LSE: Public Lectures and Events

Episode: Laura Robbins-Wright on the Migration Situation in Calais
Host: Martin Rogers (LSE Film and Audio Team)
Guest: Laura Robbins-Wright
Date: August 14, 2015

Episode Overview

This episode features Laura Robbins-Wright discussing the evolving migration situation in Calais, France, with a particular focus on why so many forced migrants are concentrated there, the challenges they face, and the UK’s response. The conversation unpacks the historical build-up to the current crisis, the drivers of migration, the wider European context, and potential solutions, with Robbins-Wright providing both data and policy analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Situation in Calais

• Population and Risks

  • Estimated 3,000–5,000 forced migrants live in makeshift camps in and around Calais. Many attempt to reach the UK using clandestine and dangerous means (trains, lorries), resulting in deaths and serious risks.
  • Quote (Laura Robbins-Wright, 00:12):

    "Over 400 individuals have accessed the UK using clandestine means since the beginning of June...10 people have died attempting to make the journey since June."

• UK and French Responses

  • UK government has increased fencing and Border Force presence.
  • Operation Stack repeatedly enacted, converting parts of Kent’s M20 motorway into a lorry park.
  • French government efforts include dispersal campaigns (largely ineffective) and a new accommodation centre for women and children, already at capacity.

2. Historical Context

• Longstanding Issue
  • Migration bottleneck at Calais dates back to at least 1999 with the establishment of the Sangatte camp for Kosovo refugees, which rapidly became overcrowded and was closed amid UK-French negotiations.
  • Despite dispersal attempts, migrants have remained in Calais due to its status as a major port and point of UK access.
  • Quote (Laura Robbins-Wright, 01:35):

    "Despite the recent increase in reporting...this is in fact a longstanding issue."

3. Push and Pull Factors

• Origins and Motivations
  • Migrants mainly from Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan—countries with major human rights abuses and conflict.
  • Pull factors: family ties, English language, and perceived differences in asylum processing (UK offers a faster initial response; in France, the process can drag over 15 months).
  • Legal rights: International law upholds the right to seek asylum and obliges governments not to penalize irregular entry by asylum seekers.
  • Scale: UK receives fewer asylum applications per capita than France or Germany. E.g., in 2014:
    • UK: ~500 per million vs. France: ~1,000, Germany: ~2,400.
  • Quote (Laura Robbins-Wright, 05:20):

    "It is important to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers can exercise their rights and also to maintain a sense of perspective about the global refugee situation."

4. Wider European Migration Context

• Policy Divergence
  • National trends move towards restriction (UK, Denmark cutting benefits; Hungary, Bulgaria building border fences).
  • EU-level efforts to harmonise and speed up asylum procedures and improve reception conditions (although the UK, Ireland, Denmark opt out).
  • EU response includes relocation and resettlement programs for asylum seekers, with commitments to relocate 30,000 people from Italy and Greece, and to resettle 18,000 refugees across Europe—still significantly fewer than numbers resettled by the US, Canada, or Australia.
  • Quote (Laura Robbins-Wright, 08:25):

    "We could see a shift towards a more expeditious asylum system that also better respects the dignity of asylum seekers and provides safeguards for vulnerable individuals. However, it could be several years before we start to see meaningful changes..."

5. Possible Options for Resolution

• Current Reliance on Security

  • The UK has focused on border security ("securitising the situation")—in language and policy (increased fencing, Border Force presence).
  • Quote (Laura Robbins-Wright, 10:14):

    "The UK's approach has been to securitise the situation...not only through phrases such as 'a swarm of people,' but also [by] providing additional fencing and dispatching UK Border Force teams."

• Policy Solutions & Precedents

  • UK and France could revisit responsibility-sharing for assessing asylum claims (precedent: 2002, UK accepted 1,000 Iraqis, family reunion for 200 Afghans; France processed others).
  • Improved reception conditions needed—France applied for EU emergency funding for more accommodation.
  • Civil society’s role highlighted (ex: German citizens hosting asylum seekers)—not a substitute for legal obligations, but a potential supplement to state capacity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Human Risk (Laura Robbins-Wright, 00:12):

  "These individuals are also putting themselves at incredible risk in the process, and 10 people have died attempting to make the journey since June."

• On Legal and Policy Obligations (Laura Robbins-Wright, 05:01):

  "Governments do have a de facto obligation to assess all asylum applications that they receive in order to ensure that they don't return an individual to a country where they could face persecution."

• On Perspective (Laura Robbins-Wright, 05:20):

  "It is important to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers can exercise their rights and also to maintain a sense of perspective about the global refugee situation."

• On Civil Society (Laura Robbins-Wright, 11:52):

  "This isn't something that the government can mandate, and it doesn't absolve the government of their legal responsibilities, but...domestic responsibility sharing could theoretically increase reception capacity while asylum seekers are awaiting for their claims to be processed."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:12–01:31: Current situation in Calais and UK response
• 01:35–03:39: History of migration issue and past UK-French approaches
• 03:45–06:39: Push/pull factors, legal framework, and asylum statistics
• 06:46–10:09: Wider European migration responses and evolving EU policy
• 10:14–12:35: Options for resolution and roles of government and civil society

Summary

Laura Robbins-Wright provides a comprehensive, clear-eyed analysis of the Calais migration situation, tracing its roots, exploring migrant motivations, contrasting policy responses at national and EU levels, and suggesting both precedent-based and innovative responses. Throughout, she underscores the human dimension and legal responsibilities, reminding listeners to keep perspective on the scale and context of the refugee situation. Recommended for any listener interested in migration, European policy, or humanitarian crises.