syrians desperate to reach britain are flocking to calais and threatening to kill themselves unless...

7/27/2019 Syrians Desperate to Reach Britain Are Flocking to Calais and Threatening to Kill Themselves Unless They Are Allo

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'We want to talk with David Cameron': Syriansdesperate to reach Br itain are flocking to Calais

and threatening to kill themselves unless they

are allowed in

A dozen refugees are on hunger s tr ike at the Calais fer ry terminal

Two vowed to jump off the roof of the building unless demands are met

They claim to have been treated 'like dogs' by the French author itiesBy Sam Greenhill

PUBLISHED: 23:03 GMT, 4 October 2013 | UPDATED: 23:18 GMT, 4 October 2013

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Scores of Syrian refugees have occupied the Calais ferry terminal and are threatening to kill themselvesunless they are granted passage to Britain.

A dozen are on hunger strike and two yesterday vowed to leap off the roof of the terminal building unlesstheir demands were met.

They said they were treated like dogs by the French authorities but believed they would be lavished withbenefits if they reached the UK.

Scroll down for video


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Hunger str ike: Some of the Syrians occupying a footb ridge at t he Calais ferry terminal

yesterday

Stand off: French CRS riot police stand guard as Syrian asylum seekers hold theirposition behind a banner on a footbridge at the ferry terminal in Calais


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Talks: An interpreter speaks with a group of refugees at Calais

Setting up camp: The refugees have rigged a tarpaulin cover on one of the footbridges at

Calais to keep them sheltered from the elements


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A spokesman for Calais por t said t here was 'no disrupt ion to ferry services' so far

caused by the protest.

Many said Britain was a better place to settle, despite Syrias close historical links with France.

Ali, 38, said that despite French President Francois Hollandes strong stance against the regime ofPresident Bashar al-Assad, the French were not welcoming.

Here even animals are better treated than us, he said.

I'VE WALKED, DRIVEN AND FLOWN TO GET HERE


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Father-of-six Zakarya Sheikh Kelo (pictured) has walked, driven and flown across Europe to escape Syria but says he will not stop until he gets to Britain.

Once here, the 45-year-old English teacher plans to bring the rest of his family to join him.

He fled the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo on September 10 with his wife and six children, aged five to 18,and crossed the border on foot into Turkey.

He left his family there and paid a gang of people-smugglers his life savings, worth 9,000, to take him toBritain.

Mr Kelo said: I refuse any country but England. I chose England because the procedures are quicker toget asylum, and once I am there it is easier to bring my whole family too.

But he and fellow refugees were double-crossed by the people-smugglers, who took them to France

instead.From across the border, I was taken by a taxi to Istanbul, and from there put on a flight.

'They said it was to London, but it landed in Paris Since then I have tried ten times to get on trucks goingto England but every time they [the French police] found me.

Tarik, 19, added: We live outside like dogs, hunted down by the police. We see we are not welcome. Howcan we seek asylum here?

One of the refugees, father-of-six Zakarya Sheikh Kelo, 45, described escaping Syria via Turkey and thencatching a flight to Paris before travelling by bus to Calais.

He said Turkey and France were both safe but demanded to be allowed on to Britain, where he couldapply for his family to join him.

Philippe Wannesson, from a group working with refugees in Calais, said a growing number of Syrians werearriving in the town wanting to reach the UK.

A year ago we saw perhaps only two, three or four, he said.

Since March or April it has been rising to 20, 30, 40 and steadily growing.

The UK Border Force denied claims that two of its officials were at the port negotiating with theprotesters. A spokesman said they were there purely in a supporting role.

However, the mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, demanded action at Westminster.

The British must make a decision, she said. It is unacceptable that it is in France and at Calais that onehas to control immigration.


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The group has been occupying the ferry terminal since Wednesday, although crossings are not beingdisrupted, a port spokesman said.

The dozen hunger strikers have vowed to continue their protest. Last night, one of them fainted and wastaken away by ambulance.

Another of the group hung up another cardboard placard, bearing the slogan: Britain is a fair country, andthat is why we want to go there we will be treated well by the British government.

Dr Martina Devries, of Medecins du Monde, a medical charity supporting the refugees, said: These peopleare not being helped by the French government, which does not give them food or clothes or shelter.

The French police persecute them, moving them on all the time. There are about 40 men and ten women,including one who is seven months pregnant, and seven children.

They dont want to stay in France, and they are increasingly desperate and determined to get to the UK.

Syria has close historical links with France, which has promised to speed up asylum

claims from those who have escaped the Civil War


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Keeping watch: Many of the refugees said Britain was a better place to settle, despiteSyrias close histor ical links w ith France

They have been trying to get on to trains and trucks, and even swimming across the harbour to boardferries.

Denis Robin, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said the Syrians had a 95 per cent chance of

success if they applied for asylum in France.

The United Nations refugee agency said France has offered to take in 10,000 Syrians.

The war to oust President Assad has forced two million refugees to f lee to neighbouring countries such asTurkey, Lebanon and Jordan.


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The brut al war in Syr ia has claimed more than 100,000 lives since it st arted in early 2011

Seventeen countries are liaising with the United Nations to receive quotas of refugeesfleeing war

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Comments (91)

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Report commentDavo, Liverpool, 2 hours ago

Funny how people travel across countries to seek Asylum in the UK. Here's me thinking you go to the next safe country. This iswhy the UK is a mess. Shut the borders now. Enough is enough,

4248

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casaklarky, North Devon, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

It just shows that the UK is regarded as a soft touch after years of poor immigration management. It's time to get tough and senda different message. How did they get to France? And why aren't the French dealing with them?

2192

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grumpy old git, London, 2 hours ago

We are the third most densely populated island in the world, we can't take anymore. Life is expensive here so it's the tax payerwho foots the benefits bill. We are short of housing, our schools are full and the NHS is at breaking point but we still let more in.

3207

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robert ibbotson, colne, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago

we need a 100 mile high sign saying FULL UP lol

2142

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Jim, Cardiff, 2 hours ago

Scrap asylum and benefits.


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JustAnotherPasserby, London, 2 hours ago

Go back and sort your country out.

2151

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Mary Brockenhurst, Brockenhurst, 2 hours ago

I visited Syria annually before the civil war and was oftenapproached by young men asking if it was true that if they got toEngland the would be given $200 a week for doing nothing.This myth is generally believed throughout the middle east - andbeyond. Hence we were a shining goal for these people to reach - even before the present troubles. This group in France arenot our problem and should be treated as a naughty child threatening some awful retribution if they can't have their own way.Ignore them. We should announce loudly and often that no one gets any benefit until they have paid into the system for two

years and we should apply this.

0154

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Myopinion65, King-s-Lynn, 2 hours ago

KEEP THEM OUT!

2

177

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Duped, Utopia, France, 2 hours ago

Well, there you have it in a nutshell ! " Unlike Britain, France does not pay benefits to asylum seekers while their claims are beingprocessed"

1185

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Just-Me, South West UK, 2 hours ago

It won't be long before the French get fed up of them and allow them 'safe passage' to the land where they have quite rightlystated, they will be lavished with benefits! We are the laughing stock of the world with our overly generous benefit system, and ifthe government doesn't do something NOW, we will be the next in line needing a huge bailout.

2171

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