Can we discuss the migrant crisis in a sensible and humane way?

I'm afraid this government is the problem - and some other governments around the world. To my mind, you cannot solve the problem until you set up reception centres as close as possible to the countries from which people are fleeing. They could then decide if the person was eligible for asylum. After that, they could look at where they have relations, a language they can speak or other reasons for a particular country agreeing to give them asylum status. That would mean they could work (if they are able to at this point) as soon as they are settled in their new country.

You would also have to give more help to the countries people are leaving for economic reasons to give them a reason for staying there.

But the countries will not agree to do this together. Our govenment will do nothing unless they are seen to be top dog. Nor will they agree to the money it would cost, although I would bet it would be less in the long run.

Thank you for such a sensible and productive start to this thread HousePlantQueen.

I agree with the quicker, on-site processing of applications in order to remove the trade from traffickers.

Also we should concentrate on catching and stopping the traffickers with an organised and sufficiently funded strategy which is a joint operation across all countries concerned.

I agree that setting up a processing center in Calais would be a good thing (though, I understand that the French were willing to do it but Johnson turned it down in the 'oven ready Brexit' negotiations because he didn't want anything to do with the EU at all). But I don't think it wold stop the traffickers; I think they'd still have a market in people whose application was refused but who were still desperate to get to the UK. A much smaller market, but still a market.

A number of people who are refused asylum in the UK still manage to get the refusal overturned on appeal. How would they be able to access lawyers in Calais to organise an appeal? Would the lawyers set up shop there, too?

I think we'd still need a 'safe route' to stop the traffickers. If the h Home office had to deal with fewer people actually in the UK (the greater number having been sorted out in Calais) then the process would be quicker and appeals and legitimate deportations take place faster.

Hear hear House Plant Queen.
Such a waste of people's lives in detention centres while paper is pushed around.

We have so many vacancies now in the UK and many of the people who have come here want to work.
I know it will take time to train them but they are a resource not to be wasted.
One man who arrived here many years ago is now a much needed GP.

I completely agree HousePlantQueen.

I will start. Firstly, I think we have to recognise this is a massive worldwide problem, with millions of hungry/disaffected/persecuted people or just people who want to make the best of opportunities for their families. Shuttling people from pillar to post is not resolving the issue and is more likely stoking up dangerous resentment. Secondly, the Home Office should set up a processing centre in Calais, deal with people's applications quickly and efficiently, then move people who gain asylum over to UK, by safe means (thus excluding the vile traffickers and their dinghies), get people working straight away and contributing to the economy rather than languishing in detention centres for years. I acknowledge that not every asylum seeker/migrant is a decent sort, like society in general they are good and bad and indifferent, but surely having the stamina, nous, to travel thousands of miles, living on your wits, should be a welcome characteristic? I realise this may be simplistic, but sometimes the most obvious answer is the best.