Stopping the boats is easy...

@poetryandwine The Manchester Arena bomber was an Islamic extremist.

So was the guy who attacked Heaton Park Synogogue in Manchester on 2nd October 2025

It was just announced on the BBC Evening News that the number of people in asylum hotels has approximately halved from June 2025 to June 2026.. There were approximately 32,000 asylum seekers in the hotels in June 2025 and now there are approximately 16,000.

Good old Labour missing out accommodation in barracks and HMOs, and people picking up their press release for them.

Host nations can’t pick and choose, though.

An example can be seen in the UK HE sector. A couple of years ago stricter regulations came in. They had virtually no impact on the very large majority or undergraduates or Masters students. Yet enrolments plummeted, because of the perception that we had become hostile to Overseas students.

Ir is estimated that in less than 2 years we have list £2.9B from the British economy from the loss of these students, and the tuition loss of roughly £500M is a major reason that roughly half of British universities are in deficit.

The immigrants we want, who meet very high standards, are welcome in many places. Why would they choose a country perceived as hostile or cruel? Particularly the many very successful, law abiding ones with brown skin?

Can’t argue with facts.

Well you won’t as it’s Labour’s press release you’re repeating. But you and they have missed barracks and HMOs

😆 🤣

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Under 1000 people were housed on military and other government sites as of March 2026, the latest readily accessible figure. Oxford Migration Observatory

The point is that people are indeed dispersed to HMOs and similar sites. Asylum hotels are by far the most expensive housing option, even though they are far from luxurious. The hotels and large government sites attract the majority of comment, because of the critical mass of young men. There is no getting around the fact that this particular problem is being improved greatly under Labour.

The boats are also down 23% in the year to June.

Barracks are more expensive so the by far part isn’t correct. Plus Labour’s GE pledge wasn’t to just replace types of accommodation.

Would you be happy with barracks near to you?

Your question is far too generic.

How close are the closest barracks to civilian housing? Where is this? And what are the restrictions on the movements of the asylum seekers housed therein?

Under 1000 asylum (986 IIRC) are so housed. Have any of them been accused of a serious crime?

What source tells you that barracks are more expensive than hotels?

Are you only ok with it if it’s far away or has restrictions?

If there’s neither, and the men have access to near where you live are you ok with it?

The boats are also down 23% in the year to June

Higher than when they came into office though:

33,000 to YE June 2026
31,000 to YE June 2024

They aren't everything that's wrong with the UK obviously. But do they cause some issues and the male ones disproportionately attack women

I defo need to know the full story.

I think the discussion should be more widely talked around, rather than blaming immigrants.

• We know birth rates in this country are falling off a cliff.
• We have an aging population, the average British age is 41.
• We have threats of war and resources being targeted and a massively underfunded military.
• We have mounting national debt, which is only managed by people contributing through paying tax, the debts are never paid, that's a given, but interest has to be.

I feel there is more to this than political ping pong, but it doesn't help us gain clarity as to the true rationale, it's the massive elephant in the room and our communities need answer, a plan and immediate security.

Barracks are only more expensive because of the costs of converting them and of securing them to a higher standard than the asylum hotels is factored in. The running costs are known to be lower on average.

That means you are comparing apples and oranges.

Sorry for autocorrect

Just talking about hotel numbers on sky news but did anyone realise since 2018 only 4% of illegal migrants have been returned! I’m absolutely gobsmacked!

History has nothing to do with the right to live within any country. If it were then surely no one could have any issues with the actions of the Israeli state since 1948.

Language, English is a widely spoken language 1.4 billion, so should we let anyone who speaks it into the UK

Acceleration...most immigrants come from a Muslim background/sub Sarah Africa...so what cultural link do they have with a rather damp (usually) island off the north west of Europe which has a culture based on Christianity, laws based on Christianity, its king is also head of the main Christian Church....so how do they fit with the culture of the UK. One of the major issues with immigration has been the attitude of many immigrants to women and girls.

Family. Sorry no. I am not having it. Just because a member of your family lives somewhere that shouldn't give you the right to live there too...and I very much doubt many of them have such links.

But you willfully ignored my question. Why spend thousands and risk death when you are already in a safe country?

Don’t put words in my mouth, or anyone’s. I don’t recall a single entry here suggesting open borders, even for English speakers.

How do you know the religious background of asylum seekers? It isn’t tracked by the British government, the UN, or any reputable organisation. Any ‘statistics’ are unreliable since these do not exist.

Many come from traditionally Muslim countries, and many from sub-Saharan Africa. What is the largest religion by far in sub-Saharan Africa? That’s right - Christianity. This region contains one of the largest, most active and fastest growing Christian communities in the world. Over 60% of the population identify as Christian.

The Muslim dictatorships in particular prosecute those who are not practising Muslims, including Christians and atheists, so a number flee these countries for religious persecution. Some Christian countries are also intolerant.

Both the MidEast and sub-Saharan Africa - the latter largely comprised of Commonwealth nations - do have a cultural affinity for the UK. Many educated Africans and Arabs speak better English than most Britons, many have read widely in English literature, ate knowledgeable about British culture, etc. It does mean a lot.

I haven’t ignored your question. When refugees trust interviewers enough to open up, they cite family, culture, knowledge of history and customs, and language as big draws. Many Africans and other Christians are drawn to the Evangelical churches here, also.

Also in some cases the nations closest to home are equally war torn, intolerant and dangerous (eg to atheists or gay people).

If you are serious about wanting answers you would do better to seek them first hand: The British Red Cross, The Oxford Migration Laboratory and the UN High Commission on Refugees all have video interviews with refugees, asylum seekers and experts delving into these questions. Others too, I am sure.

In the year ending March 2026, Eritrean nationals accounted for the largest share of small boat arrivals (18%), followed by Afghan (11%), Sudanese (11%), Iranian (11%) and Somali.

The religions of these groups are Eritrean 50/50 Islam/Christianity, Afghan Sunni Muslim, Suadanese 97% islam, Iranian Shia Muslim 93%, Somai Sunni Muslim.

Not many from sub-Saharan Africa it seems.

(From House of Commons Library)

It seems that Christianity is rather under-represented.

But they never ask that specific question.

I know the answer, its the reason why Dick Whittington went to London. The myth that the streets are paved with gold.

We all know its the reason. The trouble is no one is prepared to admit it. Migrants come here because they think its the land of milk and honey. They believe they will get decent houses, education, health care and that its all free (i know i missed the apostrophe).

And the only way to stop the small boats is to remove everyone who arrives. Ban them from ever receiving asylum in the UK.

The British government has stopped the football hooligan issue abroad by banning specific British people from leaving the country at specific times. The opposite is so easy to do.

@NotAnotherScarf "We all know its the reason. The trouble is no one is prepared to admit it. Migrants come here because they think its the land of milk and honey. They believe they will get decent houses, education, health care and that its all free (i know i missed the apostrophe)."

They are sold this dream by the people traffickers and then when they get here they find it isn't what they expcted. The weather must be a let-down for a start.