Migrants rescued at Dover amid spike in illegal English Channel crossings

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Migrants rescued at Dover amid spike in illegal English Channel crossings.

Eight migrants have been rescued from a dinghy off the Kent coast, as concerns continue to grow over a spike in illegal attempts at crossing the English Channel.

The latest group, who are believed to be Iranian, brought the total number of migrants found crossing the Channel by boat this week to 42.

All of the men rescued on Friday morning are now being interviewed by immigration officials.

They were pictured wrapped in blankets – having travelled in clothing unsuitable for the cold weather.

The Home Office has confirmed that, in the last two weeks alone, 86 migrants have been detained at sea - more than six times the number for the whole of 2017.

It is not clear what has sparked the increase in numbers.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “A Border Force coastal patrol vessel was deployed and intercepted a dinghy off the Kent coast with eight people on board.

”The dinghy and those on board were brought into Dover where they were met by Border Force officers.“

The migrants have said they set off with "three or four" other boats from a sandy beach in France but the coastguard has been unable to locate the rest.

Fourteen migrants were rescued off the Kent coast on Thursday, with another 11 pulled from boats on the English Channel by French authorities the same day.

A further nine migrants were discovered clambering rocks in Folkestone on Sunday after landing in a small boat.

James Salmon works at Dover Marina Services and told ITV News: “Last week it just exploded. Absolutely exploded. Three or four days of settled weather and I think it was in the region of 60 came across that we know of – we had then another few days of rough weather – it’s come calm again. And again, they’re just flooding on over.”

The Home Office say they are increasing checks at sea and on land – insisting the key is to dismantle the organised crime routes that facilitate illegal immigration.

It is thought traffickers are telling migrants that crossing will become harder after Brexit with more border checks.

Charlie Elphicke, the MP for Dover and Deal told ITV News: "It's incredibly concerning. As winter sets in, it becomes steadily more dangerous.

"It's only a matter of time before there is a tragedy in the English Channel."

The media has been quick to point out the obvious parallels with the situation on the US/Mexican border. No-one can explain the surge in numbers, especially with the weather making an already-dangerous journey even more perilous.

[Broomstick]

Here's my explanation: desperation.

[The Romulan Republic]

What kind of morally-broken deviant does one have to be to see desperate civilians (including children) as an invasion which must be kept out or destroyed by force?

[Tribble]

Hmm, why would they try to go to a country that is quickly becoming less safe for minorities than the one they were in?

[The Romulan Republic]

Because people always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence?

[Gandalf]

What kind of morally-broken deviant does one have to be to see desperate civilians (including children) as an invasion which must be kept out or destroyed by force?

Britain spent centuries tearing up countries for its own good. Conquest, genocide, slavery, and so on. Maybe British nationalists are worried that people will come looking to get what they're owed.

[Tribble]

Because people always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence?

If that is the main reason my sympathies would be rather limited. At least with respect to the migrants coming in from Mexico to the USA one could argue that Mexico isnt a safe enough country for them to be in. IMO "I think the grass is greener in the UK than France" isnt a good reason for the migrants to illegally smuggle themselves into the UK unless there is a valid reason as to why France isnt safe enough (which given the current state of things in the UK is pretty unlikely).

Are there any indications they were trying to reunite with families or something?

[ray245]

What kind of morally-broken deviant does one have to be to see desperate civilians (including children) as an invasion which must be kept out or destroyed by force?

People who lost faith/trust in their ability to assimilate newcomers, especially if they are of a different religious background. There is a view that unless they can become "properly British" (i.e strongly secular or Christian in this case), they are not welcomed.

If that is the main reason my sympathies would be rather limited. At least with respect to the migrants coming in from Mexico to the USA one could argue that Mexico isnt a safe enough country for them to be in. IMO "I think the grass is greener in the UK than France" isnt a good reason for the migrants to illegally smuggle themselves into the UK unless there is a valid reason as to why France isnt safe enough (which given the current state of things in the UK is pretty unlikely).

Are there any indications they were trying to reunite with families or something?

The UK does not mandate any form of ID, so it is much harder to know if someone is here illegally. And there's seem to be a mindset that the UK is relatively more tolerant of Muslim minorities from the Middle East than France. And word-of-mouth/ linguistic links is an important factor as well. It's why Germany and various Nordic countries was initially not very high on refugees' radar.

[Zaune]

Also, France's approach to caring for asylum applicants while they wait for their claims to be processed is... lacking. At least in England they'd be entitled to a bed in a homeless shelter while their claim was being considered.

[Broomstick]

I'm guessing someone had a notion that by making things VERY unpleasant for the refugees the problem would somehow or other go away. In other words, if the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence blast the grass on your side with herbicide so the other side will, in fact, be greener.

[Zaune]

I'm guessing someone had a notion that by making things VERY unpleasant for the refugees the problem would somehow or other go away. In other words, if the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence blast the grass on your side with herbicide so the other side will, in fact, be greener.

Otherwise known as "less eligibility". Some things never change...