In wake of economic turbulences caused by the Brexit, migrant crisis seems to be again omitted. Our NEU team was giving huge importance on the news agenda when it comes to the migrant crisis. Therefore, with this article we would again like to underline what’s happening with migrants in Europe. This time, we dedicate our analysis to what was happening several weeks ago between the UK and France, in La Manche channel.

In August, British army strengthened its logistical support to the coast guard. The measure should attempt to stem the record arrivals of migrants attempting to cross the Channel illegally from France. On Sunday August 16, the British military announced it was deploying an additional surveillance plane and Royal Navy personnel to assist the British Coast Guard, in order to make this route “impractical”. Faced with this influx, London also asked France to do more, prompting an annoyed reaction from Paris. The French government is asking the UK to pay 30 million pounds (33.2 million euros) to finance checks along the English Channel, the Sunday Telegraph reported last Sunday.

To put pressure on France, the Secretary of State for Immigration, Chris Philp, visited Paris on Tuesday to call for further efforts. On Saturday, French maritime authorities rescued 31 migrants, including three children and an infant who were trying to cross the Channel. Home Secretary Priti Patel told MPs migrants came to Britain because they believe France is “a racist country” where they risk being, according to British daily The Guardian. Government sources interviewed by the press stressed that the minister did not share this opinion but wanted to explain the factors put forward by the migrants.

Overall, more than 650 migrants crossed the English Channel this month in small boats encouraged by the favorable weather, and the number of arrivals reached its peak on August 6, when a record 235 migrants arrived in England. The Kent County Council, which oversees the area around Dover, stated that it is only a few days away from the situation in which they will no longer be able to take care of asylum children who arrive on the local shores.

The Ministry of Defense announced that it had received a request from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for “support for the operations of the Border Forces in the Dover Strait”, reports the AP. The British Conservative government has reacted sharply after dozens of migrant crossings in recent weeks. On Thursday, 235 people crossed the English Channel, which is a record number for one day. The British Coast Guard announced that it reacted to “numerous incidents” on the English Channel on Saturday. Home Secretary said the Royal Navy could be engaged in preventing boats from crossing into British waters, although other senior officials and politicians say it could be impractical and potentially dangerous.

British attempts to put pressure on France to take stricter measures to prevent migrants from moving on that dangerous road across the English Channel, met with the anger of some French officials. The mayor of the French port of Calais reportedly said yesterday that the proposal to send the Royal Navy to the English Channel to deal with the crossing of migrants is a “declaration of naval war”.

Nobody can predict what will happen with migrants who are on their route towards the UK, but also, the EU must not neglect the fact that many migrants are in the Western Balkans, as well as on their route towards the Western European countries.