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.

^ I completely and utterly agree.

Anyone with an ounce of humanity would care for the people whose desperation forces them into a small boat at the end of a lengthy dangerous journey. The hatred whipped up by the Tories against these people and the lack of will to find a supportive solution is cruel and inhumane.

This. The problem (and the reasons we spend ££££££££ on housing them) is that it takes years to process their claim. Years is batshit, it is rocketing costs and causing needless stress for the asylum seekers.

The tories aren't interested in fixing this, they just want to win some votes by looking 'tough' on people who's claim could have been evaluated months/years ago.

@Goldenbear
"Left leaning'? Mumsnet is certainly not that anymore which is a real shame!
'Left leaning' does not mean totally left wing nor does it mean that there are no right wing posters here. From what I observe though, the majority of posters have more sympathy with the left than the right on most issues.

I worry about the safety of the people on them.

There are way more pressing issues that I wish would get more attention though. Education, housing, health and social care, cost of living… basically everything the Tories have completely shat on from a great height for the last 13 years.

If Ireland was their end goal would you hold them here? No. You would pack them a lunch and help them into a boat.

Some responses presume that if someone has a problem with small boats they have a problem with immigration or asylum.

I have no problem with immigration of people who meet the criteria we (the UK) set within the numbers we (the UK) decide. I have no problem with Asylum seekers if as a Country we decide our fair share of helpnto offer is refuge to x number of people from Afganistan, or wherever else. I have a problem with people from wherever hopping across on a boat as they are probably not the most in need - that's survival of the fittest in action. If we care about the most vulnerable we would protect our resources for the most vulnerable. We can't provide for everyone.

Yes, it's my big concern. We have a hotel in a small town full of men from the boats. I propose all mums here not concerned about the boats and their daughters' safety to contact the government about housing 'asylum seakers' near them.

No.2 is exactly what is happening in the countries these people are leaving. This idea works well when there is enough work available for the number of people, and no-one is sick, elderly, disabled, or has to care for young children. Then it gets tricky.

I actually think it’s those who do. It humanises them. They are social workers or teachers for example, know them as people and know personal stories beyond media hype. They know them as neighbours.
I have worked with a number of families, and ï personally know people who have been here illegally. They aren’t the people the media present, some are now working professional jobs, some left when they could again and others were just pretty average.
People fear most what they don’t know. They panic about the unknown masses that may overrun them.

Very well said. I live in an area with high numbers of refugees without issue. They are my friends and colleagues. My parents are in a small town with very little immigration at all and it's they're that the people fear and scare monger about it.

The thing is that as with many developed countries, the birth rate is in decline and immigration is vital is therefore vital. Focussing our efforts on effectively processing people and allowing them to be prosperous members of society will do much more good than trying to scare them and punish them for trying to find better lives. It was Drax who said "Britain is full"... With his enormous estate and deer park all to himself.

Well said. I completely agree.

People are leaving their home countries for a reason. And they’ll keep trying to get asylum or even immigrate into Europe until that changes
All the time these countries have poverty on epic scales, shortages of resources, lack of hope for its citizens to improve their futures and get out of that grinding poverty, the situation will not change. Whatever the governments try to do

This is what’s wrong. And the UK has shot itself in the foot by becoming a less powerful influencer in trying to get root cause changes. And they have repeatedly cut foreign aid . As has America- America turned inward under Trump and then wonders why they have an illegals immigration problem🤷🏼‍♀️🤦‍♀️

The situation will only get worse, while the world stands by and watches climate change impact poor countries that don’t have infrastructures in place to mitigate. What do we think is going to happen in Libya now? This port was already a big stop over for Libyan migrants out of a country that was broken…..

Tryng to stop “the boats” is like Canute trying to stop the tide - and just like Canute knew when making his point, it is a pointless and useless thing to do. But it makes good headlines and the oldest trick in book that leaders have is to “unite a country against a common enemy” and take peoples eyes off the shot show it’s running. Putins doing it, N Korea does it, Iran and Afghanistan does it etc etc. And so do the Tories.

In the interests of keeping this thread factually accurate, it is not illegal to claim asylum in the UK no matter what method one arrives by, and nor does it depend on which countries they have travelled through to get to the UK.

I would be exceedingly grateful if posters would read this helpful explanation of the law in this area.

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

I live on the south coast of Kent (I can see France) and I don't see why I should be pissed off? Why would this be more of an issue for me that anyone else?

I swim in the sea most days and year round - I've seen 2 boats left on the beach in 5 years and no actual landings - which is astonishing really considering how many people are coming this way.

We have a housing center less than a kilometer away - for men off the boats. Some locals have tried to scaremonger in FB groups etc but they really havent caused any issues. I've had conversations with a few young men on the streets - all very nice. I had one man a couple of weeks ago try it on with me - try to chat me up (I'm mid 50's he was about 20), which fucked me off and I let him know that. But that's one incident in a few years and I wasn't threatened.

My DD's (high school age) haven't had any contact with these men at all.

My main concern is we should be stopping the criminal gangs/people traffikers and detering people from the dangerous crossings. And also its an inequal way of people immigrating - very male heavy. Immigration should ideally be more balanced across the sexes.

YANBU it’s become a right wing trope

YANBU
It’s become a right-wing trope

I’d say plenty of posters are pro Labour though

We’ve had protests held outside a hotel that held some asylum seekers a while ago. Massive Facebook events and pickets even with the local politicians involved.
I don’t think otherwise anyone had noticed they were there. It was all pretty shameful how it was conducted.

Our education, health and transport systems - and our economy - are crumbling because they've been underfunded and poorly managed for years. Nothing to do with the relatively tiny number of desperate people arriving in boats.

The government's obsession with them is the proverbial dead cat - not our fault, nothing to see here, look at these brown people turning up and asking for help! Bastards.

Its not doing very well as a vote winner for the Tories.

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2023/08/08/public-lack-confidence-conservatives-stop-boats

The people protesting noticed though or do you think it was a fake whipped-up thing? Genuine Q.

Given that there are by some estimates over a million empty homes in the England alone, and by the government's own estimates 700,000, there is housing capacity for the UK to take well over a million additonal people.

This 💯 percent. I do live by the coast, it's a massive issue here daily. Whilst locals are not being house or even entertained as homeless we have boat loads turning up daily using up massive resources being housed in hotels, fed, water and living a far better life. These are mostly all grown men paying to get here (yes they are risking the open waters, which is dangerous).. but they are all heading for a better life! Most of which are not fleeing war torn countries. We are spending millions on this and it's getting worse by the day!

Most people cannot get a dentist to see them in an emergency atm unless they can afford expensive private treatment. It’s just as bad in France.
Nothing to do with where you come from.
But I agree some people definitely believe the DM about what immigrants get.

These are people we should welcome with open arms and get into work - if you put in that level of effort to go somewhere, you must be seriously motivated. Harness that, don’t batter them without recourse to public funds etc

Do you not mind boats arriving op?

Is there a point where you would mind? How many would tip it for you