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

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.

Unless we invite immigrants to come and work here we are going to be in a very precarious economic position indeed

Yes, we must invite immigrants with the skills we will need.

Oh yes and I forgot what seemed like a whole village from an African state who turned up in full regalia to congratulate their daughter on her graduation at same ceremony as my GS’s graduation. Extremely impressive.

No trouble with visas there!!

I can't find these 35% figures anywhere.

It doesn't appear on the "small boat" statistics at .gov

I know you said it was someone from border force but I still want to see them really FGT

I can’t really help you there NotSpaghetti. I heard it on the tv news yesterday morning - hence my (irritating to some) thread. It seems GG13 heard it too which at least backs up my statement.

And Whitewave your cavalier (almost dismissal) of the numbers (a football stadium of irregular migrants each year) somewhat misses my point. We cannot afford to house and look after (fully - even clothe, feed, medicate them) these people. Well I suppose we cannot afford to, because governments (both stripes) and spending millions of ££s every day doing just that. But the trade off is that we are not doing well as a country financially. The UK is in a parlous, debt laden funk and Rachel Reeves is struggling to make headway.

If we got this issue tackled - 66 more arrived at Dover port this morning, bringing the total to just over 30,000 since Labour came to power - our country’s finances would be in a much better state. What we spend on these irregular migrants could be funding much needed things for our own hard working young people. If nothing else it would pay to fill every single pothole! I’d rather see the irregular migrant money spent elsewhere. They are cheeky buggers in my opinion but they still come.

Discernment and wisdom are Christian!

A bit suss when regular N&P posters on a small boat migrants thread think that posters are not talking about small boat migrants!

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fancythat

Discernment and wisdom are Christian!

A bit suss when regular N&P posters on a small boat migrants thread think that posters are not talking about small boat migrants!

That’s because ‘small boat migrants’ is one manifestation only of what people are discussing fancythat. If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means, until there are better alternatives for them elsewhere. It’s very naive to think the UK can resolve this alone and to criticise a government that’s been in power for a short period for not (as I said before) having a magic wand to resolve something that has been happening for years. That’s not how it works in the real world.

Casdon

fancythat

Discernment and wisdom are Christian!

A bit suss when regular N&P posters on a small boat migrants thread think that posters are not talking about small boat migrants!

That’s because ‘small boat migrants’ is one manifestation only of what people are discussing fancythat. If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means, until there are better alternatives for them elsewhere. It’s very naive to think the UK can resolve this alone and to criticise a government that’s been in power for a short period for not (as I said before) having a magic wand to resolve something that has been happening for years. That’s not how it works in the real world.

The numbers have increased exponentially though, since Labour moved in and discarded what could have been a deterrent, remember they all went to Ireland, so they couldnt be sent to Rwanda. So Labour seemingly have set out a welcome all mat, apparently more young men , we do not from where, because they lie, destroy papers, as for checking numbers, migration watch are doing the Governments job. We don't need more unskilled migrants.

If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means,

Which means?

But in any case, we are talking about small boat migrants on this thread.

fancythat

^If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means,^

Which means?

Ferries, planes, commercial boats, you name it. Before small boat smuggling became the preferred route people got here by other means, and they still do.

fgt I am not sure where you think I have dismissed illegal immigration.

However, what many on this thread are it seems conveniently forgetting, is that we are still signed up to the international law on asylum seekers and refugees.

So by that definition, very few of those accessing the U.K. by a rubber dingy will in fact be illegal immigrants, but in fact someone seeking asylum from various hardships. These arrivals will be examined and decisions made accordingly. Those who are deemed not asylum seekers will be returned, and indeed that is exactly what has been happening at an ever increasing level - in fact it rose by 36% in the last 6 months of 2024.
So immigration to the U.K. is by those who are coming to fill various jobs/career paths, and those who are hoping to live a life free from torture and death etc. are a tiny % of the overall total, but a % that we have both a moral and legal duty to deal with in a humane and civilised way.

We are not living in Trumpland!

Casdon

fancythat

If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means,

Which means?

Ferries, planes, commercial boats, you name it. Before small boat smuggling became the preferred route people got here by other means, and they still do.

So the numbers are much higher than the gov says.

Freya5

Casdon

fancythat

Discernment and wisdom are Christian!

A bit suss when regular N&P posters on a small boat migrants thread think that posters are not talking about small boat migrants!

That’s because ‘small boat migrants’ is one manifestation only of what people are discussing fancythat. If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means, until there are better alternatives for them elsewhere. It’s very naive to think the UK can resolve this alone and to criticise a government that’s been in power for a short period for not (as I said before) having a magic wand to resolve something that has been happening for years. That’s not how it works in the real world.

The numbers have increased exponentially though, since Labour moved in and discarded what could have been a deterrent, remember they all went to Ireland, so they couldnt be sent to Rwanda. So Labour seemingly have set out a welcome all mat, apparently more young men , we do not from where, because they lie, destroy papers, as for checking numbers, migration watch are doing the Governments job. We don't need more unskilled migrants.

No, the numbers have not ‘increased exponentially’ Freya5, the figures quoted are only comparing 2024 and 2025. I’d be happy to look at any data you have that tells the story you portray though, obviously.

Small boats only became the preferred route (and who on Earth would choose such a perilous journey) after the U.K. government blocked off as far as it was able, others safer and actually much more efficient routes over which the government would have more control.

fancythat

Casdon

fancythat

If people weren’t getting here by small boat they would still be getting here by other means,

Which means?

Ferries, planes, commercial boats, you name it. Before small boat smuggling became the preferred route people got here by other means, and they still do.

So the numbers are much higher than the gov says.

There are numbers for small boat migrants, and numbers for illegal entrants, which include boat migrants and arrivals by whatever other means. That’s been the case for years.

They are cheeky buggers

Really? Every single person who comes here is a cheeky bugger?
How extraordinary.
Surely that's like saying every person with blue eyes is lazy or every person with brown eyes shouldn't be your friend. Ring any bells at all?

I did see the piece regarding the numbers of those arriving on small boats had increased since the GE on the ITV breakfast news yesterday (25/03)

Whitewavemark2

fgt I am not sure where you think I have dismissed illegal immigration.

However, what many on this thread are it seems conveniently forgetting, is that we are still signed up to the international law on asylum seekers and refugees.

So by that definition, very few of those accessing the U.K. by a rubber dingy will in fact be illegal immigrants, but in fact someone seeking asylum from various hardships. These arrivals will be examined and decisions made accordingly. Those who are deemed not asylum seekers will be returned, and indeed that is exactly what has been happening at an ever increasing level - in fact it rose by 36% in the last 6 months of 2024.
So immigration to the U.K. is by those who are coming to fill various jobs/career paths, and those who are hoping to live a life free from torture and death etc. are a tiny % of the overall total, but a % that we have both a moral and legal duty to deal with in a humane and civilised way.

We are not living in Trumpland!

My personal beef, and I realise this is maybe not how everyone sees it, is that there are not proper ways in which they can apply legally.

Also international law about the issue[may start a separate thread on that in a few days].

Also lack of political will.

There’s a graph included in this article of a few weeks ago which gives the annual trend in boat migrant numbers.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53699511
You can see from the graph that January-March 2025 has not been exceptional. The benchmark year for the highest number is 2022. It’s less clear whether the period July-December 2024 was exceptional because the figures in the graph are cumulative, but it doesn’t look from the trend that they are. Freya5 will perhaps provide more detail.

Here is a reliable source for accurate information. www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days

The issue with the government data is that the longer time periods we were looking at require you to do lots of legwork to find exactly what you’re looking for, because it’s not in an easily accessible format, that’s why I chose the comparison I did. Lazy I know, but let the journalists do the legwork.

Casdon, I understand completely that we rely on our sources.
However, I would sound a small note of caution: please refer to my post yesterday regarding the accuracy of some journalism.

Casdon it's all the lazy comments that tend to annoy people.

Journalists ate lazy too you know.

NotSpaghetti

Casdon it's all the lazy comments that tend to annoy people.

Journalists ate lazy too you know.

I know, but they do use data analysts to compile graphs comparing information - I could do the same, but it would be wasted effort for something which just extrapolates figures from existing data sets. I was hoping somebody else had the energy to do it, but alas, no so far.