Migrants threatening living standards in Europe, says Philip Hammond

[super jumbe]

Press Association - Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has warned that the current influx of migrants into Europe is unsustainable

The upsurge of migrants heading to Europe from Africa is threatening to undermine living standards and social structures in the EU, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has warned.

Mr Hammond said the continent could not absorb "millions" of Africans and that EU laws needed to be overhauled to ensure those coming simply to find a better way of life could be returned to their own country.

He said that in many cases, migrants knew they only had to set foot in Europe for there to be little chance of them ever being forced to leave.

"We have got to be able to resolve this problem ultimately by being able to return those who are not entitled to claim asylum back to their countries of origin. That's our number one priority," he told BBC News.

His comments came after Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras warned that his country was being overwhelmed by the influx of arrivals crossing the Mediterranean from the Middle East and Africa.

Last month alone almost 50,000 migrants arrived in the EU through Greece compared to a total of 41,700 in the whole of last year, according to the latest figures from Frontex, the EU border agency.

Speaking during a visit to Singapore, Mr Hammond said the gap in living standards between Europe and Africa meant there would always be an "economic motivation" for Africans to try to make it to the EU.

"As long as the Europe Union's laws are the way they are, many of them will only have to set foot in Europe to be pretty confident that they will never be returned to their country of origin," he said.

"Now, that is not a sustainable situation because Europe can't protect itself and preserve its standard of living and social structure, if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa."

Mr Hammond said that ensuring migrants could be returned to their country of origin was also the key to resolving the "crisis" at Calais, where hundreds are gathered in the hope of being able to make it across the Channel to Britain.

"Having reviewed the situation in the light of the crisis it is clear that there is more that can be done to enhance the physical security of the tunnel," he said.

"But we also have to work with our French colleagues to try to deal with the root cause of the problem. So long as there are large numbers of pretty desperate migrants marauding around the area there will always be a threat to the tunnel's security."

[ifred]

Where he been living under a chunnel!!!?
Don't think his personal living standards will be threaten unless the plebs revolt!

[Meat-Head]

WHOA WHOA HANG ON, right, those who have been donating money to Commic relic, band aid, water aid., feed an African family for ?3/month hands up.

Right, you caused it all, you go sort it.

@oxfam you LIEING sods, saying 5000 die a day,? That's 50,000 landed, why do you not hand out contercelyion (rubbers)

[ifred]

Can we not rechip their head satnav's with this address correction for ingland ...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlaymont_building
plenty of building to unroll the bedmat on

[super jumbe]

We can stop this mess in a day, change the name from uk to afga and afga to uk that way the programme chip will do what it says?..:

[GastonJ]

Yet another attempt by a government minister to deflect attention away from the inept policies and inaction by the government. Usually works where the are concerned anyway. If anything it's the fault of the French government for allowing illegal immigrants to set up their own camp at Calais, rather than open a detention centre to process and kick them out. Still it's cheaper and more cost effective to let them roam Calais and when they make it to the UK it's not a French problem is it. The UK government should be billing the French government to reclaim our costs. A nominal charge of ?100,000 to the french for each illegal that makes an attempt + returning said illegal would make the French take more responsibility for their problem.

[leotheloin]

Yet another attempt by a government minister to deflect attention away from the inept policies and inaction by the government. Usually works where the are concerned anyway. If anything it's the fault of the French government for allowing illegal immigrants to set up their own camp at Calais, rather than open a detention centre to process and kick them out. Still it's cheaper and more cost effective to let them roam Calais and when they make it to the UK it's not a French problem is it. The UK government should be billing the French government to reclaim our costs. A nominal charge of ?100,000 to the french for each illegal that makes an attempt + returning said illegal would make the French take more responsibility for their problem.

So who do the French blame the Greeks Italians Portuguese Spanish that's were all the immigrants are coming from no border controls between these countries. The eurozone backed the rebels against gaddafi plan A,,armed the rebels and bomb gaddafi army's,, rebels win with the aid of the eurozone now rebels fighting among themselves to run there country.. and what happens in war torn countries people want out.

[GastonJ]

The French need to go back to the countries they have borders with where the illegals care coming from, not rocket science. Easiest way to stop them coming across teh Med is to tow their boats back to Libya or wherever and sink the boats, they'll soon get the message. As for arming the rebels, yes the west never stops interfering when it suits them and never learn any lessons. I dare say this will form part of Dave's so called justification for having a go at the Syrian government soon enough, since he failed last time to justify and prove who threw the gas. I hope parliament sees past his attempt to make a name for himself, off the backs of British forces and the sh*t that it will cause, and vote against any action in Syria. All that has happened so far with isolating Assad is the rise of ISIS, same with Libya, it just let the lunatics in there. Better the enemy you know.