Channel migrants - solutions.

[Digby]

I'm amazed France, Greece et al aren't shipping them over en masse.

[Zhivago]

Immigration is a home office issue and they should be processing applications more overseas.

But if you means the FCDO should be doing more to stop people wanting to leave their countries of origin then I’d agree in many cases you have a strong point. We should be helping countries to develop so their populations don’t want to leave.

We also need to be tougher with France. Sometimes they seem to act a bit like Erdogan with respect to migrants. Why these Calais camps are even allowed to exist is beyond me.

We’ve set Pritti on them, come on have some mercy!

The chances of the French sound much for us are vanishingly slim at the moment.

Did we get rid of the language training facility for our diplomats because of austerity? We should consider how to improve our diplomatic resources.

[Sandydragon]

British diplomacy is not what it was.

[Galfon]

lightweight and compact - all about balance;
under 2 hr trip if you have the wherewithal

[Galfon]

Not exactly sausage wars but 'entente cordiale' appears to be firmly on the back-burner for now.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58504016
If there was a higher authority they'd be banging a few heads together one would think.

[Galfon]

People dying en-route now due to the numbers finding a boat.
Plenty of talk and plans it seems...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59257107

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Two significant portions:

"A Whitehall source accused France of losing control of the situation".
This is hilarious because it's a direct consequence of British policy and Brexit in particular. Wtf should the French care if thousands of refugees who decide to leave France for Britain?

and...

"Most migrants arriving into the UK in small boats can expect to be granted refugee status by the Home Office, according to analysis of official figures.
In the 17 months to May this year, 70% of the 12,000 people arriving in small boats came from five countries: Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Vietnam, according to data obtained by the Refugee Council under Freedom of Information legislation.
Full details of the data will be in a report to be published next week.
Official figures show that most asylum seekers from all those countries, except for Iraq, are granted refugee status at their first hearing."
So most of the people coming are probably genuine refugees that Britain has Treaty obligations to admit. They are not acting illegally because the seeking of asylum is protected in law.

[Sandydragon]

Two significant portions:

"A Whitehall source accused France of losing control of the situation".
This is hilarious because it's a direct consequence of British policy and Brexit in particular. Wtf should the French care if thousands of refugees who decide to leave France for Britain?

and...

"Most migrants arriving into the UK in small boats can expect to be granted refugee status by the Home Office, according to analysis of official figures.
In the 17 months to May this year, 70% of the 12,000 people arriving in small boats came from five countries: Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Vietnam, according to data obtained by the Refugee Council under Freedom of Information legislation.
Full details of the data will be in a report to be published next week.
Official figures show that most asylum seekers from all those countries, except for Iraq, are granted refugee status at their first hearing."
So most of the people coming are probably genuine refugees that Britain has Treaty obligations to admit. They are not acting illegally because the seeking of asylum is protected in law.

For the sake of your blood pressure, I'd suggest you avoid the Telegraph comments section with facts like that!

But none of this is fact driven, its pure political bullshit. Brexit only got through due to concerns in some communities about immigration. Failure to control that immigration is a failure of Brexit, which is not acceptable for the Spartans et al. Hence the ludicrous schemes such as Border Force officers trying to turn back boats whilst on jet skis or flying immigrants to Albania (why not the Falklands and be done with it?). All the while ignoring the fact that this country needs immigration to operate properly.

[Galfon]

But none of this is fact driven, its pure political bullshit. Brexit only got through due to concerns in some communities about immigration. Failure to control that immigration is a failure of Brexit, which is not acceptable for the Spartans et al. Hence the ludicrous schemes such as Border Force officers trying to turn back boats whilst on jet skis or flying immigrants to Albania (why not the Falklands and be done with it?). All the while ignoring the fact that this country needs immigration to operate properly..

Exactly, but 'properly' will be a challenge and several halves.
" The Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the UK."..(official tag), moving swiftly on -

Meanwhile,
-31 lost tragically y'day due to a capsize
(waiting to happen, as long as night follows day)
-French police undestandably reluctant to intervene on the beaches ('not our fight..'), though camps have been cleared again recently.
-Calais authorities state:
'100% of migrants 'arrive from Belgium.
All the large inflatables are purchased in Germany.
(where there's muck there's brass..)
-COBRA meeting chaired by BoJo now pending, who will probably be seeking a Romsey style solution.

[Zhivago]

There is no easy solution, but the EU/France needs to get a grip on its undocumented rejected asylum seeker problem, for sure. These migrants shouldn't be traveling freely in the EU in the first place. That isn't a solution though, just a criticism of both the EU and our diplomacy.

There are two main problems that need solving:
-How to reduce crossings. Better deterrence? Allowing safe alternatives for the migrants?
-What to do with failed applicants. Detention until deportation, with agreements in place with countries willing to take them in.

The is also the issue of the UN agreements around refugee rights. I believe this does not sufficiently deal with issues from cultural differences between migrants and host countries. There is no reason an African asylum seeker should be eligible for asylum in the UK. There should be both a cultural and distance limitation on refuge rights.

[Son of Mathonwy]

For the most part this is a bullshit, manufactured, culture war issue. Now especially important to distract Tory supporters from Johnson's incompetence.

[cashead]

So, BoJo's deadcatting?

Because you know which team of political strategist with links to Johnson is known for doing that?

[Galfon]

deadparroting morelike..
meanwhile, more dough, drones and dibble may be pushed EM's way. Governments losing poularity in coastal zones (both sides) nowt to do with it of course.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63432585

[Which Tyler]

[Sandydragon]

Can't argue with that. And regardless on whether you consider the number of immigrants to be a good thing or not, only a complete nut job would regard the current situation as being acceptable. And a Conservative Home Secretary is breaking the law. The nutters who often don't care about the rights of migrants should care about that.

Braverman is totally unstable* for the role and should be replaced.

I meant to type unsuitable but got auto corrected. Still seems to work though even if not great English.