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.

No you do seem to be saying no limit on numbers after all

So no upper limit on asylum seekers. Not many declare that. Pp was correct on saying uncontrolled with Labour then?

Well it’s all gone a bit vague

I thought that 30k was the burden sharing cap within EU

But no, we can’t put a cap

But what if, in your hypothetical case, France had stopped accepting new refugees and you couldn’t go there, but had the option to go to some other safe country where you didn’t speak the language?
That’s exactly what my parents and grandparents had to do when they left the oppressive regime that was their homeland.
Would you still insist on getting into France?

DuncinToffee
Have you got more information on the German cap?

Yes - 200,000 refugees a year;
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/09/germany-merkel-agrees-to-200000-refugees-cap-in-bid-to-build-coalition

I see that a figure of 182,000 refugees was queried with Labour's Nick Thomas-Symonds today;

When it was put to him on Sky News that the UK is 13% of Europe's population and therefore could have to accept the same percentage of migrants under an agreement - equating to around 182,000 people per year - Mr Thomas-Symonds said he did not accept the figure.

But refugees on the small boats only made up about a quarter from those two countries in 2022 ?

Sorry I meant from Syria and Afghanistan if that wasn't clear ?

DuncinToffee
Yes and?

I can quite clearly see the words minimum and
These figures can be increased where necessary

200,000 and can be altered

Yes, I can read that too, so what are you saying?

Eastern was asking for numbers and I gave an example of what is being discussed. No deal has been agreed yet. I can't see the number used by the Tories today.

Are we saying the Conservative Government have simply been inept over the last 4 years ? Have lacked forward planning ? the ability to target resources where they are needed ?
2,000, 8,000, 28,000, 45,000 is the tally for people crossing the Channel for the last 4 years. If this was as big an issue for the UK as Sunak's pledges makes out, why are they only now interested in doing something about it ?

Yes, I am bothered by the complete lack of safety. Children need to stop dying because we can't cobble a vaguely coherent immigration system together

Do you mean Labour?

So minimum 30k which could increase

Claims that we can’t limit but that EU deal seeks to be saying they can protect and limit

Sunak is also looking for a deal with the EU, so not just Labour

And yes, a cap could increase depending on circumstances. As you have probably noticed, political situations can change very quickly, see Afghanistan.

The explanation I saw reported is that we have got much better at security on eurotunnel and ferries so people smugglers moved to small boats.

Sunak is also looking for a deal with the EU, so not just Labour

Sunak got a much hailed fandabbydozzytabulous co-operation agreement with France back in March ? I think France are in the EU, but since we left I haven't kept up a head count.

Is Starmer going to sign up to this?

Wed 7 Jun 2023
The [Irish] Government has to make a financial contribution of €1.5m to the European Union for failing to accommodate 350 refugees in Ireland.

Ireland has signed up to an EU initiative for housing refugees seeking international protection.

The EU’s voluntary solidarity mechanism (VSM) requires member states to accommodate refugees or pay a financial contribution if they could not.

The Government agreed to house 350 refugees under the scheme but, due to the war in Ukraine and a spike in asylum seekers from other regions, it has been unable to find the required accommodation.

This means the State will have to make a contribution of €1.5m to the solidarity scheme to assist with the relocation of refugees in other countries.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ireland-has-to-pay-eu-15m-for-failing-to-house-350-refugees/a1737941603.html

Is Starmer going to sign up to this?

We're already committed to accepting refugees, and have been for decades.

We’re they cleaning your yacht?

I agree- it terrifies me the thought of being out on the open ocean in one of those teeny boats.

ZadocPDederick
We're already committed to accepting refugees, and have been for decades

We're not committed to paying €1.5m to the European Union for failing to accommodate 350 refugees are we?

It’s not really a cap if there is no upper limit

Then it’s just whatever number is required

I haven’t heard anything about Sunak’s deal? What’s that

@jgw1 so your million homes have owners and you want new arrivals to snatch those houses. Ridiculous and dangerous views. You should move to Cuba. I wonder were you emigrated from?

Whatever number is required.

Yes, we are talking about refugees.

A small percentage of the overall immigration number.

It's the job of the Conservatives to find solutions currently. How do you account for the fact that, with over 13 years to do, they have failed so abjectly?

Ok that’s at odds with the first response

This deal under debate has a 30k cap

That should be 30k minimum and no limit