Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees
Apologies, you're right, I should of made myself clearer... No offence is commited by them entering British soil, it's the fail to claim that then causes the no leave offence.
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No. These people must claim asylum at the border. If they do not and pass the UK border they are breaking the law.
If these people were to obtain entry to the UK, for example in the back of a truck, the moment that truck has been allowed through by an immigration officer if they haven't claimed asylum they have broken the law as they are in the UK 'without leave'.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/77/section/24
Quote:
Illegal entry and similar offences.
(1)A person who is not [F1a British citizen] shall be guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction with a fine of not more than [F2[F3level 5]on the standard scale] or with imprisonment for not more than six months, or with both, in any of the following cases:—
(a)if contrary to this Act he knowingly enters the United Kingdom in breach of a deportation order or without leave;
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Entering the UK = crossing the border. Not claiming asylum at the border but getting across it without approval from an immigration officer is an offence.
---------- Post added at 17:36 ---------- Previous post was at 17:29 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees
We as a nation are as guilty of economic migration as those that currently live in squalor. The only difference as we have already agreed is the route taken. Whilst we do it on commercial airlines they asphyxiate in the back of HGV's drown as boats capsize.
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No. Generally we apply to the government of the country in question for permission to migrate. We obtain work permits, perhaps permanent residency.
There's an awful lot of difference between that and arriving at the border, trying to circumvent our lawful processes by claiming asylum.
Any economic migrant who tries to claim asylum as a way of circumventing the appropriate processes should be returned to their point of origin immediately.
If these people want to migrate to the UK for economic reasons they should be applying for visas. If they can pay people smugglers to try and get them into the UK they can pay visa processing charges.
Exactly the same goes for any British who attempt to circumvent the rules of a potential host nation. It's disrespectful to those whose legitimate claims to refuge they are copying, it's disrespectful to those legitimately applying for economic migration and it's disrespectful to the host nation to start off a relationship with it by flouting its laws.
If you think we should reward this illegal behaviour that's entirely your prerogative. I personally believe a zero-tolerance approach to people smuggling would be a good start alongside a pan-European plan to utterly reject abuse of the asylum system while doing everything within our power to fulfil our humanitarian obligations to those in need.