Some migrants living at Loon Plage camp have been deterred from coming to the UK (Image: GETTY)
Some migrants are ditching plans to travel to the UK after Rishi Sunak introduced the Illegal Migration Bill. Afghan Khiyal Gul, who had been waiting for a frail dinghy to transport him across the English channel, said he abandoned his plans yesterday. He said “it’s not worth it” and plans to stay in Paris for the time being.
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Khiyal had been staying in the dismal-looking Loon Plage migrant camp on the French coast but on Friday decided to travel to the French capital after his British lawyer told him “now is not a good time”.
The builder, 41, told The Sun: “I will try to reach the UK when the weather improves, hopefully in two or three days.”
But while he waited for the weather to clear up, Rishi Sunak revealed a massive financial package in Paris to help stop illegal migrant crossings.
Britain is set to send France £478million to pay for a new detention centre in France as well as hundreds more French law enforcement officers.
Tents in Loon Plage camp where gun shots are heard “all the time” (Image: GETTY)
Talking to the publication on a train to the French capital, Khiyal said: “My British lawyer said now is not a good time to come because of the new laws in the UK.
“I will stay in Paris until I decide what to do.”
The Illegal Migration Bill introduced early in the week aims to make it impossible for migrants who arrive illegally by small boat to successfully claim asylum.
As part of the plans, migrants will be detained in old, disused military bases before being removed from Britain.
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One of the bases chosen, an airfield called MDP Wethersfield, is understood to be riddled with asbestos and undetonated explosives.
The plan has also been criticised by human rights groups, lawyers and refugee charities after the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) declared the proposals to deport asylum seekers without consideration amount to a “clear breach” of international law.
In spite of the strict measures, not all migrants are set on abandoning their plans.
Many at the “New Jungle” migrant camp in Loon-Plage said they would continue plans to travel to the UK by dinghy.
Migrants sit near their tents in a makeshift camp next to refinery in Mardyck, northern France (Image: GETTY)
Those living in the camp include desperate refugees who have fled war-torn countries or violent regimes, as well as those searching for a better life in Britain.
Afghan Hedayat Meyer, 17, is one of the residents. He has a scar on his foot he says is from a Taliban bullet. He said UK’s former enemy regime searched for his dad but ended up shooting him. His parents have fled to Tajikistan while Hedayat said he is desperate to be with his uncle in Manchester.
He said he was “depressed” about Sunak’s policies but would continue his journey.
Another of the camp residents is Emal Kochai, a child rapist from Afghanistan, reported The Times.
Loon Plage is known as the “New Jungle” after the closure of the Calais “jungle”. (Image: GETTY)
The 28-year-old was booted out of Britain in 2019 after serving half a nine-year sentence.
He said he had “changed his ways” and “will never give up trying to get to the UK.
Kochai said in France, where he has been for three months, “we don’t get anything” in contrast to the UK where he would “get an education, a job and a house”.
Many of those still determined to get to the UK via small boat believe the new plans will fall through after the Government’s failure to kickstart the policy of removing migrants to Rwanda.
On the other hand, former members of the border force think the measures could seriously help to police the coastline.
Former Border Force chief immigration officer, Kevin Saunders said many of the migrants were wrong about nothing happening with Rwanda.
He said: “I think Rwanda’s going to work when the legal case unravels.”
