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Original poster

To wonder if Reform voters actually realise that Farage and his cronies are responsible for the increase in migrant boats reaching the UK

141 replies

Meadowlands · 04/09/2026 23:15

Because Brexit , for which Farage was a leading advocate, put a stop to the UK being able to send the boats back. Before Brexit there was a returns agreement in place.
So be careful if you think he actually has a clue what he is doing.

OP posts:
Windsurf · 05/09/2026 08:24

Firetreev · 05/09/2026 04:21

Listening to some of the vox pops from the attendees at the conference today have been shocking. The Dunning Kruger effect doesn't even begin to cut it. It's an indictment of our education system that we have people this stupid in this country. The fact that these people volunteer to put themselves in front of a microphone is flabbergasting - they really have no idea how dim they are.

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And yet people like you are happy to import millions of the stupidest on the planet.

KatiePricesKnickers · 05/09/2026 08:21

Keymoment · 05/09/2026 08:16

But the UK has some of the lowest benefits in West Europe, and considerably less than Nordic countries. I’m amazed how much relatives get in Italy, France and Germany. A benefit seeker would do far better elsewhere.

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How much do they get?

Keymoment · 05/09/2026 08:16

Greenismyfavouritecolournow · 05/09/2026 01:47

The benefits system in the uk is contributing to an increase in immigrants. And the fact we speak English.
And we’re so inclusive ! Anyone who disagrees is just racist.

But the UK has some of the lowest benefits in West Europe, and considerably less than Nordic countries. I’m amazed how much relatives get in Italy, France and Germany. A benefit seeker would do far better elsewhere.

Goggga · 05/09/2026 08:11

Post Brexit policy is the issue. We could have left the echr and then left the UN refugee convention. Detain and deport.

So many EU countries in the 10 years since the crisis began given citizenship to these people. Do you really want them to have free movement to come here?

TangyChina · 05/09/2026 08:07

HelmholtzWatson · 05/09/2026 07:55

This.

Migrants have been coming illegally to the UK long before the boats, typically on lorries. How many were ever sent back? Hardly any. Politically, it's just too sensitive to be shipping thousands of migrants to France back every week, regardless of whether we have the right to do so.

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Yes and people came legally ,in their millions when Blair famously dropped the workers rights which changed the face of the UK.

Playgrounds in schools had classrooms built on them ,meals on wheels was pulled in many commuties to fund interpreter's ,maternity care crashed and women were sent away from centres in labour.
A birth boom followed didn't it and many councils found themselves inundated with new people and no new funding.

Why ?

Why ?

Because we didn't have a clue how many people came over to actually live here. And we only became aware with swamped a and e ,maternity services , schools and so on .

No one monitored or counted this.

And yes on top of this we also had lorry immigration.

EasternStandard · 05/09/2026 08:05

JimBobsWife · 05/09/2026 07:50

OP, you’re talking bollocks. As are many of the commentators on TV who continue to spout this misinformation. Criticise Farage on facts not fiction. Your case will be much stronger.

Yes misinformation lasts on here but worse the BBC and other media push it too.

KatiePricesKnickers · 05/09/2026 08:03

@Newrumpus ”Underlying this debate there was always an element of the right versus wrong type of immigrant.”

Exactly! People who work and are net contributors, vs people who don’t and are net recipients.

EasternStandard · 05/09/2026 08:03

Have a look at what’s happening in the EU. No country is sending all migrants back to Greece, Italy or Spain.

Newrumpus · 05/09/2026 08:00

JimBobsWife · 05/09/2026 07:50

OP, you’re talking bollocks. As are many of the commentators on TV who continue to spout this misinformation. Criticise Farage on facts not fiction. Your case will be much stronger.

Exactly. It is pretty easy to find legitimate points of criticism.

Grumpyoldcat · 05/09/2026 07:59

Thank you for the advice.

LuckyHazelFox · 05/09/2026 07:58

The Refugee convention needs a massive rethink from the UK and maritime laws make things harder. All the time governments are sitting and pondering, we are having more migration to thrust upon us.

Newrumpus · 05/09/2026 07:57

Brexit turned off the supply of white European immigrants which led to the Tories opening the door to the rest of the world.

Underlying this debate there was always an element of the right versus wrong type of immigrant.

OP - there is a decline in the number of boats reaching the UK.

HelmholtzWatson · 05/09/2026 07:55

EmeraldRoulette · 05/09/2026 00:28

And weren’t we legally obliged to take people in under the Dublin agreement?

I mean, if you’re going to have a real discussion about it, have a real discussion about it - that’s great. But I don’t understand why this myth is still doing the rounds.

This.

Migrants have been coming illegally to the UK long before the boats, typically on lorries. How many were ever sent back? Hardly any. Politically, it's just too sensitive to be shipping thousands of migrants to France back every week, regardless of whether we have the right to do so.

TangyChina · 05/09/2026 07:51

Good news today, a group of 5 EU countries have been given the go ahead to process and hold migrants in a non EU country and then return them home. Hopefully this will lead the way for us.

JimBobsWife · 05/09/2026 07:50

OP, you’re talking bollocks. As are many of the commentators on TV who continue to spout this misinformation. Criticise Farage on facts not fiction. Your case will be much stronger.

Binnyforthewin · 05/09/2026 07:46

KatiePricesKnickers · 05/09/2026 07:37

Labour could actually implement that now and pull the rug.

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Except Labour don't have the teeth to implement the required other half of the policy and reduce welfare spending. Burnham couldn't just claim to be funding it by reprioritising from some mystical other government spend as appears to be his favouite trick.

KatiePricesKnickers · 05/09/2026 07:38

Binnyforthewin · 05/09/2026 07:29

Yeap - Mahmood is doing a good job with changing the rules around leave to remain and family reunification much to the annoyance of her colleagues and backbenchers. It's like she is on a one woman mission to save the Labour party.

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I fear for her longevity.

KatiePricesKnickers · 05/09/2026 07:37

SwanUpmanship · 05/09/2026 07:34

This pledge to increase personal tax allowance is going to be a vote winner.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgk5g51xk57o

Labour could actually implement that now and pull the rug.

WutheringBites · 05/09/2026 07:33

Greenismyfavouritecolournow · 05/09/2026 01:50

Farage will get in if we don’t act now to reduce numbers entering illegally. We don’t have the infrastructure for our own population. People are angry and angry people vote for change.

The numbers have reduced. The problem is that the narrative is so powerful that you’ve just parroted exactly the Reform party line.

and it’s based on lies

BuffaloCauliflower · 05/09/2026 07:29

Greenismyfavouritecolournow · 05/09/2026 01:50

Farage will get in if we don’t act now to reduce numbers entering illegally. We don’t have the infrastructure for our own population. People are angry and angry people vote for change.

Arrivals by boat are already down 23%

Binnyforthewin · 05/09/2026 07:29

Summerhillsquare · 05/09/2026 07:15

And let me guess, you're not aware of the actions and results that have reduced small boats and people in asylum 'hotels' and detention since Labour came to power?

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Yeap - Mahmood is doing a good job with changing the rules around leave to remain and family reunification much to the annoyance of her colleagues and backbenchers. It's like she is on a one woman mission to save the Labour party.

BuffaloCauliflower · 05/09/2026 07:27

Binnyforthewin · 05/09/2026 07:10

The whole premise of this thread is bullshit. It wasn't Brexit that was to blame for the boats it was the introduction of the scanners at the ports and Eurotunnel that can identify people in vehicles. People used to come in lorries now they can't they come in boats. You could stop the boats overnight by turning off the scanners and then people would quickly revert to hiding in lorries

Thank you for this. I had wondered why the sudden increase in boats when there’s always been refugees/migration coming here but didn’t have an awareness of this change to make this link.

KatiePricesKnickers · 05/09/2026 07:27

Meadowlands · 04/09/2026 23:15

Because Brexit , for which Farage was a leading advocate, put a stop to the UK being able to send the boats back. Before Brexit there was a returns agreement in place.
So be careful if you think he actually has a clue what he is doing.

In the final years before the UK exited the arrangement on December 31, 2020 (following Brexit), inward transfers actually exceeded outward transfers. For instance, in 2019, while the UK transferred 263 people out to EU countries, it accepted 714 individuals from the EU into the UK (primarily under family-reunification provisions).

Great scheme that was!
I’m not sure the OP has a clue.

LuckyHazelFox · 05/09/2026 07:22

Firetreev · 05/09/2026 04:21

Listening to some of the vox pops from the attendees at the conference today have been shocking. The Dunning Kruger effect doesn't even begin to cut it. It's an indictment of our education system that we have people this stupid in this country. The fact that these people volunteer to put themselves in front of a microphone is flabbergasting - they really have no idea how dim they are.

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I noticed a screaming woman had to be dragged away from the conference yesterday. One of those caring, sharing oh so tolerant lefties. She must be one of those stupid people in this country, you refer to. Very dim indeed.

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