"Refugees will have to be sent back" - minister

Thursday 04 February 2016

Jersey's Home Affairs Minister has confirmed the Island would normally send back any refugees arriving in the Island to the port they departed from.

Deputy Kristina Moore said that under the Dublin Convention, the Island cannot grant asylum, as that is a matter for the Secretary of State.

Yesterday, the Jersey Calais Refugee Action Group issued a statement warning that it was "only a matter of time" before refugees swapped Calais for St Malo as a way of trying to get into the UK via Jersey.

"The dispersing of the Calais camp will only scatter the refugee populations concentrated there. They will look for other possible entry points into the UK. It was only going to be a matter of time before Saint-Malo would appear on the radar...Jersey cannot ignore its geographical position as a gateway between the United Kingdom and the continent. This forces our island to take a role in the biggest challenge to Europe since World War II. JCRAG certainly hopes the Jersey States will take a constructive and pro-active approach, as we only stand at the beginning of a crisis that is rapidly spinning out of control."

But Deputy Moore said: "We have rules about being a member of the European Economic Area, which enable us to return people to the country from which they have tried to enter Jersey, as we have no ability to grant asylum. Customs and Immigration have trained officers who are on the look-out for people, and I'm confident in their abilities. We are monitoring it, as it's a major issue of our time."

Their comments were sparked by the separate case of an Iranian Kurd who was discovered in the boot of a car at the Harbour on Saturday, who is now in prison in Jersey while the courts decide how to handle his case, despite his claim that he only left Iran to avoid being jailed.

Amir Marreakhy was remanded in custody by Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris on Tuesday because the Island has no facility to accommodate alleged illegal immigrants, and he said he needed more time to find out more about Mr Marreakhy’s background, and the circumstances of his arrival, before deciding which court should hear his case. 

The 28-year-old, who speaks Sorani Kurdish and required an interpreter in court, arrived at the Harbour from St Malo in the boot of a Vauxhall Corsa. 

The Court heard that Mr Marreakhy, who walks with the aid of crutches, had arrived in France via Turkey and lived in the ‘Jungle’ refugee camp in Calais before travelling to St Malo.

He has been charged with entering the Island illegally, which has a maximum penalty of six months in prison. He will reappear in court on 16 February, when Mr Harris will decide if the Magistrate’s Court has the authority to deal with the case or whether it should be heard in the Royal Court.