Why don't the Calais Jungle refugees claim asylum in France?

I am genuinely interested why they don't do this, and why instead of claiming asylum in a perfectly safe and civilised country they live in destitution and risk their lives trying to cross the Channel. Even if they hate France for some reason, why don't they cross the (more accessible) land border into Belgium or Spain and claim asylum there?

I think you would need a pretty significant reason to live in destitution and risk your life trying to enter Britain illegally rather than claim asylum in France.

There were 25,771 asylum applications from main applicants in the year ending June 2015

Most applications for asylum are made by those already in the country (90% of applications) rather than by people at their time of arriving in the UK at a port. Applicants tend to be young and male

The British are much more laid back and are generally more interested in work ethic, which most migrants possess in abundance.

How do UK benefits compare to France? It is often cited as a reason.

To live successfully, and prosperously in France, it is a "requirement" that one be knowledgeable or at least have an interest in all things French - language, art, history and culture.

The British are much more laid back and are generally more interested in work ethic, which most migrants possess in abundance.


To put it simplistically, the Brits will think that, in some respects, you are inferior (but will value and reward your work) whilst the French will put on their airs and graces and force you to accept that your entire culture is inferior.

Pure drivel.

First of all, why is it wrong that a migrant to a country should possess knowledge and interest in said country. Can you really expect to flourish in a culture and environment built on thousands of years of history, language and art you choose to remain ignorant of? How completely absurd.

The British are much more laid back and are generally more interested in work ethic, which most migrants possess in abundance.

Wtf does any of this mean? Who are you to claim that British people are generally laid back and that most migrants possess work ethic? If British and French people are so radically different then how on Earth can 'migrants' as a whole from over 100 countries all be the same in the sense that they have high work ethic? This claim truly is a form of doublethink.

'British people' hardly think of ourselves as superior to others. Our entire national character revels in self-depreciation and seeing ourselves as bumbling fools.

And lastly, quite frankly some cultures are superior than others. Cultures that stone and behead children for accidentally breaking religious laws or listening to 'western music' (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-militants-behead-15-year-old-ayham-hussein-listening-music-1544504) are truly inferior and deserve to be expulsed like the cancer they are.

The only reason migrants want to come to the UK is because France hasn't seen the economic growth that the UK has experienced. French unemployment remains above 10% while ours is at a ten year low of 5%. Those in Calais are nothing but economic migrants.