UK Prime Minister David Cameron referred to African immigrants as a 'swarm'

(Image credit: WPA Pool / Getty Images)

published 30 July 2015

British Prime Minister David Cameron's word choice is not going over so well. In a recent interview with ITV News about the Calais migrant crisis, Cameron used the word "swarm" to describe the "people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain." Criticism abounded. The Labour Party's Harriet Harman responded: "He should remember he is talking about people and not insects." The Refugee Council called Cameron's comment "irresponsible" and "dehumanizing." "This sort of rhetoric is extremely inflammatory and comes at a time when the government should be focused on working with its European counterparts to respond calmly and compassionately to this dreadful humanitarian crisis," the Refugee Council said.

The BBC reports that thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the English Channel this week to reach the UK from Calais, France. Nine people have been killed this month attempting to cross. In response, both Britain and France are beefing up border control and security. The French have sent an extra 120 police to the border and Cameron has emphasized that Britain would not become a "safe haven" for migrants.