Dear Editor,

Many people have contacted me regarding their concern over the activities of the group ‘Ross for Refugees’ in organising assistance for the migrants in the camps around Calais. Whilst on the face of it their efforts are motivated by compassion they are mis-guided and will only cause the problem to worsen.

The UN states that over 90% of the migrants in Calais are young males whose primary motive is economic. They use criminal tactics to cause damage to property and break into vehicles bound for UK that puts British lorry drivers at risk and causes valuable cargos to be scrapped after contamination from human waste from the illegal migrants. The price to the UK haulage industry is huge. Criminal gangs run the camps and visitors to the camps are threatened. Mike Hookem MEP was threatened with a gun on a recent visit.

The real refugees who need help are in the camps across the border from Syria in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Here you will find the people who aren’t rich enough to travel the thousands of miles across Europe and pay £1000 or more to the traffickers. Here you will find the women and children and the real refugees. These are the people who need help, not the migrants who are prepared to commit criminal acts to reach Great Britain illegally.

UKIP policy is to offer support (including resettlement when appropriate) to the refugees from the Syrian civil war and particularly Christian refugees who suffer in the hands of the traffickers.

David Howle

Chairman of UKIP Hereford and South Herefordshire