Stand off drowning migrants and report – or face prosecution, sailors warned

Lord Blunkett has warned that creating safe routes for migrants to come to the UK could put Nigel Farage in Downing Street.

The former home secretary said “the politics is toxic when it comes to migration” as he cautioned Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, against a policy of softening the asylum system.

Actions has consequences

God we really are becoming a pariah state.

The UN have just reminded that they had officially warned the U.K. that closing off safe routes would lead to avoidable deaths.

Completely ignored by this shabby government.

Forsythia

Alegrias1

Forsythia

Am I the only person concerned that some of these might be future terrorists or returning ISIS ? Nobody seems to want to mention that possibility. Or are we just meant to suck it up and hope that we don’t get blown up. Not all of them, but possibly some.

The guy who implemented the Glasgow terrorist attack 15 years ago came from Aylesbury. Should I be avoiding everybody born in Aylesbury? Or would that be a complete over-reaction?

Yes I was waiting for your reply. So as you’re the expert on here tell us why what I have said is unlikely and could not be a remote possibility. Given the events outside Liverpool hospital recently.

Of course its a possibility.

Its also a possibility that we'll get hit by a comet tomorrow.

I'm glad to see I didn't disappoint.

Joysutty….how can you possibly think they would be better with a bag of “possessions” than a mobile phone ???

the French security that are patrolling their beaches where these in their waters these flimsy dingys to come over the UK. They are taking NO action and just looking/watching and taking no notice

Absolute nonsense . Totally untrue,

Alegrias1

Forsythia

Am I the only person concerned that some of these might be future terrorists or returning ISIS ? Nobody seems to want to mention that possibility. Or are we just meant to suck it up and hope that we don’t get blown up. Not all of them, but possibly some.

The guy who implemented the Glasgow terrorist attack 15 years ago came from Aylesbury. Should I be avoiding everybody born in Aylesbury? Or would that be a complete over-reaction?

Yes I was waiting for your reply. So as you’re the expert on here tell us why what I have said is unlikely and could not be a remote possibility. Given the events outside Liverpool hospital recently.

Forsythia

Am I the only person concerned that some of these might be future terrorists or returning ISIS ? Nobody seems to want to mention that possibility. Or are we just meant to suck it up and hope that we don’t get blown up. Not all of them, but possibly some.

The guy who implemented the Glasgow terrorist attack 15 years ago came from Aylesbury. Should I be avoiding everybody born in Aylesbury? Or would that be a complete over-reaction?

joysutty

Presume these people in the first place are paying others (gangs) for their "presumed" safe journey over to the UK and what I find incredible is that when they arrive they are holding mobile phones - and not bags of their own personal items. Doesnt add up. Sure there are people from genuinely terrible countries who are fleeing but not all.

... what is this obsession with migrants and mobile 'phones?

It's a means of communication and information. To quote one migrant, "Our phones and power banks are more important for our journey than anything, even more important than food".

They map their journeys, keep in touch with other groups - not to mention their families.

In much of the world, there are no land-lines - mobiles are their only means of communication.

Also, not all migrants are poverty-stricken, they are fleeing persecution and war, instability.

And the reason they have smart-phones as opposed to plain old cell-phones, is because that is basically all you can buy mostly.

We use smart-phones for more trivial reasons, and are judging them on this basis.

Some of these migrants are middle-class, who had jobs, homes... of course they will have mobile 'phones.

And if you're escaping your country because you're in danger, just how much can you rationally be expected to bring with you, apart from perhaps a few clothes and personal belongings?

Much of the media is doing everything it can to discredit asylum-seekers, not to mention the odd politician. And people - who claim to be sceptical about "what they read in the papers"... and who certainly don't normally trust politicians, accept it all at face value.

Depressing.

Am I the only person concerned that some of these might be future terrorists or returning ISIS ? Nobody seems to want to mention that possibility. Or are we just meant to suck it up and hope that we don’t get blown up. Not all of them, but possibly some.

They do see an alternative Carly...it’s called France, but they apparently don’t like the idea of it.
Any government here would struggle with this problem, Conservative or Labour so maybe give the political point scoring a rest.
As to your idea that if so many thousands of asylum seekers/ migrants were white there would be no outcry, then I think you are mistaken.

We currently have ONE MILLION job vacancies in this country - we actually need immigrants. We should have a decent asylum system to process their applications efficiently, and be able to welcome more of them to fill those job vacancies. It's madness to see it any other way.

They're doing this (coming across in boats) because they don't see an alternative - our asylum system is broken (and the Tories are doing nothing to fix it). Forgive me if this sounds cynical but I do wonder if there would be this outcry if these refugees were white? Somehow I don't think so.

These are human beings. Try putting yourself in their shoes and show compassion and understanding

HILLY N. CLASS REPLY. With a Solution.

You got the solution for our life boat men to tow them back to France. Send your letter/request to Pritti Patel and the UK government and I didnt know until recently i was told the lifeboat men are mostly volunteers who risk their own lives at sea.

ITS GOT TO BE ADDRESSED AND URGENTLY.

Presume these people in the first place are paying others (gangs) for their "presumed" safe journey over to the UK and what I find incredible is that when they arrive they are holding mobile phones - and not bags of their own personal items. Doesnt add up. Sure there are people from genuinely terrible countries who are fleeing but not all.

WonderBra

I'm a taxpayer, been working full time since I was 16, and for many years of that in very low paid jobs.

With the approx 80,000 asylum seekers in the UK at the moment, who receive just under £40 each per week, that costs me (one of currently just over £30,000,000 taxpayers in the UK ) the massive sum of 9p per week. In actual fact, I probably pay a lot less than that, as a lower rate taxpayer.
For less than 2p a day, I am absolutely happy to support these poor, scared, homeless people who have been in the absolutely devastating position of losing pretty much everything. To be honest, I'd happily pay an awful lot more.

I can't begin to imagine what desperation they must be going through, to even attempt the over-land journeys, let alone the sea crossings. They are human, many well educated, but regardless, human.

I really can't begin to understand those who would rather they drowned. These people are a valuable asset to our country, but regardless of whether they have any economic value to us, they are human.

Where is our compassion?

This thread is Chinese Whispers Wonderbra....since nobody at all has said that ( those who would rather they drowned) so you have no need to understand them.
The UK does have compassion, the asylum seekers/ migrants are helped to shore, given blankets and taken somewhere warm, issued with clothes and fed.Then they are part of a process to determine their status.
Once granted asylum here, they may or may not be a valuable asset, but they can stay here and build a life.

Yes, MAUDI - I totally agree as the whole issue is the French security that are patrolling their beaches where these in their waters these flimsy dingys to come over the UK. They are taking NO action and just looking/watching and taking no notice, as presume France is not wanting to feed/cloth/give accommodation to them in the first place. All a very sad state of affairs. Our country is not big enough anyway to take much more of it all. Had read the Royal Life Boats had been told to not to comment/take action, but not sure entirely of any announcement which is a true statement or not, and that where all the dingys are landing that area is full to capacity of places for them to stay and now other Counties are being approached to take them in.

Rwanda!!! Good grief, she’s lost it altogether! I had heard Albania and thought that crazy, but Rwanda! I’m lost for words.

I don't really understand the motivation behind trying to find ways to just stop people even setting foot in the UK. Why don't we just let them come then deal with their claims quickly? If we say that they should stay in France and claim, why do we think that France should deal with people who want to come here? If that was the case, then the analogy is that France should be able to tell Germany to keep the people who want to claim asylum in France. And Germany can tell Poland..etc etc

And to reiterate what growstuff said before, they are traffickers, not smugglers.

I’ve read Prit Patel wants to send asylum seekers to camps
In Rawanda. The Uk would provide financial support to Rawanda. Crazy

They were saying on the news this morning that part of the problem is there is no way to legally apply for a visa unless you are physically in the UK. However, if there was a legal way of applying from outwith the UK then perhaps people wouldn't be so tempted to make the crossing. Unfortunately, the relatives of these poor people who died will still have to pay the people smugglers regardless. The government needs to find a safe way to bring the genuine asylum seekers to the UK and cut out the smugglers.

Because people would rather listen to arguments which confirm their bigotry.

We take lower numbers of refugees/asylum seekers than France, Germany, Italy or Greece, to name a few near neighbours

Families gather funds to set one healthy young man off on the perilous journey. It isn’t safe for grannies and whilst it’s dangerous for the young men, they may be marginally less at risk than young women. The aim is usually to try to join family in a European country. To get established and hope to have close family given permission to join.

Why does this need repeating endlessly

Although other countries cover larger areas than the UK, these people can’t live on mountain ranges and other inhospitable places.