In a challenge to the Government’s steadfast stance, the Safe Routes Report has been launched in the UK Parliament in a collaborative lobby by the PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union) and NGO, Care4Calais. This report follows findings in the “Safe and Legal Routes Inquiry Report” from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, published in February 2025.
The PCS claims that the Ukrainian-style ‘‘Safe and Secure Routes: Refugee Visa-to-Travel Proposal” would reduce deaths in the channel and limit the operations of smuggling gangs. The proposal includes a visa-to-travel scheme which would allow individuals located within the EU to check their eligibility online and if accepted, they could receive a VISA to travel to the UK through a safe route, to then begin the asylum process upon arrival.
Care4Calais, operates both in the UK and in Northern France, and is just one of many charities supporting refugees at the French-UK border. Their work includes mass distributions of clothing, tents and blankets, as well as providing services like clothing and bike repairs, English lessons and games. The organisation also frequently lobbies the UK Government and challenges the UK Government on its “Migration and Economic Partnership” with Rwanda.
Care4Calais CEO Steve Smith commented that safe routes were the only viable alternative to channel crossings and that the proposed scheme would “save lives” and that it would allow the UK Government to receive information about asylum seekers, ahead of their arrival. Elaborating, he said: “In applying for a visa, we can security screen before they enter the UK.”
According to frontline humanitarian workers, many of the asylum seekers located in Calais right now are from the Sudanese communities. Last year, the UK Government accepted 83% of claims from Sudan. Despite this high rate of acceptance, people must still travel through unsafe routes in order to claim asylum in the UK, prompting organisations to lobby for a change in UK policy.
In February, MPs debated Labour’s proposed Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. The Bill has been attacked by both Conservatives, for its removal of the Rwanda scheme, which Chris Philip called a “deterrent,” and by the Liberal Democrats for its lack of safe routes, to which they are calling for a more ‘humane’ system.
On 25th March, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, reiterated the Governments’ commitment to tough borders, claiming that “returns” of asylum seekers had reached “their highest levels for more than half a decade.”
The launch of the Safe Routes Report comes at a time when the debate surrounding asylum seekers and irregular entry of the UK, is deeply polarised. For now, campaigners such as PCS and Care4Care, say that without urgent action, more lives will be lost.
[…] Safe routes report launched in UK Parliament to curb channel deaths […]