I’ll make the reasonable assumption that some of the asylum seekers who’ve come to the UK illegally on small boats crossing the English Channel are able to telephone others in France and tell them about the protests outside hotels where they are housed and how scary it has become for many of them according to a BBC report. Many are essentially prisoners in these hotels.
And at least some of the current asylum seekers in the Bell Hotel, Epping must be aware of the reason why they have to leave it (Hight Court injunction). I presume that some have legal aid funded legal advisers who’ll be filling them in on the recent developments with the aid of an interpreter. The government is appealing the court order which has spawned many more councils considering similar legal action.
These important events may well act as a deterrent to other illegal immigrants in France waiting for the opportunity to make the Channel crossing.
The message getting back to France will be that the British don’t want them in the UK. Of course, there are many Brits who welcome them with open arms but the immigrants see the hostile protests and sense the animosity in a very direct way. The immigrants can see a very difficult time in the UK once they’ve made that dangerous crossing.
The BBC also reported on one illegal immigrant who said that he’s been living in a Sussex hotel or hotels for no less than 3 years waiting for his asylum hearing! Can you believe it?
The system is so broken and messed up. Typicaly, this ineffectual Labour government consistently blames the previous Tory government for it. Yes, to some extent they are correct but Labour has made a complete mess of fixing the illegal boat people problem. Quite hopeless. Remember the ludicrous Starmer promise of ‘smash the gangs’. These so called gangs are very sophisticated and one step ahead of the truddingly slow UK government.
Lots of unfulfilled promises by Starmer. More political obfuscation. More mumbo-jumbo.
There are calls from left and right for Starmer to make bold decisions, something he finds hard to do. His one-in-one-out agreement with France has had no impact whatsoever so far in slowing the rate of illegal immigration by small boats which was entirely predictable.
On the continent there are countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Germany where they have had considerable success in slowing illegal immigration. The UK is the failed state in this regard. Starmer should look to these countries to find solutions. If he cannot lead, he should step aside. UK citizens are losing faith in him or have already done so.
More: immigration
Update 2nd Sept. The news media has this headline: “Asylum seeker begs to go back to Somalia because it’s ‘safer than Nuneaton”.
At least one asylum seeker in one hotel up north feels that he is better off at home. That might get back to some of those waiting to make the Channel crossing. It may make them think twice about it. The protests may actually be a better deterrent than anything this useless government has come up with!
