1,027 irregular migrants arrive here on rubber boats in the last 24 hours.

France isn’t though …

France’s efforts to stop the migrant boats are dysfunctional in the face of extreme violence orchestrated by people-smuggling gangs, a policing chief has admitted.

Marc Alegre, who represents officers in Calais and Dunkirk, said efforts by police and gendarmes were disjointed, plagued by a lack of training, faced shortages of recruits and spent British money on the wrong type of equipment.

He said his Unité police union was pushing for the French government to set up dedicated police units to specialise in tackling immigration and taking on the people smugglers so that they could reverse the record level of migrant small-boat crossings this year.

We are getting better

Maremia

It's time the Government starting 'talking up' their successes.
Thanks J52

Doing that might help to remove focus on what they haven’t done, or the impact on those who feel they have been badly affected, when they were hoping for better after the last government.

LizzieDrip

Maremia

It's time the Government starting 'talking up' their successes.
Thanks J52

I agree Maremia✔️

Yes

These posts are getting more and more unpleasant. Why are we unable to discuss the original post in a calm and reasonable manner?
Imo it was a simple statement of fact, I have no recollection of any other posts by the same person that could lead to some of the comments here.

Maremia

It's time the Government starting 'talking up' their successes.
Thanks J52

I agree Maremia✔️

It's time the Government starting 'talking up' their successes.
Thanks J52

Allira When I read some of the venomous posts when doctors pay/strikes have been posted, I'm tempted to suggest to DD that she goes to work where she will be appreciated but selfishly I want her to stay here (at least until I'm dead!).

Anyway back to topic, yes France seems to have even more problems than we do. In fact look at most European countries and there's the same problems facing them that we have. With regard to refugees, try looking at the stats for countries like Turkey, Iran, Bangladesh, Colombia, Lebanon, much poorer countries who are taking in much greater numbers of refugees than we do. Most refugees escape over the border because they hope to go home at some point in the future.

foxie48

Allira obviously completely off topic, but the way resident doctors are treated is pretty disgraceful, it adds huge stress to what is already a difficult job and with all the constant moving around is very damaging to relationships of every kind. It's no wonder doctors have become militant and want better pay. Thankfully DD is coming to the end of her training, passed all the relevant exams and the next step is a consultancy post. There's a shortage in her specialism but she won't rush into it as the role comes with even more stress and she'd like to see if she can start a family before she's too old!

It's disheartening, foxie48
We need these young people.
I know two who have just emigrated.

It's obvious that France is limited in what it can do to stop the boats. Even Macron says so. Personally I'd rather France was paid on productivity, give us results first then we'll pay, but that's another issue.

Don't expect much from France at the moment. They're far too busy with a government that's about to collapse today, and Macron desperately looking for someone to replace PM François Bayrou. (French lunchtime news) - worthy of a new thread?

J52 thanks for your post, the government has made a good start to sorting this out but it never gets reported!

Allira obviously completely off topic, but the way resident doctors are treated is pretty disgraceful, it adds huge stress to what is already a difficult job and with all the constant moving around is very damaging to relationships of every kind. It's no wonder doctors have become militant and want better pay. Thankfully DD is coming to the end of her training, passed all the relevant exams and the next step is a consultancy post. There's a shortage in her specialism but she won't rush into it as the role comes with even more stress and she'd like to see if she can start a family before she's too old!

That is just a ridiculous situation foxie48!
I'm shocked.

The situation has become worse, Allira

"Half of resident doctors finishing foundation training say they have no job secured for next month, according to a major survey from the BMA – leading the doctors’ union to seek a deal on training places as part of its ongoing dispute with the Government.

After resident doctors complete their first two years of training, FY1 and FY2, they enter specialty training to become consultants or GPs. However, this year there were more than 30,000 doctors applying for around 10,000 specialty training places.

Now with just days to go, 52% of FY2 doctors surveyed by the BMA said they have no substantive employment secured from August, when the new roles begin."
From the BMJ 29.07.25.
www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/bma-seeks-deal-on-doctor-unemployment-as-survey-reveals-half-of-resident-doctors-finishing-foundation-training-have-no-job-to-go-to-next-month

J52

Facts from UK Gov, 17 hours ago.

"Protecting the UK border is my priority as Home Secretary and I will explore all options to restore order to our immigration system."

Background

*In one year, we have returned more than 35,000 people with no right to be here – a 13% increase compared to the same period 12 months prior.
*5,200 foreign national offenders have been returned – a 14% increase on the same period 12 months prior.
*Illegal working visits and arrests are up more than 50%.
*From 5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025 there have been 66 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, 3 more than the 63 in the same period 12 months prior.
*From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210.
*On 5 August, the UK-France Returns Agreement came into effect. This treaty enables the return of small boat arrivals from the UK to France, with an equal number of individuals eligible to come to the UK through a new legal route.
*Returns to France are expected later this month.
*Data on small boat crossings for the last 7 days is will be made available here: Small boat arrivals: last 7 days - GOV.UK.

Thought it might be of interest.

Thanks J52 👍

Maremia

I know Allira, but I was pointing out that the Boat People are not illegal, until so proven.

I know that people aren't illegal but, as far as I remember, I was pointing out that many people who are here illegally did not arrive in small boats.
People tend to forget that.

foxie48

Escaped it's cheaper to employ foreign trained doctors . We've increased the uni places for medicine but the places for the further training have not been increased sufficiently nor have UK trained doctors been prioritised. We are potentially facing huge shortages of doctors in many specialisms and already have a huge shortage in cardiology, psychiatry, emergency medicine and GP etc I the NHS would grind to a halt without foreign trained doctors!

I can remember when newly qualified doctors left the UK because there just weren't the training places for them. That was several years ago now and, from what you say, it looks as if the situation hasn't improved. Our loss was a gain for places like Canada and Australia.

Of course, we do gain some medical staff from these countries but very few in comparison to those who emigrate.

Then we in turn poach medical staff from countries which may well feel their loss greatly.

CariadAgain

Re the comment about three doctors having problems that was made earlier in the thread - because one person said "It didnt happen" everyone has breathed a sigh of relief and said "Oh it didnt happen".

I think we've not had proof either way - either that it definitely did happen or definitely didnt happen. So I'd like proof one way or the other personally.

I can confirm this is going around - as it turned up on my feed this morning and it was from a friend that sometimes thinks logically/sometimes not in my experience.

The "clip" she put up says it's from "Concerned doc, Southampton".

Personally - I think the jury is still out - did it? or didnt it?

According to ChatGPT the "Facebook post was misleading. In the UK, anyone can register with a GP and get primary care for free, no matter their immigration status. It's not a new rule, it's always been part of the NHS. The Facebook post made it sound like a special requirement for immigrants when in reality it's just the standard system. So it wasn't entirely fake, but twisted the truth to stir up fear about immigrants".

Re the comment about three doctors having problems that was made earlier in the thread - because one person said "It didnt happen" everyone has breathed a sigh of relief and said "Oh it didnt happen".

I think we've not had proof either way - either that it definitely did happen or definitely didnt happen. So I'd like proof one way or the other personally.

I can confirm this is going around - as it turned up on my feed this morning and it was from a friend that sometimes thinks logically/sometimes not in my experience.

The "clip" she put up says it's from "Concerned doc, Southampton".

Personally - I think the jury is still out - did it? or didnt it?

Facts from UK Gov, 17 hours ago.

"Protecting the UK border is my priority as Home Secretary and I will explore all options to restore order to our immigration system."

Background

*In one year, we have returned more than 35,000 people with no right to be here – a 13% increase compared to the same period 12 months prior.
*5,200 foreign national offenders have been returned – a 14% increase on the same period 12 months prior.
*Illegal working visits and arrests are up more than 50%.
*From 5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025 there have been 66 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, 3 more than the 63 in the same period 12 months prior.
*From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210.
*On 5 August, the UK-France Returns Agreement came into effect. This treaty enables the return of small boat arrivals from the UK to France, with an equal number of individuals eligible to come to the UK through a new legal route.
*Returns to France are expected later this month.
*Data on small boat crossings for the last 7 days is will be made available here: Small boat arrivals: last 7 days - GOV.UK.

Thought it might be of interest.

A seemingly never ending list of hopeless Home Secretaries. Rinse and repeat.
This lovely country has been ruined by their inability to stop and return those who have no right to live here.

Will check that out GG

Maremia

I know Allira, but I was pointing out that the Boat People are not illegal, until so proven.

Didn’t the last government bring in new legislation to the effect that anyone arriving by small boats/irregular means were deemed illegal

It was the Illegal Migration Act which came into force in July 2023

Yes foxie, a problem that Europe could solve together. Pity we no longer have such a treaty with Europe. Who talked us out of that? Oh yes it was the Boatman himself, the man who immediately got himself a German passport so that BREXIT would not affect him.

foxie48

The irony of course is that many people who voted to leave the EU were motivated by thinking it would help the UK have better control over "illegal" immigration , when it's had the opposite effect.
I use the expression " illegal" because I think it's important to remember why they are classified as "illegal" when prior to 2023 and the introduction of a new act brought in by the Conservative government, people arriving like this would not have been considered "illegal".
There's no doubt in my mind that although we do have to find a solution to this increased level of migration it has been weaponised and is scapegoating these people unfairly. Yes, it's a problem for very many countries and as the EU have got their act together and are working more successfully to move migrants on it's making entry to the UK even more attractive to people desperate for a better life. However, IMO it's not the most important issue to face this country and it's not the cause of the stagnation that's facing our economy either but Reform and the Conservatives would like us to believe it is and sadly, many do.

Hear, hear foxie48 👏👏👏