So what can in practical terms fully halt illegal immigration?

Well in France if you need an interpreter you have to pay for one. Why not make that the rule here?

This in essence but you also need to deport people who don’t succeed. I think very very very few deportations happen. The vast majority of people who have asylum applications refused, if they even get that far, just stay anyway

also I fail to see why asylum seekers while waiting for their decision, can’t work and contribute towards society

I can only think we are abiding by the ECHR and spending £££s on court cases to get immigrants out and that the other countries don’t - why isn’t Spain swamped when it’s a stones throw from N Africa -armed police and customs???

Define “the immigrants” please. I was an immigrant in the UK and nobody gave me a phone. Had to call giffgaff myself and set up a contract 🤣 No bike either, I spent a great part of my wages on topping up my oyster…

Must’ve moved to the wrong area of the UK!

Well of course, but they do anyway. If you’ve ever had building waste removed from your house no questions asked, or a manicure or wax, or had your car washed at a hand car wash, you’ve probably dealt with a firm that employs illegal immigrants. I can guarantee that some of the British-grown fruit and veg you will eat over the summer will also be picked by illegal immigrants. Oh and fresh fish and shellfish too.

Not really- it’s still a hell of a lot of money!

Asylum seekers can’t claim benefits until their right to remain has been granted. There is a huge backlog so until their case is heard they can’t claim benefits or find a job.

Apparently is the correct word. Have you actually looked at other countries’ benefits systems to compare them to the UK one?

It’s an interesting subject. Very important though, to inform oneself on the facts before giving “apparently” true statements.

How is getting in a boat and risking dying safe than staying in France which is, obviously, a safe country.

I get the language problem but in a lot of ways France is better than here to live. Much better health system for a start

Over 10,000 people arrived by small boat before we left the Dublin agreement. The UK's success rate for outgoing Dublin returns between 2015 - 2018 was only 7%.

Where I live the immigrants are given bikes and phones and mini buses to take them out and about - better treatment than many locals!!

…and subsequently challenged by various courts for breaching asylum and human rights rules so I’m not sure they’re the best example really!

But a reason given for them coming here is the language- which they obviously don’t speak!

Yes, I live here. I was a migrant myself, to the UK and other countries, and came back to my home city after a decade abroad (working and studying legally).

There is nothing “poor” about the area I live in. Nobody is building anything here or setting up clinics and decorating companies. They are, however, pushing us out of our home cities, because they have greater economic power, coming from countries where wages are higher. Most 2026 “expats” are digital workers. People keep their UK or American wages, so are happy to drive the cost of local services up.

The situation you describe can maybe apply to certain coastal areas that had a mass influx of Brits, German and Russian retirees settling there in the last 20-30 years.

They’re the ones who needed to build housing, English-speaking clinics, garden centres and decorating businesses, to set all those people up in their new retirement homes in the sun.

Guess what, they were doing the exact same thing to local residents in those poorer areas. No matter how humble your home or town is, nobody wants to be displaced because Pam and John from Liverpool have told all their friends about how “cheap” land is near Málaga. Now the local 20-30 year olds can’t buy property in their hometowns because these “expats” have come and convinced themselves they are doing us a service by building dental clinics and furniture shops.

Interestingly, we already had those before you came here to “invest” in them.

Labour were crucified by their back benchers - who thought they might lose their seats at the next election 😂

They don’t have to apply for asylum in the first safe country. Perhaps they speak English and have friends and family here.

The problem is, where they are herded together and put in hotels, or old military bases where there is nothing for them to do or anywhere for them to go except hang around town centres it will cause trouble (on both sides) and that's when Reform supporters (and others) start shouting.

If only they could have language classes and some form of training whilst they're holed up where they are instead of nothing

What’s to stop the 2million or so men in Bangladesh who are gay from moving to the U.K. -answer - nothing

Why? Do you think you could just rock up in Afghanistan or Iran and start building a church?

And join Russia and Belarus as the only European countries not party to it?

This needs to go hand in hand with benefits reform for native British people and mass investment in education, healthcare and measures supporting families . We need so many immigrants because our native population are getting stupider, lazier, more entitled, sicker and older.

Not as generous as ours, apparently!

Do you live there? Where I lived the surrounding areas were quite poor and since people from other countries have come to live there , new buildings, clinics etc have been built. People who buy properties need furniture, appliances, services like decorating, building and gardening and these firms have prospered. Some expats bought businesses or set up their own, employing many people. There are always cheats who abuse health systems eg misusing what were then called EHICS, but if you worked and made contributions you were entitled to health care, and if you didn’t health insurance is paid. If pensioners as I said, there is a reciprocal agreement with Spain. No one I knew turned their noses up at the local customs- they’ve joined in and adopted them. You must havehad a different experience to me.

They are already there, living with friends , relatives etc if they're lucky , they just disappear into the black economy

All of this would help as would biometric IDs and changing the ECHR.