French wrestle with refugee problem

Refugees arrive at the Frejus camp

By Paris correspondent James Coomerasamy

I've never been lucky enough to sample French army rations, but - if I had - maybe my reaction would have been the same as that of the 900 Kurdish refugees, who were dumped off the Cote d'Azur.

Showing a remarkable understanding of the local customs, several hundred staged a sit-in at the army base where they had been housed since coming ashore.

The protest lasted only three quarters of an hour, but - in a land where demonstrations are standard negotiating tools, it did the trick.

Rusty ship

Not only was their poor impression of French cuisine put right, but extra blankets and clothes were brought for them - especially for the very young and the very old who make up the majority of the migrants.

It was all very confusing for the army of civil servants who had been marched to the military base to begin processing their asylum claims.

I certainly found it an eery sight. Several hundred woman and children sitting in silent protest, packed together as if they were still in the hold of a rusty cargo ship.

But perhaps more striking has been the local reaction - which has so far been overwhelmingly humanitarian.

Desperate to help

In the town of Frejus, where the military camp is based, local people have given what they can. And - since we're taking about the affluent French Riviera - that's quite a lot.

I watched as well-heeled middle aged ladies brought boxes of clothes and toys to the army base - some cast-offs, some looking new - all desperate to help a group of people who'd survived for a week on just biscuits and water, in order to come to western Europe.

Hundreds of children were among the refugees

I even saw a van draw up and a group of volunteers unload its cargo of mineral water face sprays. "For the women who needed refreshing after their week at sea," they explained.

Of course, the scale of the incident - and the fact that so many of the refugees were children - would have doubtlessly provoked similar sentiments in other parts of the world.

But - now the dust has settled, it is noticeable that only the smallest fistful of politicians have lashed out at the asylum-seekers' continuing presence in France.

An opinion poll showed that more than three quarters of the French think the Kurds should stay. And, remember, this is in a country where the far right National Front could, until recently, count on 15% of the vote.

The ruling socialists have - as they must - said their asylum claims would be considered on merit, but their language has been one of the Geneva convention and of human rights.

Police took the refugees to an army base

So too has that of the Gaullists. Contrast that with Britain - where the tone of the argument is that asylum seekers are a burden - and suggesting anything else is not considered a smart political move.

In France, the papers have been asking: "Who are these people? Why are they landless and persecuted?" and not "Why should we keep them?"

Crossing channel

In Britain, by and large, asylum seekers have ceased to be desperate individuals fleeing persecution and assumed to be scroungers.

Of course, it's not strictly fair to compare the two countries' experience. Britain has far more asylum seekers than France.

If you visit the Red Cross camp near Calais you'll see for yourself just how little the French authorities seem to be doing to discourage the refugees who congregate there from crossing the channel.

Socialist Minister of Employment Elisabeth Guigou promised the refugees care

And - whatever language the French Government may use - it rejects the vast majority of asylum claims every year.

And then - by design or default - these boat people, as they're known here - also happened to come ashore in one of the most affluent parts of the country.

Nice is able to cope with an influx of refugees better than Dover.

Continuing problems

But it looks like it won't have to. The French Government has announced plans to move the Kurds to several Red Cross centres around the country - keeping what are by and large extended families together.

But while it may be possible to shunt them around France, to head off potential social tensions, the problem of smuggling refugees to rich Europe is not going to disappear.

The people of Frejus may have donated toys intended for their grandchildren and mineral water intended for their faces.

The next community to find a boat load of refugees in its midst may not be so generous.