Originally Posted by
arf23
Surely asylum is for people escaping persecution in their own country? So if they've travelled through X number of European countries to get to the UK that makes them economic migrants looking for the best deal, and not just safety? If it can be shown they've travelled through a safe country, for example landing on a UK beach from France or Belgium, then it should be an automatic failure. If they truly have needs to be in the UK after escaping persecution then they can apply properly from whatever first safe country they're reached. Or is this too simple?
The EU does have a law which basically says that they only make one asylum claim in the first safe EU country they set foot in. They are fingerprinted, then the data is share amongst all other EU member states to stop asylum “shoppers” going from country to country to make claims. But UK didn’t want to be part of that system - hence another reason why UK is such a draw for failed asylum claimants.
The EU is also introducing new electronic border controls from next year which will make it much harder for non EU citizens to overstay visas - the main source of illegal migration. At least it will help reduce the numbers of migrants arriving that way. Any who do overstay their visa will have the choice of deportation and never being allowed back to EU again, or trying to make it to UK. So I suspect the channel problem is going to get worse next summer as there are many visa overstayers already in Europe, mostly from Africa. Again, UK did not want to be part of that system either.
Personally I can’t wait to see the “outrage” of the Brexit press when from next year UK visitors to the EU will have to pay for an ESTA visa and have their fingerprints taken, and queue for hours at border crossings unless they do it online in advance.