French court ruling may lead to new UK migrant rush

In a landmark ruling yesterday, a French court decided that migrants can no longer be given forced deportation back to their country of origin. The decision is expected to have widespread ramifications, with many Britons fearing that areas such as Calais will once again become a beacon for UK-bound illegal immigration.

The highest French court made the ruling in the case of an Afghani man, finding that when he was arrested in Calais and then attempted to be sent home his human rights were infringed. The move has caused condemnation on this side of the channel with Migrationwatch UK head Sir Andrew Green saying the ruling would effectively see more migrants waved on to Britain. The court’s decision means that asylum seekers must therefore be offered the opportunity for applying to remain in France before any form of deportation can be considered. The French have stated in the past that this is something that they are against, leaving the UK as an increasingly easier option.

The case in point concerns Sultan Khali who was facing attempts at forced repatriation after his arrest at the notorious jungle migrant camp. He appealed for asylum status in France but this was rejected because he acknowledged that his sole intention in travelling to Calais was to enter the UK. Now this has been overturned, meaning that France may now by law be unable to repatriate any UK-bound migrant that makes an asylum claim to remain in France, raising the question of just where they will go.

The ruling also contradicts statements made last week by the French government that they wished to follow the lead of British immigration authorities who deport some 1,000 illegal immigrants each year back to Afghanistan.