Chunnel arrests: Bombing, blockades, bragging and borders

Approximately 500 or 600 refugees attempted to cross illegally from France to England through the underwater tunnel called the "Chunnel" on December 25th and 26th. The refugees mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan have something in common: The recent bombing of their countries by the leaders of the "free world," the United $tates and/or England.

England has been the leading ally of the United $tates in the war on Afghanistan. Yet despite taking part in bombing Afghanistan, England did not want to accept the refugees from France, so the refugees living in a Red Cross camp in France near the border of England often attempt to go through the Chunnel. French police backed up by English police arrested 129 refugees. Police had to use tear gas and close the Chunnel till the early morning of the 26th.(1)

The spectacular border conflicts enter the press of the imperialist countries to prove how "great" and "free" they are that refugees take such risks to enter the "free" countries. However, none of the press coverage mentions that these same refugees are fleeing bombing by the same "free" countries.

In the first half of 2001, Eurotunnel authorities reported 18,500 refugees caught trying to sneak into England. The waste of resources guarding the country's borders is such that the government is attempting to fine private transport companies when refugees stow away. The English government is fining The England Wales and Scottish Railways (EWS) 2000 English pounds per stowaway found in lorries or other vehicles towed by the railroad. Refugees actually jump on board as the train goes through the Chunnel. Fines have totaled at least 622,000 so far for 311 refugees on EWS trains. The train company refused to pay and rightly bemoans the cost of security guards employed already. The border operation is so sophisticated that carbon monoxide detectors uncover refugees. That's in addition to the usual barbed wire and security guards.(2)

Scientific socialists point out that such labor put into guarding things is a waste to society -- an inefficiency built into the system. So too is the waste of everyone's time when the Chunnel has to close. However, the worst part is not the lost labor but the deaths of refugees trying to cross borders. "Four refugees have been killed trying to make the dangerous passage, either hit by a train or killed by the electrified rail. Another refugee died clinging to a ferry making the same channel crossing."(3)
The United $tates bombs and blockades countries around the world in addition to arming various pro-Yankee scum inside each country to create civil wars. Then when the refugees inevitably leave the countries so destroyed by the world's superpower, the United $tates brags how everyone is trying to move to the United $tates or other free countries. Next, extreme right-wing Nazi and neo-Nazi movements arise to complain about immigrants in the "free" countries. They receive their echo in the labor aristocracy politicians who want to protect "their" jobs against "foreigners." The whole chain of events is quite predictable. The bourgeois internationalists running the governments, the neo-Nazis and the labor aristocracy representatives such as Patrick Buchanan have no solution, which is why the problem has gone on for decades. None of them address the underlying cause of imperialism. Stop wrecking other countries to put in pro-Yankee puppets and the refugee problem will eventually disappear.

Notes:
1. http://europe.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/12/26/chan nel.tunnel.breach/index.htm l
2. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2- 2001240907,00.html
3.http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn? pagename=article&node=&contentId=A33399-2001Sep2

We thank the www.pravda.ru web page for research on this subject.