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Small boat migrants to the UK are 36% UP on this time last year.

(235 Posts)
FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 25-Mar-25 09:56:59

“Smash the Gangs”.
Not working, nine months in.

And the weather will be getting even more conducive to such crossings soon. Huge numbers are ‘expected’ this summer.

We have no effective deterrent in place and this whole debacle astounds me. What did Labour THINK would happen when Keir Starmer scrapped Rwanda? Mind you, the government are contemplating setting up ‘migrant hubs’ so they must realise the gravity now of this situation.

Big money is being made here. These international gang masters who facilitate these crossings are not going to give up their very lucrative business!

Back to the drawing board Labour. Come up with SOMETHING. Uk taxpayers money is being squandered in the meantime on housing them and looking after all their needs.

What do you think about it all?

Casdon Tue 25-Mar-25 18:51:36

My words were that it needs tackling from multiple angles, across the whole of Europe, which isn’t saying there needs to be a Europe wide consensus. This is the only way the situation will change for any of the countries affected. Otherwise we will just be shovelling snow whilst it’s still snowing.

Wyllow3 Tue 25-Mar-25 18:53:50

So what do you Reform supporters suggest Reform can and will do that will change the situation. I'm fed up of asking this and no one replies.

Bear in mind that even if we change ECHR and decide to deport many more

they still have to have agreement by the receiving country to land a plane there.

Or, their turning the boats back

What will they actually do about it.

Its all very well grumbling about Labour but if these questions cant be answered you still dont get "a solution"

Wyllow3 Tue 25-Mar-25 19:00:01

I'm asking this of Boz, Barleyfields, mum2three, since you seem to think Reform might have an alternative.

Barleyfields Tue 25-Mar-25 19:05:22

Count me out of that - I am not a supporter of Reform.

Wyllow3 Tue 25-Mar-25 19:29:59

Thank you for clarifying that 🙂.... but these are questions we need to ask, don't we?

Allira Tue 25-Mar-25 20:20:35

GrannyGravy13

Oops sorry the countries being considered are in the Balkan region.

What do the Balkan countries think of this?

Allira Tue 25-Mar-25 20:24:16

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Casdon

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Wyllow3

Its central government funded FGT wherever you live.

This I do know Wyllow.
Until Labour come up with a viable plan, Rachel Reeces’ sums will continue to give her a headache. Imagine factoring all this into her Spring Statement tomorrow!

Were you expecting a magic wand? That’s the only reasonable way that in eight months Labour could have stopped the boats. This a a very complex problem, with very complex solutions, which are being tackled slowly but surely.

I agree Casdon.
I want Labourto do well on this. But let’s face it, they’ve had 14 years in opposition to think about this. Then they cancelled (what in my view was the only viable deterrent ‘Rwanda’ straight away) and I truly believed that the had A Plan.

“Smash the Gangs” is not working.

This a a very complex problem, with very complex solutions, which are being tackled slowly but surely.

It is a complex problem but an increase of 36% does not indicate it is being tackled at all, let alone slowly but surely.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Tue 25-Mar-25 20:25:44

Well said Allira.

Wyllow3 Tue 25-Mar-25 21:01:53

What do you think the numbers would be without the measures available?

AI overview/google

In 2025, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France remain the top destinations for asylum seekers in Europe,

Casdon Tue 25-Mar-25 21:04:30

Allira

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Casdon

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Wyllow3

Its central government funded FGT wherever you live.

This I do know Wyllow.
Until Labour come up with a viable plan, Rachel Reeces’ sums will continue to give her a headache. Imagine factoring all this into her Spring Statement tomorrow!

Were you expecting a magic wand? That’s the only reasonable way that in eight months Labour could have stopped the boats. This a a very complex problem, with very complex solutions, which are being tackled slowly but surely.

I agree Casdon.
I want Labourto do well on this. But let’s face it, they’ve had 14 years in opposition to think about this. Then they cancelled (what in my view was the only viable deterrent ‘Rwanda’ straight away) and I truly believed that the had A Plan.

“Smash the Gangs” is not working.

This a a very complex problem, with very complex solutions, which are being tackled slowly but surely.

It is a complex problem but an increase of 36% does not indicate it is being tackled at all, let alone slowly but surely.

You don’t need me to tell you that three months figures do not constitute a time period to be statistically significant, do you?

Before jumping to the conclusion that nothing is being done, look at the whole picture. How many deportations have there been, how many cases have been processed, what was the projection, has the weather been typical for the time of year, are boat migrants really the major issue or is it part of a bigger imigration numbers being unsustainable issue etc. etc.

Nobody is denying that there are issues that need to be tackled. However, I don’t know what it is that makes people jump on strap line bandwagons like this without looking at the picture in the round, not just on this subject, at times Gransnet does my head in.

petra Tue 25-Mar-25 21:05:48

Allira
When this was reported a few days ago I contacted a few friends in Bulgaria and one in Romania to ask what people were saying.
I had a good idea of what the answer would be as I lived in Bulgaria for 5 years. All the Balkan countries have a bad track record with racism, North Macedonia being the worst and Serbia not too bad.
As I know you’re aware the Roma community suffer terribly.
I really can’t see where they are all going to be housed.
It will have to be the hotels in the resorts. They are shut from Oct- April. I can’t see The Mafia allowing the migrants to stay there in season ( they own the resorts)
I remember when a lot of Syrian migrants were illegally crossing from Turkey. There were armed vigilantes with guns waiting for them. People were killed.
This isn’t going to go well.

Allira Tue 25-Mar-25 21:14:25

I believe you petra, knowing people from the Balkans and their attitudes.
Some posters seem to be overly optimistic about the whole situation which is extremely complex and cannot be tackled by the UK alone.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 25-Mar-25 21:31:55

I do wonder quite how we as the aging population and with the U.K. population getting older year by year, think that the economy will continue to thrive with year by year diminishing working population. Unless we invite immigrants to come and work here we are going to be in a very precarious economic position indeed.

Primrose53 Tue 25-Mar-25 21:43:16

I have spent this evening with my friend who is from Tanzania. She says she has lived here now for 25 years and in all that time she has never had a visit from any of her family as they are unable to get visas to come for a holiday.

She is furious that people can just come over in rubber dinghies and get everything handed to them when they are here illegally. She says that we are a laughing stock and in Tanzania they look after their own people before taking in others and treating them better than their own.

When she came here with her British husband she did everything legally so has no sympathy whatsoever for illegal immigrants.

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 21:51:41

Before jumping to the conclusion that nothing is being done, look at the whole picture. How many deportations have there been, how many cases have been processed, what was the projection, has the weather been typical for the time of year

I personally dont care about any of that.
The issue is that they arrive in the first place.

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 21:52:59

Whitewavemark2

I do wonder quite how we as the aging population and with the U.K. population getting older year by year, think that the economy will continue to thrive with year by year diminishing working population. Unless we invite immigrants to come and work here we are going to be in a very precarious economic position indeed.

I dont know anyone, in real life or on this site that are talking about stopping that.

That is not the issue.
And for most people, never even has been.

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 21:54:41

In fact, remarks like that from whoever says it, makes me question the real agenda going on by some people.

Casdon Tue 25-Mar-25 21:58:24

fancythat

Whitewavemark2

I do wonder quite how we as the aging population and with the U.K. population getting older year by year, think that the economy will continue to thrive with year by year diminishing working population. Unless we invite immigrants to come and work here we are going to be in a very precarious economic position indeed.

I dont know anyone, in real life or on this site that are talking about stopping that.

That is not the issue.
And for most people, never even has been.

So the issue is only the one football crowd equivalent of numbers arriving by small boats each year fancy that, really?

Whitewavemark2 Tue 25-Mar-25 22:00:01

Primrose53

I have spent this evening with my friend who is from Tanzania. She says she has lived here now for 25 years and in all that time she has never had a visit from any of her family as they are unable to get visas to come for a holiday.

She is furious that people can just come over in rubber dinghies and get everything handed to them when they are here illegally. She says that we are a laughing stock and in Tanzania they look after their own people before taking in others and treating them better than their own.

When she came here with her British husband she did everything legally so has no sympathy whatsoever for illegal immigrants.

I am surprised about the visa issue as I have a neighbour whose family largely reside in Zimbabwe and they visit him very frequently.

The same applies to people from another African state in my daughter’s village.

I wonder why your friend’s family have such difficulties? Perhaps there is a reason about which you are not aware?

I wouldn’t take too much notice if the idea that we are a laughing stock, or that illegal immigrants get treated better than British people. I’m sure that after some thought you would come to the conclusion that neither is correct.

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 22:00:13

As far as I know, yes!

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 22:00:32

My answer was to Casdon

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 22:01:05

I am surprised you dont know that.

fancythat Tue 25-Mar-25 22:02:43

And this is what the thread is about.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 25-Mar-25 22:03:15

fancythat

In fact, remarks like that from whoever says it, makes me question the real agenda going on by some people.

Unless you describe what you think is the real agenda, then it is impossible to reply to that rather silly insinuation.

petra Tue 25-Mar-25 22:07:14

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