Where do the people from the dinghies go?

[FreyaFromTheFens]

When they jump off the boat where do they go? Have they been given prior instructions of the direction to head or do they just run anywhere and what then? Hide out for a while?

No one in authority is there to direct them to processing buildings are they?

I just can't imagine the numbers of them that are getting here each month all having somewhere to go straight away. If you live where this happens what's it like and do you feel safe?

They will have been given instructions by whichever exploitative soul took their money and offered them a route. They'll head to the agreed meeting / waiting point and then likely be picked up and exploited further in return for crap pay, crap lodgings etc.
Some will have friends or relatives who have already made it here, and will have been told how to find them.

Are many of them making it to shore? I thought the smugglers were giving them distress flairs to set off once in the middle of The Channel and that the coastguard would pick them up and hand them over to border force?

Years ago we used to see groups of men 2/3/4 walking along the side of the M20 and running into the fields (especially around Maidstone Services). That was when many were coming in in the back of or underneath a lorry. I always got the feeling they were meeting up with family already here,but don’t know for sure. Since Calais was made more secure that doesn’t seem to happen anymore (well not that I’ve noticed) and I only started to really hear the term “people smugglers” after that.

That makes sense but the numbers that are quoted as making it ashore (admittedly by mainstream media) surely can’t all just disappear off somewhere?

I just can’t imagine what it must be like to live in the areas where they’re arriving but yes as you say they’re likely shipped off elsewhere.

There's communities of illegal immigrants all over the country. Those formally seeking asylum are usually housed and supported to an extent with communities, access services etc.

The fact thousands disappear within the UK makes me very dubious of them being asylum seekers and I suspect many are economic migrants. Get fake papers when here and work in jobs that are at worse illegal activity, at best unknown, unregulated and probably taken advantage of.

It's a complete mess.

I have family in Dover and apparently there's groups of them all over the place, many of them will live together, like 20 men in a 2 bed flat. They seem to jump out of the boats and run off in small groups

10 years ago I was on the beach in Bournemouth. A man wearing only boxer shorts came out of the sea, fell to his knees at the shoreline and said a prayer, then left, heading along the sands. No boat, no family, no friends, no clothes waiting for him. I've often wondered about him over the years.

There are some people there to meet them, I've seen videos of them going on shore on walkway type structures in, I think, Dover so there must be some element of organisation and mechanism to transport them to the accomodation around the country

I live on the coast and I haven't seen a single person looking like they've crossed the channel and on the run. Not one, ever.

According to government stats, around 90% of small boat arrivals claim asylum, so only around 4000 or so would have just disappeared last year without making themselves known to the authorities.

I don’t know what the answer is to change things but it must be horrible to be living there knowing that’s going on - and pretty grim for the immigrants too 😞

How strange, fair play to him if he made it all the way from Calais though he deserves a free house 😆

Yep. That'll be the reality of the situation.

Whereas in some sections of MN and the media, "They ALL want to work, they ALL want to contribute, they ALL want pay taxes..."

Absolute fantasy land.

Quite where all these well paid jobs and private homes are being magicked up from never seems to be answered. Cos none of them ever get council homes, or take from the taxpayer, remember. 🤔

As far as I know Border Force intercepts and processes the arrivals that wish to be processed, a lot just disappear into the black economy. Once processed they are then bussed around country to various contracted hotels or centres. Based on figures over last few years it’s like 100000 from the boats or something. They have been trying to spread them out because high concentrations cause social strife. I’ve also seen in my town groups of like 20 with luggage seemingly dumped in middle of nowhere no idea where they go.

DH is police and they pick them up all the time across the whole county running through fields, walking along motorways & dual carriageways and hiding in peoples sheds and gardens. They’ve all got mobiles so they often tell the police “It’s ok someone is coming to fetch me. I’ve called them.”

DH said they genuinely often do have people who are on their way to meet them but of course police have to take them to immigration centre to be processed.

@TheThingIsYeah If, as PP said, they all get fake papers and start working, doesn't that show that they do want to work? It's not their fault the British Government is too stupid to let them do it legally so that they can be taxed.

Anyone earning less than about £40k a year "takes from the taxpayer", so that's not an accusation that can just be levelled at migrants. Many people never earn more than £40k so will never be net contributors.

This is an ignorant post.

You seem to be suggesting that lots of these people are illegal immigrants who disappear into the illegal economy, but at the same time, you seem to think that they're sponging off the taxpayer. You obviously have no idea how things work, and how few rights illegal immigrants actually have. Generally, they have to work, typically on less than minimum wage for exploitative employers, because that's the only way they can survive. They are not entitled to state support because they have no legal status in this country. Their lives are incredibly precarious.

Asylum seekers do get limited state support and they are not permitted to work while they're waiting for their claims to be processed. They are not illegal immigrants and have every right to be here while their claims are being assessed It is not their fault that the home office takes so long to process claims.

I volunteer in emergency shelters and a fair few pass through us. Most want to claim asylum, but they don't always know how, or are afraid to do it. We help them out with that. Many return to the street once they get refugee status - many rough sleepers are refugees. At that point we would help them into accommodation and employment.

Many are very highly educated, many are totally illiterate. In all the outrage of education being denied to girls in many countries, people tend to lose sight of the fact that it is often denied to boys as well, particularly of "desirable" demographics. Some are illiterate, but very skilled, for example, we have had several individuals who can't read or write, but are skilled surgeons! And have gone on to become health care workers and similar. We have also had some incredible craftsmen and women pass through our hands, and have gone on to successful careers.

Many many become teachers. Particularly maths teachers. There is a good chance many of your children are taught maths by a refugee, although you probably wouldn't know.

Of course a lot are open to exploitation, and end up in nail bars, car washes, building sites, bar work, and jumping at the offer of accommodation instead of wages, and that accommodation might literally be a six foot long stretch of dirty carpet in a shed or under someone's stairs.

I have taken in around 20 at different times. You can have hopes and dreams for them, but in the end they make their own decisions, based on their own expectations and standards for life.

Of course many of the young females get forced into prostitution, and sold as slaves. There is a thriving slave trade in london and across many other Northern European capitals , especially Amsterdam, where some men go to buy wives.

The children are often hidden. Parents are afraid to approach authorities for help in case their children are taken off them. I'm sorry to say I have seen this happen, so I understand the fear. This is why you see parents with young children begging on the street - they prefer to sleep rough together than risk never seeing their children again.

As someone who lives in a part of London subject to regular Border Force raids - it seems to be nails bars, restaurant kitchens, car washes and hotels.

@notknowledgeable

So why do they continue to come in such great numbers if the reality of life on the UK is so shit ? This Government can't / won't even look after its own Citizens who were born here ,

I've seen two boatloads land at Dungeness in lifeboats, presumably intercepted. There were coaches waiting to take them to wherever they were being taken to.

because the alternative is death in many cases. We have had people who have literally run, under fire, in whatever they were wearing, with no warning, arriving in teeshirts and shorts with bullet wounds. They often had no choice about how they got out, take what was available, or die on the spot.

For example, a group of tradesmen, I won't say what trade to stay anonymous, 6 of them working together employed in a building for a few days. 3 of them were Christian. The person employing them realised some of them were Christian from their conversation. Reported them. This is in a country where Christianity is against the law, but quite common and largely ignored. However, this man was very influential and decided to have them shot. A servant of the house gave them something like 60 seconds warning, and they ran for their lives - literally in only shorts and teeshirts and trainers. One of them happened to be holding an example of their craftsmanship which made it to the UK and helped secure them skilled jobs.

They ran straight towards the airport, without any sort of plan, were picked up by the people smugglers who hang around outside the airport for this exact eventuality, and were taken on by them. Parents were rung who immediately put up all the money they had to get their sons out.

Two of these young men were shot and fell on route to the airport, presumed dead. one further died on route to the UK, 3 made it here by boat, with their precious example of their craftsmanship, and several serious injuries, including bullet wounds. One is permanently disabled

The reason all these MEN come here illegally on boats is they know they will be provided with food and accommodation,at the cost of millions per day, unlike many other European countries. The day that this stops will hopefully be the day that these MEN stop arriving here.
We need stronger border forces to deport everyone who is found to be in this country illegally.
Ask the people who live close by to these hotels that are accommodating all these MEN how they feel. But nobody will do that because the beleaguered British tax payers have very few rights unfortunately
(Eagerly awaits the deletion message)

Some are illiterate, but very skilled, for example, we have had several individuals who can't read or write, but are skilled surgeons! And have gone on to become health care workers and similar.

How can anyone possibly train to be a surgeon if they're illiterate? Or do you mean they are illiterate in English? If someone is genuinely a qualified surgeon, with all the proper accreditations then they don't need to seek asylum anywhere at all. They could apply to work as a surgeon and be welcomed with open arms by dozens of countries around the world.

@Bookist

Spot on . Plus someone educated to Surgeon standard would learn English from a young age , or would be able to learn it quickly so they could work in the Western World.

Because the reality in their home country is so much worse?

I used to work with young asylum seekers. The horrors that they had often experienced prior to leaving their home countries were often unimaginable.