By Martin Banks - 26th October 2009
They are still living on the streets and that is unacceptable
Jean Lambert
EU member states have been accused of "failing to meet their duty" towards asylum seekers.
The claim was made by Greens MEP Jean Lambert after she visited the notorious asylum detention centre at Calais in northern France at the weekend.
Having spoken to several asylum seekers camped near the port and on the outskirts of Calais she said it "was clear" some had the "necessary official documentation."
"Even so, they are still living on the streets and that is unacceptable," she said.
Lambert said the French authorities had failed to show "any real engagement" with the asylum seekers at Calais, adding, "It is not just the French because other member states are clearly not doing what is required of them in terms of helping asylum seekers."
Lambert is parliament's rapporteur on the new European Asylum Support Office and she says the agency "needs to ensure that these requirements are being met."
Her visit was part of a Green parliamentary delegation to investigate how the French authorities are dealing with migrants. The visit follows the destruction of the ‘jungle’ camps last month where migrants had set up temporary bases while waiting for an opportunity to enter the UK.
She said, "The purpose of the visit was to explore the current situation, given that the operation by the French authorities appears to have failed to have deterred migrants from settling in the area. Of the 138 people, mainly from Afghanistan, who were placed in detention after the operation on 22 September, 122 were subsequently released and many have already returned to Calais."
The delegation of Green MEPs, representing several EU countries, will report back to parliament on the current situation and investigate whether the human rights of the migrants are being respected.
The delegation visit included meetings with the French authorities and local NGOs, as well as visits to the Coquelles detention centre and the new camps.
Lambert is a member of the justice, home affairs and civil liberties committee and is the Green group’s spokesperson on asylum and migration.
She added, “It is vital that the spotlight remains on Calais as the situation there is still desperate for many migrants. As squats are demolished new ‘jungles’ are springing up and many of those camping are without adequate food and shelter.
“Local NGOs are struggling to provide sufficient support and there are grave concerns over the actions of the French police. Many of the people in the camps are young adults and children and are clearly in a very vulnerable situation.
“This delegation visit is hoping to raise the alarm over the continued poor treatment of people in the camps and we hope to get some answers from the French authorities on how this situation will be handled going forward.”
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