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‘Invasion’ rhetoric sparked by refugee Channel crossings is ‘dangerous,’ human rights groups warn

At least 235 people made the dangerous 20-mile journey across the channel in one day

“INVASION” rhetoric sparked by refugees crossing the English Channel is “dangerous” and “dehumanising,” human-rights groups said today as the number of people reaching Britain hit a record high.

At least 235 people, the largest number in a single day, landed on the Kent coast after making the perilous crossing from France in 17 small boats.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage published a video allegedly showing a group of refugees, including children, getting out of a boat in Kent and described the scene as a “shocking invasion.” 

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Migrants said that such rhetoric “around people making desperate journeys right now is dehumanising and dangerous.”

Legal support group Praxis said: “Children arriving [in] Kent are used to conflate the tired but dangerous rhetoric of invasion.”

Above a picture of a child being carried in a bag by a British border guard, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesman Charlie Yaxley tweeted: "This baby arrived by boat across the channel. Many arriving are asylum-seekers who fled war and persecution.

"But numbers are very small, far far less than other, poorer parts of the world

"Situation is easily manageable and language like ‘invasion’ or ‘tidal wave’ is deeply irresponsible."

This year has seen a dramatic rise in desperate people attempting the 20-mile sea crossing from northern France to Britain, with more than 2,000 known to have entered by this route in June. 

Refugees have spoken out about the increasingly brutal tactics used by smugglers operating the route, with some reportedly forced to enter fragile dinghies at gunpoint. 

MPs on the home-affairs committee announced an investigation into the surge in crossings and the response of the British and French authorities.

Committee chairwoman Yvette Cooper said: “The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world and these crossings are incredibly dangerous.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel described the number of crossings as “appallingly high” and “shameful” – but reports have suggested that she wants naval patrols to intercept refugees to prevent them reaching Britain. 

However, the Refugee Council warned that tightening border security was not the solution and would only push people seeking asylum into taking even greater risks.

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