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Some interesting info for you. It has now officially been two weeks since the last small boat was recorded arriving in the UK. The 16th November was the last date and every day up to 30th Nov had 0 arrivals.

This coincides with the arrest of the man responsible for supply a large number of the boats on the 14th Nov.

Obviously there could be other factors, like the weather, but all the same…attacking the gangs/facilitators doesn’t seem to be increasing the numbers as you suggest…

That's interesting to know. I wonder out of interest, has there been a longer period of no boats arriving in previous years?

I must confess I haven’t looked @dollybird, though the source I got it from seemed to suggest it was unusual - the words used were ‘very rare’. Here’s a link so you can look yourself. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats

There were another 200 yesterday now that storms Bert and Conall have blown through and the channel is calm again.

To be expected I suppose.

Given the Tories’ lamentable record on immigration - regular and irregular immigration - it doesn’t look good to criticise the Starmer government so soon for failure.

But the criticism will begin in earnest in six months’ time. And will be entirely justified then if “smash the gangs” has proved empty sloganeering.

We do know that the Rwanda policy was dissuading asylum appeals, given the increase in applications to ROI. This issue will run, especially if EU countries pursue off-shore processing.

Cards on the table, as a Tory, I don’t like the idea of us becoming a nation hostile to immigrants. I’ve always been proud of our difference from so many racist and insular European nations.

I was bemused by Labour's response to 20,000 headline today

'The weather was good'

Sounds like they've decided weather is the sole soundbite they have left and have given up with the usual 'vile gangs' response

As pp said next year will be interesting

The French might not hang around as long as Labour though

Odd that the focus was on the number in total (bit more than last year, bit less than the year before) and not on the extended period of days with none. Yes, another boat came at the weekend. But that gap was significant.
The weather is always a big influence on numbers, but even then so many days with zero is unusual.

They weren’t blowing for every day of the gap…

but even then so many days with zero is unusual

I doubt that's the case for November

Looking at the numbers over last few years last year had a flat period in November and December and it was lower

3,131 for Nov this year v 1,661 last year

And for the last 2 weeks of November? Or any 2 week period at any time?
Seems despite your. Instant accusation that Labour supporters are ‘happy’ with more deaths, you are the one who doesn’t want the crossings to stop.

Labour supporters are ‘happy’ with more deaths, you are the one who doesn’t want the crossings to stop

Nice try as per.

I'd like another system and have said so for a couple of years. This one enables risk, deaths plus very high profits.

Still I doubt your faith in Labour getting rid of one person will impact numbers overall.

The demand is still there.

Dealing with t( gangs and the practicalities will have success in waves and won’t reduce demand for some time. I agree another system is needed alongside dealing with criminals. I’d suggest proper safe routes and the ability to apply from outside the country even if you aren’t Ukrainian.

I doubt you'd meet demand that way either. So you'd still have criminal activity. You could triple the current safe routes which is 60k on average per year and it wouldn't meet demand.

As for 'dealing with criminals' it's harder to do than trying to stop drugs being moved for various reasons.

Only a few countries have reduced numbers and the processes are not the above.

If the people coming in boats are lawful asylum seekers, as we are frequently told by posters on MN, why do the people who assist them deserve to be labelled as criminals operating in “gangs”?

Why aren’t we applauding these humanitarians who facilitate lawful and desperate asylum seekers in their search for sanctuary?

Could it be that Starmer just wants a soundbite and actually has no chance of stopping anyone from coming ashore at Dover? And that he knows it?

I would find that hard to believe of this outstandingly competent and trustworthy government.

And when people are granted European citizenship they can move freely throughout Europe I assume.

If you are implying that if we had not left the European Union we would be better off in terms of immigration the same people would just have been able to come a little later as European citizens.

I never get all the "smash the gangs" stuff because all you need is to do is buy a dinghy - it hardly takes a criminal mastermind. Buy a dinghy, put it in the water. Job done.

I don't get why people think you can just return claimants to the country of entry

If they pass through it without record there's no way to do it

If there was only a couple of countries would be dealing with this

As it is Germany, the Netherlands and France are dealing with the same issues

Not just Italy, Spain and Greece

Currently there isn't a mechanism to move large numbers of asylum seekers to another country

Well unless by force or less than positive methods such eg approach in policy in Turkey

Do people think we would be returning large numbers to France if we were in the EU?

We took more than we returned under the Dublin Agreement

Which is why the sale of inflatable dinghies has been massively restricted in northern France and Belgium - you can't just wander into Decathlon and buy one now. Instead they are smuggled in from much further afield. They are typically ordered one at a time (customs will stop any order with multiple dinghies) from AliExpress and delivered to individual addresses in Germany, picked up in a van, and then driven to France. The gangs have to continuously recruit (and pay) addressees, as customs will catch in if you are getting an inflatable boat a month delivered to your address.

Right. That’ll stop ‘em!

There are millions of tons of goods landed and sent every hour at Europe’s ports. Guns, drugs, stolen cars and god knows what else arrive and leave. Millions of container lorries drive across Europe daily.

And you can’t buy a blow up dinghy on Amazon in Belgium. 🙄

This is laughable.

Many come from Turkey anyway, dinghies that is

Yes, because they are exploiting vulnerable people for gain and often giving them unsafe crossings so they are killed. That’s the criminality. It’s pretty obvious.
I do think too much airtime is given to this tiny aspect of immigration though.
I’ll ignore your silly digs.

I’m saying we would have a different way of dealing with refugees. Most would be refugees, not asylum seekers, already when they got here so wouldn’t need assessing or housing at government expense. They would come able to work and contribute. Though I do think the burden of assessment should be shared.

On the 'too much airtime' I'm amazed more isn't said about this vast multi billion £ trade in the movement of people

This has the ability to destabilise countries and already is for some

We seem to have been under the narrative of it shouldn't be questioned which is I'm guessing a result of an established legacy

Only a few politicians have worked out how to get policy through

And even Putin knows it's a tactic for destabilising the west

At some point a major country will shift I suppose. It's a fairly strained system as is though

But on that argument we should be funding the “gangs” to allow them to buy safe vessels and provide food, water and clothing, surely?

And my digs are top notch, thank you.

Now you are just being silly. I’m not dignifying this with any other answer. Maybe grow up a bit?