A large proportion of Brits have little to no sympathy for migrants crossing the Channel from France to England, a YouGov survey has revealed
22% of those surveyed said they had not much sympathy, and 27% said they had no sympathy at all. 44% of Brits said they have a fair amount (25%) or a great deal (19%) of sympathy for the migrants, with 7% saying they didn’t know.
Further polling from YouGov revealed that 50% of Brits do not think the UK has a responsibility to help protect migrants arriving in England after crossing the Channel. 35% said the UK does have a responsibility, with the remaining 15% saying they didn’t know.
Nearly 600 migrants arrived in a spate of crossings last week. The Guardian reported that more than 4,000 have crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats in 2020.
Immigration formed a key part of the Brexit debate in 2016, and the issue has become particularly prevalent in the last few days.
A group of Conservative MPs and peers have written to the home secretary Priti Patel demanding “stronger enforcement” efforts to combat a “surge in illegal immigration.”
Prime minister Boris Johnson said the crossings were being run by “cruel and criminal gangs,” adding that it would be “helpful if we could work with our French friends” on the issue. Immigration Minister Chris Philp is currently in France to discuss the ‘crisis’ with French officials.
