Refugee Crisis: Calais Mayor 'Disgusted' By David Cameron's Migrant Policy

Calais Mayor 'Disgusted' By David Cameron's Refugee Plan
Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart attends in Calais, northern France, on November 2, 2013, a demonstration supporting the employees of pharmaceutical chemical components manufacturer Calaire Chimie, in liquidation, and sheet metal specialist LK Industries, which threatens to close. Between 350 and 500 people demonstrated in Calais against a plan to cut 111 of the 197 jobs of Calaire Chimie and some 60 jobs threatened at LK Industries. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUEN (Photo credit should read P
Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart attends in Calais, northern France, on November 2, 2013, a demonstration supporting the employees of pharmaceutical chemical components manufacturer Calaire Chimie, in liquidation, and sheet metal specialist LK Industries, which threatens to close. Between 350 and 500 people demonstrated in Calais against a plan to cut 111 of the 197 jobs of Calaire Chimie and some 60 jobs threatened at LK Industries. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUEN (Photo credit should read P
PHILIPPE HUGUEN via Getty Images

The "easy life" on offer in Britain means migrants are willing to risk dying in order to cross the English Channel, the mayor of Calais has said.

Natacha Bouchart told the Commons home affairs committee on Tuesday that fewer than 10% of the migrants and refugees clustered at the port city wanted to stay in France.

And she said she was "disgusted" by David Cameron's refusal to allow into Britain Syrian refugees who had already made it into Europe.

"Today there are 3,500 migrants in Calais. They demonstrate every day outside the Town Hall," she said.

"Less than 10% want to claim alyssum in France. All the others want to come to England. And we are going round and round in this circle. Even if we opened up 50,000 places in France, they wouldn’t claim asylum in France."

Asked why this was, she said "ease of life of immigrants in England" was the cause. "That's why they are ready to die and claim asylum here. And people are dying," she said.

Yesterday Cameron said the UK would let in up to 20,000 refugees over the next five years. However he said these would be from the camps on the Syrian border. Refugees who had already made it to Europe, including those in Calais, would not be allowed in.

Bouchart also sharply condemned the prime minister for this policy. "I am disgusted by that, she said.

"You understand the position we have been in for the last 15 years. When I say Mr Cameron despises, is contemptuous of, Calais, he doesn’t take refugees from Calais, that's proof he is contemptuous of the population of Calais."

Bouchart's comments came as:

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