Home Secretary criticises migrant landings as unacceptable

Agreed .

People banging on about 'globalism' haven't got a clue what their talking about - it's Qanon adjacent nonsense. Capitalist globalisation is a thing, globalism isn't.

I don't know how many times we have to say we are sick of it. Both sick and scared. And nobody in government really appears to care because they don't live in 'ordinary' life. The fabric of society is changing and not in a good way. I mean how many bloody attacks happen and yet the boats are still allowed to land? WTAF is going on? British women (because it's always women the vast majority of the time) have now been raped, attacked and killed, but hey, it's ok because we'll deal with perpetrators after the fact.
The way things are heading, there's going to be massive civil unrest, and the government have only themselves to blame.

Quote " Net migration (a much larger figure) has decreased as a result of government policy."

I am not sure that can be said. Not the government policy part I mean. Because there was a big jump in the recorded number of people leaving the UK, but that was because the ONS changed how they measure migration. Because now they check tax and NI records, whereas before they had people with clipboards at airports doing surveys.

And when that jump happened, I remember people were all over it, saying " See how all the wealthy people are leaving because of Labour". But they could show no evidence for that.

Immigration the government can measure, because Government do the Visas. Emigration will take a while for the data to have statistical meaning because of the change in method, but also, the Government can't really know why people are leaving, because there is no exit paperwork. The paperwork is at the other end, where the emigrant becomes a migrant.

And that is before dual nationals are considered, because they have no paperwork at all at either end.

Also this thing of "self deportations" that Trump brags about. How does he know ? Because people come and go for various reasons, but Government have no way of knowing why, for the vast majority of cases anyway. It is common for migrant families to work where they can earn best, get their savings, then return home. And its is the same with "expats" from richer nations. Work abroad, retire back to country of origin.

You would hope so. But I fear the government's solution is to clamp down on free speech and fast track protesters into prison, where space has been cleared for hem by early release of domestic abusers.

I think the government is scared but their response is to clamp down and arrest people instead of addressing their legitimate concerns.

Social unrest really ought to give the Govt the hint they’re asking for trouble. And getting Reform voted in.

Wish I could emigrate but I'm too old.

I did not say the number of asylum seekers had gone down, I said the annual number has decreased. You are inferring causation where I didn’t suggest any. Net migration (a much larger figure) has decreased as a result of government policy.

I agree that the current status quo is precarious. As it is posing a risk to democracy - small numbers, relatively speaking, big impact - I don't think any government would be wise to allow things to carry on as before. The rise of the right across Europe, especially in France and Germany, should be a warning to the UK.

The freedom to roam won't be removed because then the accommodation for asylum seekers would be more like a prison, ie more expensive and complicated to manage. Any assaults on locals is collateral damage.

No, things will carry on as before. The drop in numbers of asylum claims in recent years is really quite small.

Maybe the government's plans to clamp down on free speech and fast track protesters into prison will do the trick. That might be enough for the anger to be supressed while the whole racket continues unabated. It might be enough but it might not.

The Oxford Migration Observatory percentages are slightly lower than the drop for dinghies crossing. One possibility is that measures to intervene with gangs are having an impact.

The pull factors in the UK and the countries you list are considerable: housing, benefits, freedom to roam. The resentment and alarm, which is not surprising, are gathering a head of steam in the UK and empowering the right. I would be interested to see what impact removing the freedom to roam would have on arrivals, and would like this to happen. The risk is to be seen to be pandering to 'patriots' and Restore.

Typo

@IdaGlossop

As PP have outlined, the numbers are dropping quite steeply.

Is the drop not due to fewer people arriving in Calais? As per Oxford Migration Observatory, the number of unauthorised entries into the EU declined by 26% in 2025 and a further 37% in the first half of 2026.

The issue affects most other European countries, evidence that there is no easy solution.

I agree. UK ranks fifth behind, Germany, France, Spain and Italy in terms of illegal
immigration.

What benefits do you think Burnham and Mahmood envisage gaining from irregular migration? And where is your evidence that they want migration to continue? As PP have outlined, the numbers are dropping quite steeply. The issue affects most other European countries, evidence that there is no easy solution.

You are 100% correct.

The government is playing with fire with their inaction and complacency. Macron has told us what we need to do: reduce the pull factors.

But instead we get a clampdown on free speech and a fast-track of anti-migration protesters to prison (a space having been cleared for them by the early release of domestic abusers).

@Mouldemort

The annual number of asylum seekers has decreased since Labour got into power.

Is that due to Labour being in power, or that fewer people are arriving in Calais? As per the Oxford Migration Observatory, the number of people entering the EU declined by 26% in 2025 and a further 37% in the first half of 2026.

So, by definition, fewer people arriving in Calais will result in fewer boat crossings. Take a look at:

Broader EU Declines: The <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&rct=j&url=migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/commentaries/qa-why-have-small-boat-arrivals-declined-in-2026/&ved=2ahUKEwjKgbv-tIyXAxWEVEEAHUThCrQQy_kOegoIAggACAAIFxAP&opi=89978449&cd&psig=AOvVaw2b3ACqiPzs_rOoCChkZMNs&ust=1790517870731000" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oxford Migration Observatory notes that unauthorized border crossings into the EU fell by 26% in 2025 and dropped an additional 37% in the first half of 2026. Because fewer migrants are entering Europe as a whole, fewer are eventually traveling to the northern French coast. 1]

Interesting that you talk about NET migration. Yes, this has gone down under Labour, largely because so many skilled and asset rich Brits have left.

The Tories are globalists, that's very clear. They need a never-ending stream of cheap labour for their friends in big business. Many of them are also landlords so a steady stream of tenants leading to rising rents is also to their advantage. Many Labour MPs are landlords too.

Yes, that's why it's so important for the electorate to believe that 'tough talking Mahmood' really wants to limit illegal immigration. She doesn't, nor does Burnham. If they did they would shut down the pull factors. Macron has already told us this is what we need to do and he is right.

A very rational point of view because irregular migration and its impact on communities is such a vote winner.

The Tories must be super globalists then, because net migration was vastly higher under the Tories.

The annual number of asylum seekers has decreased since Labour got into power.

Net migration has substantially decreased under Labour.

You’d never know this if you don’t look directly at the figures.

That makes no sense. If someone speaks English as a second language and havefamily in Bristol, why would they be able to live equally well in Germany, where they speak German, and are lacking the persons family ?

The trouble is the pull factors are often that they have relatives here or speak the language, they could live equally well in most countries in Western Europe, and many do.

@Nereidd

The main thing they could do is make the UK unattractive to illegal immigrants and eliminate the pull factor

The French president, Macron, has said the same.

@RedTagAlan

Home grown manufacturing as opposed to reliance on cheap imports and cheap labour I think was the idea. Whilst at the same time scrapping net zero to reduce energy costs.