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From that famous English landmark, the white cliffs of Dover, on most days you can see a visual echo on the other side of the channel, the white cliffs of France. The French coast is so near that when I walk along the cliffs my mobile phone switches from a British telecoms system to a French one.
The channel is one of the world’s busiest waterways with enormous containerships, oil tankers and sometimes a warship heading to or from northern European ports. The cross-Channel ferries take less than two hours to travel from Dover to Calais. Most days there is also another familiar vessel offshore, a British Border Force cutter.
Despite the lockdown, despite the travel restrictions, despite the law, almost every day small boats take advantage of the calm weather to try their luck and cross from France to England illegally.
Some 1500 illegal migrants have reached Kent this year, 600 during May alone. They travel packed on barely seaworthy craft provided for up to €3000 (Dh12,000) each person by ruthless gangs of people-smugglers.
Last week one dinghy, which could comfortably fit perhaps four people, arrived with 13 on board, leaving the criminal gangs with a tidy profit of tens of thousands of euros. When I talk with Border Force officers they admit they are often shocked and upset by what they see. Even in good weather, the sea is cold and migrants often suffer from hypothermia. One officer told me of a rescued mother in shock from the cold cradling her young child who was almost dead as a result of the chill from drifting in an open dinghy for hours.
The migrants are sometimes fleeing war zones, from Syria or Afghanistan. But many are economic migrants looking for a better life, including Iranians escaping their repressive government and the economic basket case their country has become.
The former head of UK Border Force Tony Smith told British MPs that he cannot see an “immediate end” to the human trafficking and that the government needs to have a “very serious look” at its capabilities. The Border Force has been under-resourced for years. At one port in the south of England they were so short-staffed that when checking one suspect lorry for human cargo, other stowaways in other lorries made their escape knowing they could not all be pursued.
Even in good weather, the sea is cold and migrants often suffer from hypothermia
Inevitably this has become a political gift for right-wing anti-immigration activists like Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage. He appeared to flout coronavirus lockdown rules by travelling to the coast for a publicity stunt. He made a film and wrote a newspaper column about what he calls “a scandal that has been known about for a long time among seaside communities but which, until now, has never been filmed or broadcast to the British public. I refer to the arrival of illegal immigrants in British waters with the active participation of the French Navy.”
Blaming the French has been an English pastime for centuries, but Mr Farage is simply wrong to lay blame on French sailors shadowing the boats. What does he want? The French navy to make dangerous arrests at sea in the middle of shipping lanes? Cannon fire to sink the inflatables?
Beyond political grandstanding the real issue is how migrants manage to travel thousands of miles and find people-smugglers in France, while the authorities cannot track down more of the gangs behind this trade and jail them. What’s needed is not picking a fight with our French neighbours. It is working with them and the whole EU to do more.
Somehow large numbers of migrants find their way to Calais by travelling through several European countries. Greece and Italy are in the front line and need even more assistance than they currently receive – help, not blame. But Britain will always be the destination of choice for many, because they speak English and already have relatives here, and also because the British economy has often been able to find work for willing hands. Right now there is a serious shortage of farmworkers.
Even if miraculously Afghanistan and Syria find peace, people will always move to find a better life. Climate change, the loss of productive farmland and water shortages mean millions will think of seeking their fortunes in Europe. Shakespeare wrote of the sea as England’s moat and defensive wall protecting “this sceptr’d isle” from invasion. It’s wonderful poetry but poor geography.
The sea for thousands of years has mostly been a means of communication. Iranians, Syrians and Afghans come in a long line of those who migrated and often enriched Britain including German tribes, Norman conquerors, Jewish and Huguenot religious refugees, and many others. If you walk northwards from the cliffs at Dover eventually you arrive at a pebble beach at Walmer where an insignificant concrete monument marks the arrival of another foreigner. Julius Caesar landed his Roman legions in Kent 2000 years ago. St Augustine brought Christianity here in 597. Migration to England has never been easy, but it has brought with it many good things.
Gavin Esler is a journalist, author and presenter
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
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The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
SPECS
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