“I was explaining that there are a large number of people crossing the Mediterranean and coming from the Middle East and coming to Europe“, he said as he defended the use of the word.
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And the Prime Minister reiterated plans to reduce the flow of legal migrants into the UK, including proposals for welfare restrictions for EU citizens coming to the UK.
The Church leaders called on the Government to recognise that most migrants can not be returned to their country of origin, to promote the establishment of proper EU-run processing centres at entry points in Southern Europe, and to “accept the need for the UK to take its share of migrants as other European countries are already doing”.
But he said: “What we can’t do is allow people to break into our country”.
In the same interview, Cameron also said he would keep his pre-election promise not to seek a third term as Prime Minister.
When quizzed as to whether be believed that the UK was doing enough to support Asylum seekers, he said: ‘I think we do. “A lot of people coming to Europe are coming in search of a better life, they are economic migrants and they want to enter Britain illegally and the British people and I want to make sure our borders are secure and you can’t break into Britain without permission”.
At the height of the migrant crisis, about 2,000 people were trying to breach the Eurotunnel terminal defences near Calais each night at the end of July to get to Britain, but security has since been ramped up and made a “real difference”, Eurotunnel told the BBC. Britain’s aid budget is helping to stabilise the countries from which these (migrants) have come.
The problem is “less bad than it was but there is still more to do”, Cameron said.
“That’s what we set out in the manifesto”. A tax-free minimum wage, more apprenticeships, capping welfare, making work pay, I think it’s been a strong start.
“That’s what we set out in the manifesto”.
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He added: “We need to… break the link between getting on a boat in the Mediterranean and getting the right to settle in Europe”.
