Small-boat immigration to the UK, helped by France

There are 2 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 798 times. The latest Post () was by serafina.

1st Official Post

    When I read this in today’s Telegraph, I had trouble believing my eyes:


    “The pandemic and Brexit have drawn much of the attention away from what would otherwise be a highly significant crisis – the crossing of the Channel by migrants in small boats. Our reporter spent the day at sea and became the first journalist to document what had long been suspected: that the French Navy is shepherding migrant boats into UK waters and abandoning them.“

    Yep, it's such a mess.


    It also has nothing to do with being anti-immigration. I am certainly not and I love the fact that the UK for centuries have been a cultural haven where other cultures were accepted. It's the illegal immigration aspect that is clear a problem. It is also not really about saving desperate refugees either. Some of those trying to cross have been holed up in Calais for years. After that long, they are fleeing France, not the country they originally came from. One of the most interesting questions is why they are desperate to come to the UK instead of say France, Germany, Italy.


    My only conclusion is because the UK is generally more favourable towards illegal work, has a national health service that is free, and maybe some sort of psychological promised land because of its position on the map.


    I don't know how this problem can be solved. Accept them all? At least that way you integrate them into the system, document them, and make them contribute. Sounds nice, but there's no way the amount of people coming could all be accepted, and naturally the flood gates would really open if such a policy was taken.


    I strongly believe any human should have the right to be anywhere they want in the world. However, it's just too utpopic and ignores the fact some countries are "better" than others and people would all obviously gravitate towards those nations.

    • Official Post
    Quote from Semigoodlooking

    My only conclusion is because the UK is generally more favourable towards illegal work, has a national health service that is free, and maybe some sort of psychological promised land because of its position on the map.

    It's the same thing they say in Italy. However, I think the UK is a better destination because of the language and the larger well established immigrant population. Italy has a large immigrant population, but it is recent immigration (last 20 years) and low quality (manual workers), and fairly stigmatized and isolated.