Home Secretary says nearly all women who attempt to each UK in small boats are raped on their journey

However from AI:-

The core feature of the Schengen Agreement is the abolition of internal passport checks between its 29 member states. Once an irregular migrant successfully breaches the EU's external perimeter (such as landing by boat in Italy or Greece), Schengen functions as a border-free corridor. A migrant can travel thousands of miles through Italy, Switzerland, and France to reach Calais without ever having to pass a physical border checkpoint or show an ID card

• The French side (Schengen): Wide open, allowing migrants to arrive freely in Calais.

Therefore France is partly responsible

Aveline

I disagree. This is 2026. Why here? Why now? Because we're soft touches.

👏👏👏👏👏

How can it be said the UK is a soft touch regarding the arrival of asylum seekers in 2026 compared to other UK countries 🤷‍♀️

sundowngirl

However from AI:-

The core feature of the Schengen Agreement is the abolition of internal passport checks between its 29 member states. Once an irregular migrant successfully breaches the EU's external perimeter (such as landing by boat in Italy or Greece), Schengen functions as a border-free corridor. A migrant can travel thousands of miles through Italy, Switzerland, and France to reach Calais without ever having to pass a physical border checkpoint or show an ID card

• The French side (Schengen): Wide open, allowing migrants to arrive freely in Calais.

Therefore France is partly responsible

That is a bizarre way of looking at it. To prevent the risk of people who have entered the EU illegally, you are suggesting that every time anybody attempts to cross a border between EU countries their passport should be checked and they should be prevented from entering. How can France be responsible in that scenario when nobody enters France directly because there is no sea migrant entry point?

Why persist with the inaccurate description of asylum seekers?
Seeking asylum is legal.

And what happened to the 'safety of women' aspect?

Maremia

Why persist with the inaccurate description of asylum seekers?
Seeking asylum is legal.

For this purpose irregular migrants for want of a better term. They don’t all seek asylum when they enter Europe.

Thanks Casden

Sorry to divert again, but I have looked at the list of the nationalities of 'small boat immigrants whose applications have been processed in the first 6 months of this year. It contains 140 discrete countries. Of those 66 have direct colonial or imperial connections with Britain. I didn't include the USA, though I could have...

It also contains a number of our close European neighbours, such as Germany, Italy, Belgium and Sweden (only small numbers of these citizens) which I found surprising/amusing...

That’s what I asked you at 12.02pm Maremia.
How do we keep these woman safe once they arrive in the uk? They couldn’t move into those camps, they wouldn’t stand a chance against a thousand men.
There is only so much funding.

MT62

Maremia

So, this has turned into a 'migrant moan' Thread, and not a concern about the safety of women and children seeking refuge?
Who could have predicted that? 🤔

How exactly are they going to be any safer here? If it’s in their culture that they can be abused, especially from a very young age!
I am not saying all cultures are like that, btw.
All am saying how do we start to protect them?

Of course the large number of women who attempt to each UK in small boats who are raped on their journey will be safer once they are in the UK! One of the many reasons why asylum seekers come to the UK - ie to seek safe refuge away from the home country. They outline these dangers and risks in their AS application form on arrival.

The majority of women in the UK are not raped. Women in the UK do not daily face the dangers female asylum seekers have faced on their AS journey.

Casdon

sundowngirl

However from AI:-

The core feature of the Schengen Agreement is the abolition of internal passport checks between its 29 member states. Once an irregular migrant successfully breaches the EU's external perimeter (such as landing by boat in Italy or Greece), Schengen functions as a border-free corridor. A migrant can travel thousands of miles through Italy, Switzerland, and France to reach Calais without ever having to pass a physical border checkpoint or show an ID card

• The French side (Schengen): Wide open, allowing migrants to arrive freely in Calais.

Therefore France is partly responsible

That is a bizarre way of looking at it. To prevent the risk of people who have entered the EU illegally, you are suggesting that every time anybody attempts to cross a border between EU countries their passport should be checked and they should be prevented from entering. How can France be responsible in that scenario when nobody enters France directly because there is no sea migrant entry point?

I wouldn’t take much notice of this particular BOT.
Migrants entering Switzerland are subject to a 24 hr quick turnaround.
Most applicants are refused.
There is no need to touch Switzerland, you can walk into France from Italy.
And people believe this crap.

MT 62, I was hoping for a range of suggestions from GNs who are interested in promoting the safety of women.
LemonJam said that once the women are here, they are safe.
So, perhaps one way to keep women safe would be to make the journey simpler.
A few pages back, Posters suggested being able to apply in their own country.
Sadly, countries at war would not be able to facilitate this.
But, what if we had offices in nearby states?
What do you think do far?
Can you add to the suggestions?

It would be good if applications could be made easily outside of the UK and offices facilitating this would be a big step forward. It wouldn’t mean everyone had to be accepted,just the ‘genuine’ ones escaping oppression. It is really hard at the moment,apparently and that is one of the reasons they come over on nasty little boats. Those who are not genuine should be turned back immediately.

Yes, nanna, it would change the need for the dangerous journey.
So, that would be the Foreign Office working with the Home Office in safe for them states along the 'route'.

A sensible and pragmatic suggestion nanna8, which I support.

Hmmmm. Easier said than done. How easy would eg Taleban make it for a woman to apply for asylum? Sometimes these women have to literally escape rather than make a formal application.

Solutions very often are easier said than done, I agree.
And yes, women who try to escape from Afghanistan and also Saudi Arabia are hunted down.
Using these two examples because such instances have been in the news.
So, 'sanctuary' places would have to be outside of the original state. Also, somewhere safe for the officials who would be processing the application.

Maremia

Solutions very often are easier said than done, I agree.
And yes, women who try to escape from Afghanistan and also Saudi Arabia are hunted down.
Using these two examples because such instances have been in the news.
So, 'sanctuary' places would have to be outside of the original state. Also, somewhere safe for the officials who would be processing the application.

I want all women to be, & feel safe but why come here at all, if there are other countries nearer to their own countries. I don’t understand why they would want to make that perilous journey over the channel.

Maremia

Solutions very often are easier said than done, I agree.
And yes, women who try to escape from Afghanistan and also Saudi Arabia are hunted down.
Using these two examples because such instances have been in the news.
So, 'sanctuary' places would have to be outside of the original state. Also, somewhere safe for the officials who would be processing the application.

There has even been Saudi royal females hunted down.

MT62

Maremia

Solutions very often are easier said than done, I agree.
And yes, women who try to escape from Afghanistan and also Saudi Arabia are hunted down.
Using these two examples because such instances have been in the news.
So, 'sanctuary' places would have to be outside of the original state. Also, somewhere safe for the officials who would be processing the application.

I want all women to be, & feel safe but why come here at all, if there are other countries nearer to their own countries. I don’t understand why they would want to make that perilous journey over the channel.

Other countries like France and Germany receive a much higher total number of asylum claims than the UK. Why do those higher numbers choose France or Germany to make their claims for example than the UK?

Likely to be a variety of reasons why individual ASs choose their preferred country to make their asylum claim- e.g. language, family and social networks, historical or cultural/post colonial ties etc.

Some people hold a misconception that ASs should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. There is no basis for this misconception as there is no legal requirement for them to do so. If they wish to make an AS claim in the UK they ar legally entitled to do so whatever misconceptions people hold.

Once again LemonJam, your clarity is appreciated 👏

* likely to be a variety of reasons why individual AS chose their preferred country to make their asylum claim eg language, family and social networks, historical or cultural / post colonial ties etc*
* some people hold the misconception that AS should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach *

Thanks LemonJam for reminding, restating what is the reality and has been throughout the recent increase in those seeking sanctuary.

The world is in a state of flux for many. Even those of us in 'safe countries' are feeling cost of living pressures, high fuel costs, high rent costs, housing affordability out of reach for younger generation, NEETS problems etc etc.

We see protesting and riots in France- blamed on the 'far left' by incumbent government. More the case that left wing unions are empathising with the causes of the protests.

Similarly protests happening in Spain for same/similar reasons yet there is an incumbent socialist coalition government. The socialist government tried to put emergency measures in place to tackle the country's housing crisis but the measures were voted down right wing opposition lawmakers. Last month an 87 year old woman was evicted form her rental property when she was unable to afford the 230% rent rise put in place by the investment fund company that bought her apartment. party votes. She then died and the country has responded in protest.

That legitimate asylum seekers are leaving their countries to seek sanctuary in Spain, France, UK and other European countries is a reminder how dire their lives compared to our lives must be.