How bothered are you about Small Boats?

[Spinet]

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.

? There are four nations in the UK, hence my request for clarification.

There are small sailing boats that can manage the passage between France and the UK without difficulty. And yes, @JGW1 is correct that between small ports, yacht passages' passport and customs regulation is fairly light handed. Anyone sailing a small well built yacht from Brest to Falmouth is unlikely to face hard regulation. But the point is, that the people smugglers don't use those vessels: they sell passage on unseaworthy inflatable boats across one of the busiest sea-ways in the world.

So a no then

If @jgw1's figure isn't correct, it really isn't off by much. I've had a look at credible sources, including charities, building societies and the government itself. All put the figure of empty houses at a little over 500,000, at the smallest estimate.

Plus, the sailing from Brest to Falmouth is a much longer crossing. 200 nautical miles rather than 20, and given the navigation issues and fuel consumption, not an option in a small rubber boat.

The people of Kent are often the Tories biggest supporters. They voted heavily for Brexit which lead to less cooperation with The EU/France. They were warned. Now a section of Kent is a lorry park and all the small boats land there.

If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

@EasternStandard It isn't the responsibility of the public to house migrants. Look at how many issues arose when the government dumped that on ordinary citizens. No, that responsibility lies not with Joe Public, but your wonderful Tories.
With the mess they have made of the economy, many could not afford an extra mouth to feed, no matter how much they want to help.

They included homes with people in hospital, residential and rehab facilities homes that were lived in half the year, probate, houses that were being renovated and a whole host of other genuine reasons why the house was not lived in at that moment of the study. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on.

What part of Kent is a lorry park? Please link.

Are you telling me that this website among others has it wrong?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/755383/all-vacant-dwellings-england-by-type/

Could you point to someone explaining this debunking, I would be interested to read about it to further my knowledge.

@Lastchancechica I wasn't referring to a single report, rather a few different sources that give slightly different estimates, but all agree that slightly over half a million is the minimum.

Some people on here are proper batshit. Get this: there are perfectly legal ways to come to UK from Afghanistan or Syria, like, no problem at all. And, France is a heaven for immigrants, especially Muslim, lovely country, no problem at all. But these stupid people insist on paying thousands to go into a rubber boat with a huge chance of drowning trying to get to UK to get a free gym membership. And - check this out - they are all young men who are rapists but pretending to be children despite looking 30. And there are literally millions of them, I tell you, millions!!!

A very likely story. 🙄

See @Legale's reply. Currently I earn £76.75 a week as a full time carer. I would not feel able to offer a refugee the time and support they need due to the caring duties I have.

Some people could. Similarly, some people could not do what I do, caring is not for everyone. Look at the elderly parents board to see how some people struggle. That is why we have governments, rather than everything falling to the individual. Perhaps you are a proponent of "there is no such thing as society" ?

The point I'm trying to make is that I think it's unlikely based on past voting results going back at least 100 years. Not impossible, just unlikely. Labour didn't even win here in '97.

Just because Electoral Calculus have my constituency as >70% chance of a Labour victory doesn't mean it will happen.

The houses are owned by actual people!! They are not just idly sat there waiting for you to steal.
Can you imagine! The U.Ks reputation internationally would be in tatters if we pulled a stunt like that. What would be the market rate be for a confiscated house forced to sell? Half the value, a quarter??
Apart from the fact its totally illegal - basket case Britain run by Starm plc would send investors into flight mode.it would launch an avalanche of court proceedings. Do you imagine you can just casually pluck someone’s house away from them and turn it into a house for migrants? Are you kidding me!

1.2m migrants moving in and out of the country. Its actually closer to 600k net.

You could offer them a sofa ( better than nothing) and point them to a food bank.

@Lastchancechica ...no. Why is everything such an hysterical response? I imagine incentives would be offered, and people would be entitled to take them, or not. I don't envisage anyone's home, second or not, being forcibly taken from them.
I'm not a fan of Labour, but do you really think the Tories are doing so well?

Nope. That is not the road they are going down. It would become illegal to own a home that was empty. No incentives needed.

So a 100k more than the empty house list and that’s BEFORE we have even got to Starms open border policy.

No poster here has to offer a sofa or directions to a food bank.
That is the Government's job.
It isn't our fault they are thoroughly incompetent.
Maybe Rishi could offer some of his spare homes and direct People to food banks. Perhaps open more... or maybe even address the root cause of why so many people need them.

I am afraid your indifference shows all the hallmarks of someone that knows nothing about investor confidence, international credibility and integrity.

Yeah, maybe if I was a better person I would do that. The point is we cannot and should not have to rely on individuals to provide homes and support for refugees. There has to be action from central government. That is why we pay taxes.

You don’t pay taxes though.

Posters could just take a look at table 615 where the data comes from.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants

It is possible I suppose that posters do not trust statistics put out by the current government, but I couldn't imagine why that would be.