Macron's state visit.

But why are Mick Jagger and Elton John invited to the Royal Banquet? I know EJ sang candle in the wind at Diana’s funeral but Jagger?

If we hadn’t let the Afghan people down so badly we wouldn’t have as many people arriving from Afghanistan as we currently do.

Whitewavemark2

sundowngirl

Whitewavemark2

But it is only a big issue to some - notably the old demographic, Tory voters and less educated.

There are far bigger issues.

Like the economy

Defence

Intelligence

Etc etc.

How very rude!!

What makes you think that you are better educated than those of us that worry about the number of undocumented illegal (mostly young men) immigrants arriving on our shores. It should be a big issue for everyone and it certainly will be if it continues year on year out

The thousands that arrive by small boats per year equate to a city the size of Norwich and the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

You must live in a very rural area to not be touched by what is happening. Take your blinkers off

😄 you need to address your remark to the university which compiled the data.

I am not interested in your education levels, nor I assume are you interested in mine.

I actually live on the edge of a city, and I have neighbours who are Zimbabwean and Indian both in professions, paying tax etc. my GDIL is of Middle Eastern origin working as a psychologist. My DD’s BiL works for British intelligence whose family originated in the West Indies, and I have friends of varying nationalities. Every single one were originally immigrants or first/second generation. All contributing hugely to the U.K. They provide value, culture and variety to British Society.

Presumably all legal immigrants?

I think most of us could list our relatives, friends, neighbours, Consultants, GPs, nurses, teachers etc who arrived as immigrants or whose parents did.

The subject under discussion which is in the news is the number of asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, call them what you will, who do not come to these shores legally as immigrants or with defined refugee status and often without papers to prove who they are or where they are from.

Whatever anyone thinks of the situation, bringing other immigrants arriving by illegal means into the discussion is a straw argument.

We could have done that before Brexit couldn’t we without needing a reciprocal agreement?

So, under Starmer's plan, would Britain be able to deport one illegal asylum seeker to France in exchange for another with a legitimate case? I can see that upsetting the French if they are to receive back all the rejects.

sundowngirl That article is mainly about "skilled workers". I'm sure there are still some who come on student visas then disappear, but the numbers have plummeted, which is the main reason the universities and other institutes of higher education are in such financial trouble.

I agree that it's inexcusable that the Home Office doesn't have systems in place to monitor who is actually in the country.

Whitewavemark2

Calendargirl

What do you want those arriving here, having crossed the channel in small boats, called?

Whatever term is used, asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, boat people, ….none is deemed correct.

🤷‍♀️

Under international law, they are asylum seekers, which is my preferred term.

The U.K. Tory government withdrew safe routes and introduced the term “illegal migrants” in order to weaponise the issue. Rwanda was then offered to house these “illegal migrants” making no distinction between genuine asylum seekers and economic in migrants which was more palatable to the electorate than dealing so harshly with those seeking asylum from violence, starvation etc.

Whatever! The point is that "immigrants" is most definitely not the correct term. They form a small subset of immigrants.

Whitewavemark2

sundowngirl

Whitewavemark2

But it is only a big issue to some - notably the old demographic, Tory voters and less educated.

There are far bigger issues.

Like the economy

Defence

Intelligence

Etc etc.

How very rude!!

What makes you think that you are better educated than those of us that worry about the number of undocumented illegal (mostly young men) immigrants arriving on our shores. It should be a big issue for everyone and it certainly will be if it continues year on year out

The thousands that arrive by small boats per year equate to a city the size of Norwich and the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

You must live in a very rural area to not be touched by what is happening. Take your blinkers off

😄 you need to address your remark to the university which compiled the data.

I am not interested in your education levels, nor I assume are you interested in mine.

I actually live on the edge of a city, and I have neighbours who are Zimbabwean and Indian both in professions, paying tax etc. my GDIL is of Middle Eastern origin working as a psychologist. My DD’s BiL works for British intelligence whose family originated in the West Indies, and I have friends of varying nationalities. Every single one were originally immigrants or first/second generation. All contributing hugely to the U.K. They provide value, culture and variety to British Society.

Did the "university which compiled the data" call the people who are concerned about the boats that arrive here illegally Tory voters and the less educated??? I suspect not

You obviously are interested in my education level to call me and others "less educated' because we are concerned.

I would imagine all your neighbours and family of whom you mention arrived here by legal means and didn't just roll up on a beach and expect to be housed, fed and watered at the tax payers expense

Yes Casdon, I'm very concerned about the overall level of net migration increasing at an alarming rate but at least those that arrived by legal means would have been checked and had the correct documentation before being allowed into the country. However I totally agree the government need to look at vastly reducing these figures

It's a worry that there are so many here on student and other visas that stay and disappear after their visas run out and the Home Office is not checking on these
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwykw93d393o

Calendargirl

What do you want those arriving here, having crossed the channel in small boats, called?

Whatever term is used, asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, boat people, ….none is deemed correct.

🤷‍♀️

Under international law, they are asylum seekers, which is my preferred term.

The U.K. Tory government withdrew safe routes and introduced the term “illegal migrants” in order to weaponise the issue. Rwanda was then offered to house these “illegal migrants” making no distinction between genuine asylum seekers and economic in migrants which was more palatable to the electorate than dealing so harshly with those seeking asylum from violence, starvation etc.

I am, however, suggesting that migration throughout the world is an issue that is almost certainly likely to increase.

But I am not prepared to weaponise the subject to further political ends.

It needs dealing with on a world wide basis.

Cooperation within Europe is a start.

sundowngirl

Whitewavemark2

But it is only a big issue to some - notably the old demographic, Tory voters and less educated.

There are far bigger issues.

Like the economy

Defence

Intelligence

Etc etc.

How very rude!!

What makes you think that you are better educated than those of us that worry about the number of undocumented illegal (mostly young men) immigrants arriving on our shores. It should be a big issue for everyone and it certainly will be if it continues year on year out

The thousands that arrive by small boats per year equate to a city the size of Norwich and the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

You must live in a very rural area to not be touched by what is happening. Take your blinkers off

😄 you need to address your remark to the university which compiled the data.

I am not interested in your education levels, nor I assume are you interested in mine.

I actually live on the edge of a city, and I have neighbours who are Zimbabwean and Indian both in professions, paying tax etc. my GDIL is of Middle Eastern origin working as a psychologist. My DD’s BiL works for British intelligence whose family originated in the West Indies, and I have friends of varying nationalities. Every single one were originally immigrants or first/second generation. All contributing hugely to the U.K. They provide value, culture and variety to British Society.

I don’t think that anyone is disputing the fact that something needs to be done about asylum seekers risking their lives to get here. The problem imo is some political parties making people in this country believe that immigrants/asylum seekers etc are the root cause of every problem this country faces. It worked for the vote leave campaign and they’re using it now to undermine the government.

Genuinely I don’t get how people are not concerned about the level of net migration - ie the total number of additional people moving to the UK annually.

This isn’t primarily students, because they are replaced on a like for like basis when predecessors go home, but people who come to the UK to work, who are not replaced by others leaving. The population of the UK is increasing by over half a million+ every year. The actual figures for the last three years ending June are:
2022 764,000
2023 860,000
2024 (Jan-December) 431.000
(ONS)

What do you want those arriving here, having crossed the channel in small boats, called?

Whatever term is used, asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, boat people, ….none is deemed correct.

🤷‍♀️

growstuff illegal/irregular immigration is a problem for our security services and home office.

They have to ascertain that these people are who they claim to be and do not present a risk to the U.K.

According to GOV.UK 20/07/2023 (latest figures I could find) illegal migration costs upwards of £6 million a day, £3 billion a year, not all of which comes from the overseas aid budget.

UK citizens who are struggling to provide a roof over their head , a job that pays enough to feed and clothe their families, I imagine are concerned that this money could be better spent on them and their contemporaries.

GrannyGravy13

growstuff

The total number of immigrants to the UK is much higher than the population of Norwich. I assume you're also concerned about them.

Migrants who come here to either study or with a job to go to, have to provide documentation and evidence that they can either support themselves if studying or that the job they are coming to has a salary of over a certain level.

They contribute to society on day one, they do not have unlimited free access to healthcare, free housing, free food etc. in fact I think they have to pay an amount upfront in order to access NHS services.

The unfortunate people crossing the channel who risk drowning arrive with zero documentation, are taken care of by the state (and rightly so) have immediate access to all healthcare care services, cannot work legally. (According to the BBC documentary many work illegally for food delivery firms).

No comparison, for the security of the U.K. in these increasingly difficult and somewhat dangerous times it is imperative that we know who is entering this country, where they are from and why.

I'm well aware of the difference, so maybe people could stop saying things like "Immigration is a problem".

ftm420

No one is complaining about legal immigration. We do complain about illegal immigration. The difference is not hard to understand and you don't need to be educated to know that there is a huge difference.

Why not, given legal migration is ten times as high as illegal? It makes no sense to complain about infrastructure issues related to a small minority, whilst being unconcerned about the impact of the much higher number of people entering legally. It’s not just illegal migration that is causing the UK population to rise so rapidly.

ftm420

No one is complaining about legal immigration. We do complain about illegal immigration. The difference is not hard to understand and you don't need to be educated to know that there is a huge difference.

In that case, maybe people could stop talking about immigration in general and call it what it is.

Maremia

Some have cast off their monarchs, but the USA is in the process of anointing one.

I sometimes think Trump is the reincarnation of Henry VIII*. Or perhaps of any mediaeval monarch who got rid of anyone they didn’t like by having their head chopped off.

*Or Henry Vill, as dd1 used to call him, having read a Ladybird book about him before having a clue about Roman numerals. We still call him Henry Vill!

No one is complaining about legal immigration. We do complain about illegal immigration. The difference is not hard to understand and you don't need to be educated to know that there is a huge difference.

growstuff

The total number of immigrants to the UK is much higher than the population of Norwich. I assume you're also concerned about them.

Migrants who come here to either study or with a job to go to, have to provide documentation and evidence that they can either support themselves if studying or that the job they are coming to has a salary of over a certain level.

They contribute to society on day one, they do not have unlimited free access to healthcare, free housing, free food etc. in fact I think they have to pay an amount upfront in order to access NHS services.

The unfortunate people crossing the channel who risk drowning arrive with zero documentation, are taken care of by the state (and rightly so) have immediate access to all healthcare care services, cannot work legally. (According to the BBC documentary many work illegally for food delivery firms).

No comparison, for the security of the U.K. in these increasingly difficult and somewhat dangerous times it is imperative that we know who is entering this country, where they are from and why.

Freya, your post about whitewave is as rude as you say hers was. It’s also a personal attack and refers to other threads so breaching rules I suspect

Whitewave suggestion that those who refer to asylum seekers as illegals, are often older and less educated has I believe been born out by research. I’m older and less well educated than some gransnetters but I see people as asylum seekers not illegals, until proved to have no right to be here, when I’d like to see them returned to their country of origin -

sundowngirl

Whitewavemark2

But it is only a big issue to some - notably the old demographic, Tory voters and less educated.

There are far bigger issues.

Like the economy

Defence

Intelligence

Etc etc.

How very rude!!

What makes you think that you are better educated than those of us that worry about the number of undocumented illegal (mostly young men) immigrants arriving on our shores. It should be a big issue for everyone and it certainly will be if it continues year on year out

The thousands that arrive by small boats per year equate to a city the size of Norwich and the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate.

You must live in a very rural area to not be touched by what is happening. Take your blinkers off

That is typical of that poster. Unless you think the same as them, if you dont agree with importing thousands of men who we know nothing about, you are ignorant and ill educated.
Well said.

REKA

Never been a big fan of Macron but I'd swap him for Starmer in a heartbeat

His government is almost powerless in the face of public opposition to cuts and changing the pension age. Even Barnier couldn't manage it. A bit too much like Starmer on welfare cuts,

Whitewavemark2
But it is only a big issue to some - notably the old demographic, Tory voters and less educated.

I am not a Tory voter !