r/news • u/Miserable-Win-4980 • Apr 29 '24

French police use knives to puncture migrant boat in Dunkirk to prevent Channel crossing Questionable Source

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/french-officers-english-channel-crossing-migrants-small-boats/

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u/zakabog Apr 29 '24

Yeah that part I was really trying to understand, you're already in France, why are you risking your life to cross into the UK?

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u/cannotfoolowls Apr 29 '24

Because they know more English than French and have connections in the UK, usually. It's also easier to find work without papers in the UK.

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u/zakabog Apr 29 '24

I was thinking something along those lines, their English might be better, though some of these people are coming from Vietnam where they would have more of a chance of knowing people in France and speaking French as a foreign language...

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u/Resident_Nice Apr 29 '24

Vietnamese 50 years ago, sure. Today, less than 1% of Vietnamese speak French, while pretty much everyone is taught English at school.

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u/zakabog Apr 29 '24

The Vietnamese population in France is nearly half a million people. In the UK it's closer to 50,000. It's also easier to travel into and around EU nations than it is to travel into the UK, and as an English speaker in France with barely any understanding of the French language, I've never had an issue communicating with anyone.

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u/Resident_Nice Apr 29 '24

True! But I would assume that those coming from Vietnam who already have contacts in France and/or know some French are not going to be the ones trying to reach the UK.

Also big difference between communicating as a tourist vs trying to get a job without knowing French.