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.

Not the donkey field again.....

You must be tired of your boat being mentioned @jgw1 they're like a dog with a bone. 😂 Almost like... they have nothing of substance to say.

Bore off. That is not what I said and you know it.

Anyone who is willing and able to work for a decent and honest living who fulfills a skills gap should be able to come here.

We need bum wipers and brain surgeons and everyone in between. All should be paid a decent wage.

Nothing racist about that.

Oh good I am really glad the donkey field has appeared again. I didn't have it on my bingo card for this thread though, could you chuck in a But Jeremy Corbyn as well?

Did the donkeys know what a woman is?

My OP was about the trope of the small boats crisis. I specifically said I wasn't talking about immigration so I'm not going to. I have my own opinions but me naming numbers is completely pointless and not the point of the thread.

Thank you, I have had enough of the hollow virtue signalling on here. Perhaps they need to go to an actual church or actually speak to a refugee!

Just vague ideology, no answers to any of the practicalities - certainly no solutions. The insults if you have the audacity to ask where on earth they will live. Apparently not in their houses/boats though. It’s the sheer hypocrisy of it all.

Wait now, if we're doing bingo cards someone has to non-ironically wail about "wokie lefties". I love that one.

I think people smugglers are wicked. Asylum claims should be processed in France. Our half empty and boarded up town centres should be used for new housing, cf. green fields. And the Tory party are bastards, crooks and liars.

Perhaps they need to go to an actual church or actually speak to a refugee!

Refugees - almost every day at work. You?

What is your solution then?

So you don’t think illegal migrants on small boats are worth including in overall immigration stats or discussion?

Are you ‘rowing back’ on your assertions op? No pun intended.

I am concerned that there are potentially dangerous criminals entering the uk , to me the evidence of multiple young fit men of a similar age taking up what seems like the majority of spaces on the boats makes me feel that there is a large quantity of economic migrants.
To be honest i sometimes feel that they are laughing in our faces.
I am appalled at the incompetence of this government the processing time for these people is a joke , i don't know what they are playing at , the knowledge that it takes what seems like forever to be processed through the asylum system is surely an incentive to come here.
I truly believe that we should take in and protect people fleeing war and persecution ,we should rescue them directly from the terror they are in if we safely can.
But i do question why the uk is a goal for many when there are lots of safe countries on route that could give them sanctuary.
I do not think coming here is a cushy number and i don't think that they are given homes ,gym ,dentist etc, i think that the media reports stir up a lot of trouble and resentment to the point that we don't really know what is going on, and i have no words to express my disgust at the traffickers.
I have no problem with anyone working and contributing to society but i wish we did not have this problem to solve in what is currently a worrying time in general for a large amount of the uk public.

Fast track deportation system designed to process all migrants within 7 days to their own country or Rwanda. Their choice.

I last spoke to someone who ought to be a refugee about 3 hours ago, but since the UK government refuses to give Ukranian migrants refugee status they are not.

How about you?

Most people do not want uncontrolled immigration.

I agree with you on that point. So how is the Conservative record on immigration ? Record breaking numbers, a tiny of fraction of which are coming on small boats. Back in March Sunak met with Macron and hailed an unprecedented level of co-operation with France on the small boats crisis, how is that going ?

To be honest I think most people would rather the Conservatives dealt with some of Sunaks other pledges first, especially halve inflation by the end of 2023 and reduce the waiting lists. If they can't manage that, fair enough, they were big pledges to make, but at least try and have a fair crack at it before the election. The UK needs a hip replacement and a better mortgage rate !

Fast track deportations? How does that work with the current backlog?

Am I riding back on the fact that I think the 'small boats crisis ' is manufactured as a focus for politicians and not something most people are worried about? No I'm not. And the majority on this thread agree with me.

That's separate from immigration in general but I haven't made any assertions about that.

By the way, saying 'so you're saying something you didn't say?' Is a really crap way of arguing. You should learn from others on this thread who can string a sentence together. Some of them agree with you and the others can bring you the joy of listening to opinions different from your own that you claim to be so fond of.

In a previous post you mentioned interpreters coming from Afghanistan by 'legal routes' to the UK As you'll know these skilled individuals had been employed by UK military and contractors sometimes for as long as 20 years and after the withdrawal from Kabul were major targets for the Taliban

Thus far these people have not been allowed to leave Afghanistan/been granted asylum here as there is no legal route

So their only way now is overland and then across the Channel - whilst they might be safe from the Taliban in France - their skills are in translating English not French and they believe that the UK owes them sanctuary because of their longstanding professional links to the UK military. That's why they don't stay in France or Italy or other 'safe counties'

Obviously not all the Afghans crossing the Channel are interpreters but this is their story - others who also worked with the UK military in different roles will have their own stories

In the same way our court systems cleared the backlog. We had 24 hour courts, increased capacity.
I am sure that is the next step with a government that cares about the security of its people.

What did you expect?

Courts haven't cleared the backlog

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/court-backlog-record-high-england-b2411465.html

Most people on mn. I’m sure we’d be remain if you were just going by that.

What did I expect from what?

In the interests of factual accuarcy, both UK and international law are clear that asylum seekers can transit other countries before they make a claim. See this link for more information.

https://levinslaw.co.uk/dinghies-in-the-channel-illegal-entrants-and-immigration-offences/

Additionally it is worth noting that the UK is the destination of far fewer refugees than many other countries.

In the same way our court systems cleared the backlog. We had 24 hour courts, increased capacity.

Are you sure about that @Lastchancechica ?

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us/press-office/press-releases/terrible-criminal-court-backlogs-continue-to-spiral