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

Do people realise how difficult it is to police about 150 km of - often rugged - coastline, and the manpower needed to do this?

As surveillance increases - so do the methods and tactics of the traffickers. There is also a policy of not intercepting boats once they are in the water as this is considered too dangerous due to the risk of panic or sudden movement that could capsize the vessel. The traffickers know this and adjust their MO accordingly.

The media is full of photo's showing the police standing by whilst migrants sail away - but if you search just a few minutes longer, there are also photo's of dinghies that have been slashed by the police to prevent them being used. The media is selective.

We need co-operation between our two countries, and the government's continual anti-EU, anti-French, rhetoric really does not help.

How well do you think we would cope if the situation were reversed? Would we be as gung-ho as we expect the French to be?

It's so easy to be critical.

GrannyGravy13

Alegrias1

Stop blaming the French. Everybody who is doing it, stop blaming the French.

Take some responsibility.

What can any of us do Alegrias1 ? How do you suggest we as individuals take some responsibility

Write to our MP?

Organise clothing etc to be sent to refugee charity distribution centres?

Or would you prefer it if we popped over to Calais in our big cars and gave a few a lift over here?

When these desperate souls reach the U.K. they are entitled to apply for asylum, whilst this is being processed they are reliant on The State for everything, if asylum is granted they can work, provide for themselves and pay taxes, if it is unsuccessful then they must be repatriated as opposed to staying in the U.K. under the radar.

Are the French whiter than white? No of course not. On a Newsnight report last night we saw them taking away people's belongings and moving them on with nowhere for them to go. Humanitarian organisations then gave them sleeping bags etc, which the authorities took away again...etc. etc.

However there is a neverending chorus of how the French should be doing this or that, they should be stopping them, they're not co-operating.

The French stopped 65% of all crossings in the last year. So posters saying they are doing nothing are either wildly misinformed or maliciously blaming the French for doing nothing and so letting our country off the hook.

Take the responsibility that it is our responsibility as a country to do something about this. Becuase until we do nothing will get fixed. Let's not try to pretend its nothing to do with us and its all the French's fault, because we are a humanitarian country and look at all the money we're spending on these scroungers.

It makes my blood boil.

Care to put exactly who they are MaizieD hmmm?

And many of us warned that this would be a direct effect- but you called it 'Project Fear'.

Johnson and all keep talking about how they should work with their partners in the EU, and particularly France. They were your partners, but you have alienated them to such an extent, and you have chosen for them not to be 'partners' anymore.

You are not the only one WW so why would you think that?!
It doesn’t help though to say or imply that others on GN do not care about the loss of life.
It also doesn’t help to say ‘don’t blame the French’ ....the migrants are in France so should take the blame.They allow camps to build up which is the main problem.

Whitewavemark2

Blimey, pardon me if I get upset and emotional when I see tiny bodies floating in the sea, and the callousness being shown.

How very dare I!!

I cannot see how anyone is not upset by the needless deaths yesterday.

I can still see the picture of the little boys body on the shore in Greece at the height of their influx of people.

Whitewavemark2

Blimey, pardon me if I get upset and emotional when I see tiny bodies floating in the sea, and the callousness being shown.

How very dare I!!

They have no shame, Wwmk2. They voted for complete isolation and are willing to pay any cost...

I am too young to remember, but my parents told me about the days when Jewish refugees were welcomed by many during WW2, and reviled by a substantial proportion of the poplulation.

Most who arrive are granted refugee status. These are not a bunch of chancers, they are no different to so many we have welcomed to our shores for centuries.

Blimey, pardon me if I get upset and emotional when I see tiny bodies floating in the sea, and the callousness being shown.

How very dare I!!

Alegrias1

Stop blaming the French. Everybody who is doing it, stop blaming the French.

Take some responsibility.

What can any of us do Alegrias1 ? How do you suggest we as individuals take some responsibility

Write to our MP?

Organise clothing etc to be sent to refugee charity distribution centres?

Or would you prefer it if we popped over to Calais in our big cars and gave a few a lift over here?

When these desperate souls reach the U.K. they are entitled to apply for asylum, whilst this is being processed they are reliant on The State for everything, if asylum is granted they can work, provide for themselves and pay taxes, if it is unsuccessful then they must be repatriated as opposed to staying in the U.K. under the radar.

Enough now. Enough.

As far as I’m aware grannygravy there are no joint patrols because Macron would not allow it. I believe the PM has again suggested cooperation re joint patrols so we’ll just have to see whether this happens.

Alegrias1

Stop blaming the French. Everybody who is doing it, stop blaming the French.

Take some responsibility.

It is called “othering” an easy cop out and so so wrong.

Stop blaming the French. Everybody who is doing it, stop blaming the French.

Take some responsibility.

The needless loss of lives yesterday should concentrate the minds of Governments either side of the Channel.

I listened to the Minister for Immigration this morning and he mentioned that talks are underway to organise joint French/English patrols along the Calais Coast. Why wasn’t this already being done?

The people paying for passage across one of the busiest shipping channels in the world in flimsy inflatable dinghies and kayaks are desperate. The criminals who took their money yesterday should be charged with manslaughter.

It’s easy on an emotive subject to to say emotional things, but it doesn’t help in any practical way.
Nobody is lambasting France for being French ( as is often implied) but as the nearest landmass as a launching pad for the migrants wanting to come here.Therefore if the French are serious about stopping drownings in the Channel they must step up police patrols or even use the army for this purpose.Don’t allow migrant camps to be built up and take people to their own asylum seekers centres.They are on French soil after all and the responsibility of the French.Once here, or in British waters they become our responsibility.
It has been said that why shouldn’t the French police turn a blind eye as migrants want to get to the UK, well.....perhaps the reason they shouldn’t (!) is that people drown.

Europe and France, in particular, have their knickers in a twist over Brexit and although they are happy to pocket our £54m to stop migrant boats, do nothing to stop them. Incapacitating their boats would be a start but they clearly do not want the migrants in their own country so make no attempt to stop the boats setting out to sea. Out of sight, out of mind. Goodness knows what the answer is but Britain seems out of ideas on how to deal with this major problem.

Linclass are we cooperating with Europe?

Whitewavemark2

You know last evening, I could no longer post on this thread because I was so profoundly upset at some of the callous, inhumane posts that utterly lacked empathy if any kind.

We are better than this!

I had to stop reading this thread too as I was on the brink of replying to one poster in particular and saying things I would later regret. Some posts must be designed as windups as no one can be so prolifically ignorant about so many subjects.
The UK asylum system needs to be sorted for everyone’s sake and that is down to the government to address. I am putting my energy into emailing my MP about that.

vegansrock

*Germanshepherdsmum Can someone explain to me why asylum seekers (political or economic) are so desperate to come to the UK that they will pay huge amounts to people smugglers and risk their and their families’ lives, despite passing through other perfectly safe countries in Europe? I accept that some may have family who are here legally but they must be a small minority. This is a genuine question to which I would like an answer*.
Firstly, it is a minority of refugees who seek to come to the U.K. More settle in Germany, Sweden, France, Greece and other countries. There are a number of reasons why some wish to come here - family connections, they speak some English so easier for them to get by, historically the U.K. had the Empire so many still believe U.K. has international status, some just know the names of premier league football teams. Unlike France, Italy and many other countries there is no ID system , so easier to get work under the radar, also the asylum system here means they know they can stay for years whether or not they get asylum. Some of these things we could do something about but haven’t. Those who blame the French, could turn it around and blame the failed asylum system in the U.K. for failing to properly address the issue and cooperate with the rest of Europe over many years.

Think you will find WE did cooperate with the rest of Europe fo many years. Think Europe are now not co operating with us, French refusing help to reduce this risk, watching as migrants jump into unsafe boats, few hours before these poor souls drowned, and this from a migrant in France, „ˋthe police said go to the UK it’s better there.´Read it on Apple News.

I think one thing that we can be pretty confident about is that the Tories will not change their policy towards those seeking our help.

It has spectacularly failed but hey! it’s only foreigners,

Oh yes thanks for the link.

Urmstongran. Here you go:

Lucca

Urmstongran
The £39 a week is for their personal needs.
Paid for by us taxpayers I may say.
Bed, board and 3 meals a day provided free

Growstuff.
No, they have to buy food out of the £39.

*Well which is it ???*

www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get

growstuff is correct.