howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#761
I am not quite so cynical as you Brian, my bet is that they wanted to join in the Boxing day dip in order to raise money for Iranian charities.
Bob Whysman and Brian Dixon like this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#762
Courtesy of the Times.
The authorities have been told to “get a grip” after dozens of migrants crossed the Channel over Christmas. Charlie Elphicke, the Conservative MP for Dover, said that the Home Office and National Crime Agency did not appear to be on top of the problem. On Christmas Day 40 migrants were rescued in the Channel as they tried to reach Britain and three more were found yesterday. A further five people turned up at Dover police station on Christmas Day saying that they were Iranian and had arrived by boat. An abandoned craft was discovered later.
Mr Elphicke said: “With well over 100 migrants having broken into Britain in recent weeks the [Home Office and National Crime Agency] need urgently to explain what they are doing to put a stop to these crossings. This is an incredibly dangerous crossing to make in the middle of winter. Our volunteer lifeboat crews are being called out nearly every day. The British and French authorities must get a grip and find and stop the traffickers . . . before there is a tragedy.” Crews from Britain and France have rescued more than 40 migrants trying to cross the Channel to reach the UK in six small boats over two days. Five dinghies carrying people from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan were spotted on Christmas Day. Yesterday a boat carrying three migrants, who said that they were Iranian, was intercepted by a French boat.
They had been spotted on a small semi-rigid boat about ten miles off the coast of France and taken ashore at Dover, where they were examined by medical staff and interviewed by immigration officials.
“The evidence shows there is organised criminal gang activity behind illegal migration attempts by small boats across the Channel,” a Home Office spokesman said. “We are working closely with the French and law enforcement partners to target these gangs, who exploit vulnerable people and put lives at risk.” All 43 people, including two children, are now in Britain, “where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities”. A girl was one of eight passengers on a boat that was found at 2.40am on Christmas Day near Folkestone. Other rescues involved a boat of nine migrants whose engine failed, two people who tried to row across the Channel, and a dinghy carrying 12 people and a child. More than 150 people have been brought ashore since the start of last month, of whom 86 were discovered in a two-week period.
Smugglers charge migrants more than £10,000 each to cross the Channel in rubber dinghies. Those making the journey have to contend with poor weather and rough seas as well as the dangers of traversing the world's busiest shipping lane. The police have compared the voyage to trying to “cross the M25 at rush hour on foot”. Last month a joint Franco-British intelligence centre in Calais began operations to stop people smugglers. The recent rise in crossings is thought by some to be a result of unseasonably warm weather and calmer seas, although French prosecutors say that gangs are telling migrants to cross now as security will be tougher after Brexit.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#763
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#764
what gets me is, if they are found in french waters why bring them here instead of france. is it because the French cant be botherd with then.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#765
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#766
This morning's arrivals:-
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Guest 2547- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
#767
Unfortunately or not (depending upon your viewpoint) once they are in UK waters they have a legal right to claim asylum. Whether such asylum is subsequently granted is, of course, another matter.
To adopt a policy of sending them back begs the question how would we enforce it. If we repelled them from UK waters by force then there is clearly a far greater chance of a tragic outcome, particularly in adverse weather. A policy that endangered human life would raise concerns, I suspect.
If we repatriate them immediately after landing in the UK, then we are not diligently assessing the validity or otherwise of their asylum claims.
Answers (with due objectivity of course) on a postcard please to Charlie Elphicke.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#768
And I can assure you that THIS lot will be transiting Paris within 24 hours!
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#769
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#770
Malta refusing to take the 300 is hardly a surprise with it having the 5th highest population density in the world. I went there when just Maltese people lived there and you could hardly turn around without bumping into someone, since then they have been forced to take in people from around the world.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#771
Reached 'peak diversity' perhaps?
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#772
Just an anonymous website popularly believed to be financed from Moscow.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#773
So is or is not pepper spray legal in Denmark from Jan 2019? Answer - yes.
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#774
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#775
some navy gun boats needed to discourage the migrants, those who slip through the net need taking back to france to be processed there.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#776
Didn't think we had any gun boats left, here is an altogether simpler way of dealing with the problem.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#777
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#778
Apparently no truth at all in the rumour that the Bishop of Dover and local councillor Ben Bano had spent last night on the beach at Kingstown waving an Aldis Lamp.
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#779
A look at the scoreboard.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#780
Whilst trying to decide whether to get up this morning ,I heard Cllr Kevin Mills on the radio.Cllr Mills always speaks well and conducts interesting interviews.I thought his slant on the latest boat people landing on our shores very interesting.Every time these illegals try to gain entry we must not forget the important job border control do stoping drugs and illegal weapons coming into our country.I also read in the paper how much it costs for the life boat to attend the rescues.
I think a there needs to be a lot of talking to the people who really understand the problems.
I put my faith in .Cllr Mills every time.
