Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

They are illegally in France, so why don't the French authorities do something?

Because they don't want the costs involved.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

Definitely not down to benefits! Illegal immigrants of course get nothing, nada, as they don't exist. Asylum seekers get £42 per week. What do you get in France? £66 temporary waiting allowance while their claim is being processed and income support up to £140 per week (linky)

So, why do people come to the UK? For the majority, the decision wasn't theirs, third party agents and facilitators sent them this way. A third cited linguistic, family and historical links and the general perception that the UK is a safe place to live. For more information, check out section 6.2 of this study

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

They also believe that in France their claims are far more likely to be rejected and that once in the system in the UK there are myriad means by which they can stay here, work illegally etc. and get housed, especially if they make someone pregnant. They can access all sorts of services such as the NHS without any issues at all - not sure that's very easy in France. So why do people smugglers send the rest this way I wonder? They're not renowned for caring about their cargo and it'd be a whole lot cheaper to send them elsewhere...

Family and linguistic links soon become a self fulfilling prophecy. The more we continue to allow people from all around the globe to pitch up here because they feel like it, the more of them will come and the bigger our problems will be.

If I were a migrant in Calais the last thing I'd do is tell some BBC reporter that I can't wait to get into the UK because the welfare and immigration systems are so lax and the chances of ever being removed are small.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

"A total of 43 asylum seekers and refugees were interviewed for this research."

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

Sorry guys, I only pop in every now and then :-)

According to a Home Office study, most asylum seekers are not aware that there are benefits so I would be interested to know where you have evidence that says otherwise and a comparison on the ease of getting benefits compared with France would be good too. Here's a link to the study. 63 interviews held if that holds any sway. The report does date back to 2002 so the balance of nationalities has changed but not massively so.

On the links between britain and the countries that asylum seekers come from, here is a list from January to March 2014 from the Home Office of where asylum seekers are coming from;

Pakistan (3,343), Iran (2,417), Sri Lanka (1,808), Syria (1,669), Eritrea (1,377), Albania (1,326), Bangladesh (1,123), Afghanistan (1,040), India (965), Nigeria (915)

I count 5 out of the 10 as being countries we used to own, being granted independence from Britain between 1947 and 1960.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

It's perfectly evident that this matter is complex and migrants are driven by many factors but one thing which is obvious is that they wouldn't choose to live in squalor in Calais for months or years just to risk their lives under a lorry trying to get into a country in which they believe life will be worse.

The extent to which what they've been told/choose to believe about their prospects in the UK and what is true differs will vary from case to case but, whatever their reasons and motivations, the more we allow to come here and remain, the more will want to come and the more desperate they will be. Something will have to give at some point - it's just a question of when, not if.

Until we do something about the reasons these people are coming half way around the globe to get here they will continue to come and in increasing numbers. The empirical evidence is that, for these migrants, life in France (and elsewhere in safe European countries they've passed through) clearly isn't deemed attractive enough. Why would that be? IMHO it's a combination of factors chief amongst which must be the overriding belief that they'll do better here and be less likely to ever be removed.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

The reason they come here is simply because of Britains world wide reputation of being soft and it's easy money. that's all. Britain doesn't need a debate. doesn't need a special team set up to try and work out just why it is that these people want to come here. we know the answer. just too unwilling to admit it.

Not one single person from outside the UK can say something like "Britain is tough" or "Britain is strict"
but there's plenty that will say "Britain won't want to offend you"

to prove how soft Britain is. look at the police. and how we ignore them and tell them to jog on.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

This is a very valid point.

You can't spend centuries democratizing countries telling them how your democracy, citizenry and society (amongst other things) are the best in the world and then somehow be surprised / offended when they want to come and live with you.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

I never understood that at school when we were told that we used to own countries on the other side of the world.
I always imagined that it just happened one day like an auction where countries would say I'll have this one and that one. till they were all taken.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

Many of those "countries" weren't really countries, just various tribes in scattered villages. What boundaries that existed were merely the limits of one tribes influence. We just walked in, set the borders and organised things.

It was setting those borders without regard to the ethnicity or religeons of the various tribes that were ruled by us and the other colonial powers of the time that seem to be at the root of many of todays conflicts.

---------- Post added at 10:55 ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 ----------

There is however a world of difference between them wanting to come here and the authorities putting out the welcome mat and pots of money.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

Thanks. if Mrs Reed had have explained it like that. I would have understood.
she never let me ask questions at the time.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

I always found it odd growing up looking at maps of the world and seeing most of Europe and Asia divided up along "wiggly" lines (rivers/mountains/other geographical dividers), while Africa was divided up with arrow straight ones...

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

What could also be very worrying is that ISIS could infiltrate these immigrants (scenario: explosives on a ferry or in channel tunnel !!!). The mayor of Calais has said she wants to blockade the port... surely that is illegal, if that does happen could we move the lorry freight and cars to Boulogne or Zeebrugge.

How on earth do they get to Calais without being detected.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

Because the rest of the EU countries wave them through when they say they want to go to the UK.

Re: Unstoppable migration?
 

Because of the Schengen Area agreement (no border controls in the majority of EU countries).