crossing the Channel. Here are the facts.
Last updated 16 February 2024
As the UK’s biggest independent provider of refugee services in the country, the British Red Cross helps over people in the UK at all stages of the asylum process every year.
We hear many stories from the people we support, and know exactly why asylum seekers take make the tough decision to cross the Channel.
Joining family already in the UK
Many people cross the English Channel in the hopes of finding and joining family who have already made it to the UK.
Often people are separated from their loved ones as they flee their homes or on their journey in search of safety, which can take many years.
If you think about where you might go if your home was being bombed or your life was at risk because of persecution, it would probably be somewhere where you know someone. We would all want to be able to hug and hold our family again after experiencing such horrors.
Knowing some of the language
Knowing some of the language gives women, men, and children the best possible chance of rebuilding their lives. It is much easier for people to make friends, volunteer, study at school, book doctors’ appointments, and navigate the complex legal process of claiming asylum if they have some familiarity with the language.
Refugees have had to leave everything – homes, jobs, and family – behind. It’s understandable they would seek out something familiar that would help them feel safe.