How bothered are you about Small Boats?

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I think the idea that people think Small Boats with illegal immigrants on them is a really pressing issue is made up by politicians to have something to campaign on. Am I right? Is this a pressing issue as far as you're concerned?

I'm not really talking about immigration/ asylum seekers in general, just the small boats everyone keeps mentioning. If you're worried about people dying in the channel I get that, but do you think people finding their way here illegally is a major issue for our country at the moment?

I think it's clear I don't but I will accept I'm wrong about this being a made up issue if the majority disagree with me.

If you want to vote YABU= this is one of my top ten concerns. YANBU = I don't think it's a top ten issue for the country.

Ah I see. She could have travelled within the Schengen area without needing a passport, pre-Brexit. Unless she's an EU national then she could still do it. I have done so myself (again, pre-Brexit), but travelling by train or coach, not boat. Not sure if that makes a difference.
Admittedly I don't know how/if you could do it from Canada.

Even if that’s true in the uk, you still have to report your entry and exit. It’s definitely not true in France and Canada or the USA (as jgw1 claims she has travelled passport free). You need your passport and to get it stamped on arrival so they know you have not overstayed.

It’s not intra Schengen though- she claiming uk to France/USA and Canada.

Even people who are concerned don't seem to have solutions. I see mention of quotas, but that won't stop people boarding boats. The only way to reduce boats is to provide safe and legal routes with 'controls' - but most asylum claims are accepted so that means basically accepting a huge number. It seems to come down to either allow boats to continue, or provide a safe route and accelerate the influx. Short of Europe becoming a very undesirable place to live, we are all set for a massive increase in population.

Are we a landlord too? Not just a yacht owner?

I think the media mixes up asylum seekers and economic migrants. I believe we should do what we can for anyone in genuine fear for their life (who can prove it).

As for those who are economic migrants and coming to work, I'm possibly being naive here but wouldn't make sense to lower the threshold for legal entry and allow those who really want a fresh start to come and work and build a new life? As I vaguely recall in order to currently come to the UK, you have to have a job lined up with a minimum salary of around £26k. That policy alone seems to me to encourage people to take the illegal route?

If people want to come and make a meaningful contribution to the country's economy, then great. Create spaces each year, fast track them in, let them start their jobs etc rather than process them for months on end at taxpayer expense. And then there's no excuse for attempted illegal entry.

Again, I might be being naive!

Feels appropriate !

You don’t need to report your exit from the U.K. The UK (somewhat notoriously) does not have exit controls. It relies on reporting by airlines and ferry companies but the process is as holey as Swiss cheese and there is no provision for private vessels.

Almost right wing one might say ☺️

Or offered to host Ukrainians.... as I said, they should form an orderly queue. But putting your money where your mouth is, isn't always popular.

Yes naive! Where are they all going to live? Secondly as far as I know everyone ages - we already have a huge pension problem. Do we offer them nothing?

Giving up other people’s stuff or property is always popular from certain sections but this really takes the biscuit

Yes it’s easy to type how virtuous you feel everyone should be

I wonder how much of an impact this has on hotel prices.

I stay in a budget hotel every week, which I pay for myself.

I've noticed that in the last month, the cost of a stay has more than doubled. I don't understand why.

Its massively expensive to hire a yacht. For example one could hire this for a week for less than £13 per person per day.

https://www.borrowaboat.com/boat/35931?landingPage=boat-hire&landingPage=united-kingdom

So selfish. You could hire it for someone who needs it more.

If it is hired

I mean who knows with the way the posts have gone

Get used to it, as the next big wave of people will be climate change migrants.

Are people not allowed to own things and care about immigrants? By that logic, no-one should have a spare room, perhaps even a car, or any luxury they wouldn't be willing to surrender immediately.

I am perfectly familiar with the criteria for a skilled worker visa.
They are passing a SELT by an approved provider, having an English qualification from a UK school, or having studied for a degree in English either in the UK or another country, if the latter it would need to be approved.

The chances of our doctor from Afganistan or Syria having done GCSEs in the UK or a degree from the UK are very small, which leaves a SELT, some of which such as IELTS for UKVI are time limited.

I have not claimed to have travelled from the UK to Canada without a passport. I have though travelled from Canada to the UK without having to show a visa.

No evasion of customs and immigration laws involved. On each arrival and departure the correct procedure for arriving or leaving that country was followed. For example on arrival in Brixham from Canada the appropriate UK authorities were informed, we anchored off, flew a yellow Q to indicate we were in quarantine until we recieved a radio message that there would be no customs or immigration checks.

@SueVineer where did I say I owned a yacht?

Be careful you wouldn't want to go making stuff up would you?

@Lastchancechica if 600,000 is not much in the grand scheme why are you so bothered about a tiny fraction of that coming here?!

And don't you worry more will be heading here when there are water shortages in ME. This issue is going to grow and grow and our government hasn't got a hope in hell of stopping it. So you better get used to more and more SB!

I take it you never go on holiday, and if you do you pay less than £13 a day for your accomodation?

I’m not the one asking others to give up property

The whole boat thing made me laugh. Of course we won’t know if you own it but I’m sure you won’t admit it