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Another 'Brexit win'? People smuggler convicted in France found by BBC living in UK and seeking asylum

(23 Posts)
LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 15:19:42

MaizieD

^However I feel let down by the Establishment (many stripes) who failed to capitalise on what was possible.^

What was absolutely not possible was accessing the EU databases which would have eliminated part of the current problem.

I would reiterate LemonJam's question at 13.28

It's a meaningless sentence trotted out by Farage as a soundbite. Its meaningless because he and others have no specific plans, no specific details, no specific ideas and no specific cost/risk analysis data to capitalise on what is possible if Reform gets elected as the establishment ie into government.

Not sure why Farage complains so much and so often about the establishment when he is already part of it and making pots of money and wants to get his party elected into government- makes little sense.

AGAA4 Fri 03-Jul-26 15:01:53

Because of not having access to this man's criminal record he is now happily living in this country making thousands of pounds by illegal means and calls himself the King. He arrogantly boasts that he can do as he likes as nobody dares to stop him.

I find it ludicrous that one of the main purposes of Brexit was cutting down on immigration and it has snowballed since.

MT62 Fri 03-Jul-26 14:57:11

Talking to an English shop keeper in Tenerife. She said migrants there are vetted, some deported straight away, others live in some shanty town further afield. They don’t get benefits,or housing like in the uk.
That’s because they are in the EU.
Because we aren’t we have to jump through hoops to get anything done.

Casdon Fri 03-Jul-26 14:56:12

I suppose the answer to that it that it would depend on the size of the majority? I think when results are close the divide between the different sides is actually greater. So if a referendum said 80% one way or the other, the minority group would be more accepting, particularly if there was a high turnout.

Galaxy Fri 03-Jul-26 14:50:28

That is probably another good reason Maizie as to why it would be a terrible idea to repeat the referendum, I can't think of anything more divisive. Surely people don't actually want another referendum. I could see people could want the government to forge closer links with the EU, but surely they don't want the division that would inevitably result from another referendum.

MaizieD Fri 03-Jul-26 14:44:00

However I feel let down by the Establishment (many stripes) who failed to capitalise on what was possible.

What was absolutely not possible was accessing the EU databases which would have eliminated part of the current problem.

I would reiterate LemonJam's question at 13.28

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 13:28:40

Yes, exactly was the point of it all 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️.

Nothing good or meaningful has come out of Brexit as far as I can see. Nothing that can compensate for what we have lost. Nobody, including Farage has spelt out specifically what has failedthat he would put right and what he or any other Brexit supporters feels possible to capitalise on. Farage just moans about the 'establishment' didn't do it properly, whatever that means- what is properly?

Conservatives called the referendum- Boris secured the Brexit- agreement. What was his list to *capitalise on what was possible*- trade deals? With whom? For how much? Was. it thought that those trade deal would secure sufficient gains to make up for the loss of trade and access to the huge EU market- deluded I would suggest and/or untruthful to the electorate.

I don't share your view we we "tethered to an undemocratic EU' whatever that means either. We had a vote and many benefits which we have now lost.

What exactly is possible that has not been explored, capitalised on and secured as a benefit of leaving the EU as. a list to understand rather than a none specific comment?

MayBee70 Fri 03-Jul-26 13:19:01

Galaxy

I know democracy. It is awful when it doesn't go the way you want it to.
I was a remainer, I would be very hesitant to vote remain again because of the contempt directed towards those who voted differently.

Strange that. Because it was the leave voters that used to hurl abuse at me back then. And someone I know that went on a people’s vote march was beaten up on the way home. I don’t think that remain voters were prone to physical attacks on people ( happy to be corrected on that). Works both ways.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Fri 03-Jul-26 13:15:28

Well perhaps if we beefed up our own law and order and made some robust decisions about being a sovereign nation we wouldn’t need to keep harking back to ‘the good old days’ of being tethered to the undemocratic EU.

I have absolutely no regrets about the way I voted. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

However I feel let down by the Establishment (many stripes) who failed to capitalise on what was possible.

I had higher hopes of a greater degree of autonomy for the UK otherwise what was the bluddy point of it all?

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 13:15:27

Everyone, including all political parties had to live with the majority referendum vote before.

So everyone. including all political parties, would have the accept and live with the outcome of any future referendum vote, for the same time period- that's democracy.

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 13:11:34

Whitewavemark2

Democracy usually means periodic vote. Referendums are always advisory, never written in tablets of stone.

Exactly- we vote for a government every 5 years so no principle on which referendums can't be revisited.

Galaxy Fri 03-Jul-26 13:11:24

Well yes it was of course insanity to have a referendum but that wasn't down to those who voted for Brexit. My belief is if we rejoin under this current government it pretty much guarantees a reform government next . Now, there is an argument that we should do what is 'right' rather than be swayed by that.

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 13:10:17

And as the police, since Brexit, can no longer check EU criminal and immigration records of asylum seekers or an other arrested and detained person- it makes their work so much harder and members of OCGs, like you describe Sarnia, know this.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Jul-26 13:07:57

Democracy usually means periodic vote. Referendums are always advisory, never written in tablets of stone.

Sarnia Fri 03-Jul-26 13:03:46

It is organised crime groups activities that have increased dramatically since Brexit, hence the mini marts, vape shops, barbers shops and nail bars that pepper our high streets.

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 12:56:01

I know democracy. We all must live with democratic outcomes that don't go in line with our votes and we have all lived with the adverse outcomes since we left EU. I haven't a clue who voted what- contempt is not an issue for me. The issue of concern is not how people voted but what to do about the adverse outcomes that are negatively impacting on our country.

The majority now believe it was a mistake to leave in the first place and would like to rejoin- thats a key issue.

Calendargirl Fri 03-Jul-26 12:55:42

He’s not only living and ‘working but not working?’ here, but also drives a vehicle and has no licence.

Surely the police can stop him driving, if nothing else?

Galaxy Fri 03-Jul-26 12:48:39

I know democracy. It is awful when it doesn't go the way you want it to.
I was a remainer, I would be very hesitant to vote remain again because of the contempt directed towards those who voted differently.

MayBee70 Fri 03-Jul-26 12:43:39

At least the current government has a good working relationship with France. Remember Truss’s reply when asked about Macron/ France friend or foe?

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 12:42:36

We were told but the populist voice won out and triggered the 52% outcome.

We all know the polls and that the majority now regret vote leave.

LemonJam Fri 03-Jul-26 12:40:59

I read about this also MaizieD, yet another significant adverse impact as a result of Brexit.

Year on year progressively the adverse impacts will continue to grow....

Whitewavemark2 Fri 03-Jul-26 12:39:59

This was flagged at the time of the vote along with other stuff.

We were told

Project Fear

MaizieD Fri 03-Jul-26 12:34:34

I am a bit surprised that this story from a couple of days ago hasn't been flagged up here on N & P.

It is the result of a BBC investigation, something I find quite impressive in view of much popular condemnation of the BBC.

The BBC investigation found that the people smuggler was living in the UK and had actually applied for asylum.. which is quite startling in itself, but a key point was made in the BBC article:

Since Brexit, the UK no longer has a data-sharing agreement with many countries in the EU, making it more difficult to check criminal and immigration records of asylum seekers, according to Lucy Moreton of the Immigration Services Union.

"If we were able to share databases, even if just with our nearest neighbours, with Germany, with Belgium, with Holland and France, say - then, yes, we'd know that they had a conviction for people smuggling," she said.

Asylum seekers are fingerprinted on arrival in the UK and checked against UK police databases, but these would not necessarily show a conviction from another country.

Since Brexit... another win for Leave voters, the inability of the UK to obtain information of convictions in EU countries? hmm

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clye9zn0y1ro?

I note that on Bluesky it has been pointed out that The Times has run with this story, with the headline "Brexit lets people smugglers move to UK",' It was in the print version though it is no longer available on their web page.

bsky.app/profile/13sarahmurphy.bsky.social/post/3mppyqkisn22j