Committee visits Calais to see Channel crossings sites
26 January 2023
The Home Affairs Committee is visiting France to examine the current situation with Channel crossings in small boats.
The two-day fact-finding visit will give the Committee an opportunity to see for themselves the situation on the ground in Calais. This will include visits to key transit hubs, security infrastructure and refugee sites, as well as beaches where small boat crossing originate.
The aim of the visit is to understand the impact of action taken by French authorities to address the growth in small boat Channel crossings, and the use of UK funds to support these measures. The Committee will also examine the experience of refugees in Calais, including the conditions the live in and the support they receive from government and the third sector.
The Committee published its report Channel crossings, migration and asylum-seeking routes through the EU in 2022 and will continue to take evidence on issues relating to asylum and immigration in the coming months.
Chair's comment
Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson said:
“We wanted to see for ourselves the current situation in Calais and the challenges on the ground in stopping the dangerous journeys across the Channel to seek asylum in the UK. It is important that we understand the challenges and work with colleagues in France to do all we can to prevent these perilous journeys from taking place. But we also want to understand the experiences of those seeking to make these crossings and appreciate why they are prepared to take such desperate measures to get to the UK.
“The Home Affairs Committee will continue to scrutinise the UK Government’s approach to migration and asylum in the coming year. Understanding the day to day realities of policy decisions made in Westminster will continue to play a crucial role in this.”
Further information
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