Macron's state visit.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

MayBee70

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.

But they have been invited.
They have been welcomed in this area.

sundowngirl

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

Absolutely wrong. My concern was to show that only a certain minority are concerned enough about immigration to make it a priority, I then went on to provide evidence of that minority.

I argue that weaponising migration simply won’t cut it in the long term, and we (I mean the world) need# to address the issue as a whole, recognising that the level of migration will almost certainly increase with climate change rapidly showing its ferocity in many countries if the world. Humans will seek to live in geographical areas that make living possible.

They simply can’t be ignored. Well, I suppose that’s not technically true - they can be ignored and left to die, but that is not the world in which I wish to live.

I argue that weaponising migration simply won’t cut it in the long term, and we (I mean the world) need# to address the issue as a whole, recognising that the level of migration will almost certainly increase with climate change rapidly showing its ferocity in many countries if the world. Humans will seek to live in geographical areas that make living possible.

Well, I think we realise that.

It's not just climate change either.
It's civil wars, conflicts and no-one seems to have the will to stop them.

The boats are uk’s problem. We should ensure our borders are secure and impenetrable to trespassers. It most certainly is not France’s responsibility. Even though uk government, to deflect us from their total incompetence, send out messages that would have us believe otherwise.

Goldieoldie15

The boats are uk’s problem. We should ensure our borders are secure and impenetrable to trespassers. It most certainly is not France’s responsibility. Even though uk government, to deflect us from their total incompetence, send out messages that would have us believe otherwise.

It’s a worldwide problem.

Robin202

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?

Mick Jagger has owned a château in the Loire for many years. I think he used to organise a local cricket team. 😊
Elton John has a house in Nice.

The Conservative government failed to take control of our borders even though that was one of the things that Brexit was supposed to do. They had years to do it but failed.

Robin202

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?

I guess they've got to fill the room up with someone! Maybe Macron likes British 70s music?
I was pleased to see that Fred Sirieix was there, and Raymond Blanc must have had something to do with the menu as some of the produce was from the potager at Le Manoir.

I guess some of the younger/less experienced celebrities would be too busy taking selfies with Charles or Macron to behave appropriately! 😆

MayBee70

The Conservative government failed to take control of our borders even though that was one of the things that Brexit was supposed to do. They had years to do it but failed.

Labour had over 14 years in opposition to work out a plan, one year on from them taking office, they have achieved very little in reducing the numbers crossing in small boats, every one risking drowning…

Mamie

Robin202

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?

Mick Jagger has owned a château in the Loire for many years. I think he used to organise a local cricket team. 😊
Elton John has a house in Nice.

I think Rod Stewart has a house in the South too? Was he invited?

We could stop the drownings at a stroke and overnight.

Absolutely!
Jealous the lot of them 😊

escaped

Mamie

Robin202

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?

Mick Jagger has owned a château in the Loire for many years. I think he used to organise a local cricket team. 😊
Elton John has a house in Nice.

I think Rod Stewart has a house in the South too? Was he invited?

Essex

Anniebach

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 !

It’s a big issue right across the board and including our government too, are they all the older demographic, tory voters and less educated? 😂Honestly the twaddle sometimes written on here.

Whitewavemark2

escaped

Mamie

Robin202

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?

Mick Jagger has owned a château in the Loire for many years. I think he used to organise a local cricket team. 😊
Elton John has a house in Nice.

I think Rod Stewart has a house in the South too? Was he invited?

Essex

South of France!

.

What a pity that Mrs Starmer's dress was so awful whereas everyone else's outfits were really great.

(Strange as she always looked good when Lord Alli was buying her clothes!!!)
.