AS IT IS 2016-01-26 Refugees Storm British Ferry at French Port

AS IT IS 2016-01-26 Refugees¹ Storm British Ferry at French Port

About 200 refugees attacked the French port of Calais on Saturday, and about 50 got on a passenger ferry.

A spokeswoman for the ship’s operator² confirmed the refugees gained entry to an outer area of the Spirit of Britain ferry. But they did not get inside the ship because ferry workers had secured³ the doors.

The spokeswoman said some refugees agreed to leave the ship. The rest were removed or arrested, according to CNN television.

Passenger service was delayed by a few hours.

Another ferry company tweeted that the Calais port had been closed because of a "migrant invasion⁴."

Thousands of refugees and migrants have lived in tents near Calais for 12 months. The area, called “the Jungle”, is a place where poor people live and the buildings are in poor condition.

Many of the refugees and migrants have fled war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. They hope to cross the English Channel to Britain in search of a better life.

The incident on Saturday happened after about 2,000 people in Calais gathered to show support for the migrants and refugees.

A French member of the European Parliament⁵ said the conditions were “unacceptable.”

"It's like an open-air prison. It's a question of dignity, we can't allow this," Green Party politician and MEP Karima Delli told reporters.

CNN reported that French officials have moved some people into shelters made of metal shipping⁶ containers. Those shelters have heat and electricity.

In related⁷ news, about 2,000 refugees and migrants enter Germany each day. But Germany’s interior⁸ minister said Sunday that his country is denying entry to 200 others daily.

Germany accepted a record 1.1 million refugees and migrants last year. That has stretched resources and created angry political debate.

"People who are fleeing war and persecution⁹ are offered security¹⁰ and protection in Germany," said the minister, Thomas de Maiziere. "But that also means … anyone who doesn't want to apply for political asylum¹¹ in Germany and wants to illegally enter Germany has no right to be here."

The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag published his comments.

Words in This Story

ferry – n. a ship that transports people or goods

migrant – n. a person who goes from one place to another, usually for economic reasons

English Channel – n. body of water that separates France and the British Islands of Great Britain

dignity – n. a way of behaving that suggests seriousness and self-control

persecution – n. the act or condition of threatening others, especially those from other religious or social groups

1 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

2 operator   

n.（机器、设备等的）操作员；电话接线员

参考例句：

• He is a computer operator.他是个电脑操作员。
• The telephone operator connected us.话务员给我们接通了电话。

3 secured   

adj. 无虑的, 安心的, 安全的 adj. 牢靠的, 稳妥的 vt. 固定, 获得, 使...安全 vi. (海上工作人员)停止工作 vi. (船)抛锚, 停泊

参考例句：

• He secured the appointment of professor of English literature in the university. 他获聘为该大学的英国文学教授。
• By strengthening the embankments they secured the village from floods. 他们加固河堤让村子免受洪水之灾。

4 invasion   

n.入侵，侵略，侵犯

参考例句：

• They are ready against the possible invasion.他们防备可能的入侵。
• It is our duty to shield our country from invasion.保卫祖国不受侵犯是我们的责任。

5 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

8 interior   

adj.在内的，内部的，内地的，国内的；n.内部

参考例句：

• There is water in the interior of the cave.在山洞的内部有水。
• They went into the interior room.他们进了内室。

9 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

10 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

11 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。