So what can in practical terms fully halt illegal immigration?

Ive worked with aslyum seeking children and their families for nearly 30 years as part of a cohort of a wider service user group

I am not convinced much of the time of the 'smuggled' or trafficked context. People want to come, so arrange for someone to get them there, whether it be Spain, here, Germany or whatever, you have to arrange your passage, you cant just set off on your own. Think of it like an underground travel agent.

Ive worked with people who have genuinely been trafficked, families threatened back home, work promised and then held up in accommodation and not allowed to leave, sexually abused and exploited. They are not the majority.

So I dont know what the general public think a 'people smuggler' is. Quite often its just someone with links and geographical/strategic knowledge and arrangements. Its not always someone who is exploitative. They make money out of it yes, but so does TUI when you book to travel somewhere.

That’s great they were in a position to migrate legally. You recognise those men as contributing so presumably are not afraid they have imported the regime’s values - why would they, when they chose to escape it?

I wonder why you would deny that opportunity to people who, for whatever reason, came via an irregular route. Because they’re not surgeons? Because you think they’re dangerous?

Please let me know where I have gaslit anyone, as that’s a pretty serious accusation.

Sticking with Iran for the moment, if you believe all the men there support the values of the regime, how do you explain the many thousands who have lost their lives protesting it?

Don't hand out taxpayers' money.
Shoot people smugglers.

Anyone read "Snakehead" by Patrick Radden Keefe?

Half Iranian, as I said, but I didn’t travel with him, I travelled for work so a mixed group of British and local people.

I have heard that a lot about parts of N Africa, haven’t been myself so can’t comment.

There are countries not part of it who top the human rights tables. Some of which emulate the U.K. legally.

It does make it a lot harder! I regularly sit in on the substantive interviews with the HO and their solicitors appointments. Lack of documentation causes barriers, not easy to overcome, not impossible either. There is a big difference in the length of time decisions are made for people who come from different countries.

Some of our client group get their asylum within 6 months, a year perhaps. Many are waiting for years. Thats the difference.

Flame incoming. Very dangerous policy. Which of your human rights would you mind not having? Be precise.

So we would have all the same difficulties deporting them that we have now then?

Who is 'you lot'?

What comfy life? Be precise. Data please.

There are many reasons that people group together. Language, culture, religion, housing, food are just a few. Look at the Dordogne-full of English people who socialise together. Germany has taken 1.9m migrants. The problem is bigger than the UK.

I assume they have to put a country of origin on their application in order to claim asylum? Otherwise what are they claiming asylum from

I think it's OK to deport people to Rwanda who know if they come to the uk they will be deported to Rwanda. They could always choose to stay in France.

Where would they be deported to? And why would that deportation be possible when it's usually not possible for people whose claims are rejected now.

Yes it's sarcasm..

What world are you living in?

128000 came over 6 years from 2018-2024. An Average of 21.3k a year.

Since Labour came in 72000 people have crossed in under 2 years. An average of 36k a year.

Im not saying the Tories could handle it (a massive 45k came in 2022) but Labour has no grip on it at all.

Small boat crossings are coming down under Labour. Their policies do seem to be working.

Very few bother to Aus now. No one would vote to go back to those deaths at sea.

How many people are going to come if they know that within 30 days they will be in Rwanda? No exceptions. Very few. So we would have to pay for very few.

Am also very fond of Iranians in general But it’s a bit irrelevant to the discussion. If we want a meritocratic system of immigration that is not compatible with the current system. We should be less hand wringing and more robust about needing migrants that will not be a risk or a drain.
e.g. Australia limits migration from those who need expensive health care. We don’t. We can’t afford to be so virtue signalling.

Also I assume your ex husband was Iranian if your ex MIL is. If you walk around certain places with a ‘local’ looking person it’s a very different experience.

When I went to North Africa I was harassed when I went out alone or with my British looking father. Shouted at, leered at, etc. But when I went out with a male friend who was from there, nothing. Everyone lowered their gaze, no one said anything at all. I was amazed at the difference it made.

I was living there,but I could only tolerate it for a few months. I left my husband to finish his 2 years there and returned home. The girls at our school have surgeon fathers and they all came here legally and contribute massively to our society. The girls are becoming Westernised and fit in very well.

It’s funny how it’s suddenly ‘not all men’ when we are talking about foreign men.

No it’s not ‘all men’ but let’s not gaslight people who probably have a lot more experience of a place than you do

I find it odd that some people think that people can grow up in certain societies that are totally incompatible with the west, and yet when they hit our shores those views and values will magically disappear. Especially views towards women. And then it’s ‘feminists’ who want to import these things here. It’s mad.

I dunno that you want to use polish police/armed forces as examples in human rights. Nothing against Polish people but in my experience the police are corrupt (yes ours are too).

Honestly, the home office need to sort out the delays because lots of people are in limbo.