One of the big problems was all the illegals flooding into Itatly by boat. They didn't want to stay in Italy but wanted to go to the UK. Because of the Schengen open border the Italiens directed them to the French border, even giving them train tickets in some cases. The French : 'oh you want to go to England, its that way' pointing to Calais. With NGO's setting up transit centre's to aid them and People smugglers (Kurds and Albanians) having a profitable buisness smuggling them across the channel via the back of lorries it the French were quite happy as it was a British problem.It only became our problem when we got them. Otherwise it was a French Problem and go back a few years that's exactly what I've always said.
Er actually they are. Schengen is to do with movement of people and each MS has it's own interpretation of when it will allow Asylum. If Asylum is not Granted and the person is not deported from the EU M/S that person becomes an illegal who has passed/bypassed Schengen controls and that is a failure of Schengen. The EU never had the means to sort the Problem is the point because the MS included in it never did. There is no escaping that point, it's fundamental. Lisbon and the EU directorate for immigration never grasped that nettle post 2008. I kept hammering on about Harmonisation, that's what I meant.
Of course Free movement does not apply to illegals, one has to LEGALLY in the EU to qualify but that doesn't mean that the EU MSs have a handle on it. Just because you're given a document to quit that country doesn't mean they will leave leave the EU...... Not Unless they are physically evicted- that's the point of enforcement. FGS
When the British put political pressure on the French it became difficult to cross the channel in the back of lorries. However the pull factor was still there with illegals still flooding in aided by NGO's and the people smugglers still coining it. You then had a build up not only in France in the Channel ports but also in Paris itself. France closed its border with Italy and the illegals built up there as they were still flooding in by boat.
Before the EU and open borders if illegals arrived in Italy and Greece it would be for them to deal with and no concern of the rest of Europe. However after Mutti's 2015 escapade, it all became about 'burden sharing.' Poland and Hungary told Merkel to 'do one,' You now have the situation where those two countries are veto-ing the whole of the EU budget as a reprisal for actions taken against them.
The whole situation is destabilising Europe with the EU establishment in a state of drift and inertia and right wing parties getting stronger every day. On top of that we have a world wide pandemic and are on the verge of economic collapse. I hate to mention Godwin and the N word but Europe has been here before in recent living memory.
At a minimun Europe needs to stop these NGO's aiding and abetting the situation, and clamp down on the people smugglers. In respect of the people coming across in small boats how hard is it to clamp down on them. Even Inspector Clouseau could solve it. They are coming across mainly in small and medium size inflatables which the people smugglers are buying from Boat chandlers on the French Coast who must be making a tidy profit. How hard is it for French Plod to track these venues down, prosecute them and put them out of buisnesses if convicted as a warning to the others. T
Then target the people smuggling gangs. They must be making a fortune which must be laundered somehow. If the smugglers can be identified (how hard is that) and are in France legally then follow the money. At the end of the day if all else fails, just go for the 'Al Capone' option and hit them for unpaid taxes. Seize any assets if they don't pay.
At any rate Europe is drinking in the last chance saloon it's going to have to take drastic action sooner or later.