Calais

[Richard Simpson]

This is interesting

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... -in-danger

Dublin agreement makes it plain that anyone coming to the UK to seek asylum has to be processed in the first EU state they rock up in.

The process includes fingerprinting to prevent multiple applications.

If this was actually enforced, the problem would not exist fo long.

[Scott_rider]

^...yes that is the law but other EU countries have chosen to ignore it hence creating the problem at Calais. Let's be honest, no one has an issue with genuine asylum seekers but the majority at Calais are economic migrants. The French should and could repatriate them to the original EU country that they entered. If they don't have documents or refuse to specify their origin then the French should and could interne them as illegal immigrants rather than allowing 7000 of them to live in the so called jungle camp.

That may sound harsh but it's true. The sooner we are out of the EU the better and then when the border officially moves to Dover I have no doubt that the UK will adopt that approach and then we won't become a magnet for migrants such as Calais is now.

[AndyB]

The only thing that will stop us being a magnet for economic migrants is stopping their friends and family already here from telling them that they'll easily find somewhere to live and that a lot of employers focus on using cheap labour rather than making sure the cheap labour has a legal right to be here.

As things stand those migrants at Calais are convinced that a better life awaits them if and when they get over here so leaving the EU and moving border controls back from France won't make even the slightest bit of difference. Maybe processing them within days of them arriving at Calais would make a difference but they'd have to be deported from France and returned to their homeland immediately and there lies another problem.

[Alan29]

A thorough enforcement of the laws surrounding minimum wages and housing standards would persuade users of cheap labour that it wasn't worth their while employing illegals.
No work or housing = no incentives to risk the journey.

[Mike54]

A thorough enforcement of the laws surrounding minimum wages and housing standards would persuade users of cheap labour that it wasn't worth their while employing illegals.
No work or housing = no incentives to risk the journey.

tell that to Mike Ashley.

[Redmurty]

one of the reason for open borders is to allow free movement of cheap labour

cheers Spud

[Scott_rider]

Of course moving the border control to Dover will make a difference. The UK will implement the proper rules and we simply won't tolerate the type of jungle camp that the French have allowed. Once it becomes known that they can't get into the UK then we will no longer be a magnet. In the interim, if they still choose to congregate at Calais then that won't be our problem however the French will soon clear them out once they know that Britain means business. At the moment it suits the French because every migrant that gets into the UK is one less for them to have to deal with.
You only gave to look at the weak French police response to date to know that's true. No police on the motorways that approach Calais and only ever 300 on patrol in the whole of the Calais district that has 7000 mainly illegal migrants. That's a joke. I know it's not comparable but when terror hit the streets of Paris they had no trouble in mobilising an extra 90,000 policemen nationwide and 1600 just at transport hubs in Paris. As I say, once the French know that Britain won't let anyone in without proper ID they will bulldoze that camp in Calais and start to play ball as they should have done all along. Harsh but true.

[AndyB]

If only it was that simple. As soon as they put a foot in the UK they can ask for asylum and as soon as they do that they are no longer an illegal immigrant until their application has been processed and if it's rejected they are deported.

Here's what they get in benefits while their application is pending.
https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get

Would it be reasonable to assume that the day before their application is heard they clear off and vanish into the 'black economy' having had a nice little earner while the case goes through?

[Mawnanian]

^...yes that is the law but other EU countries have chosen to ignore it hence creating the problem at Calais. Let's be honest, no one has an issue with genuine asylum seekers but the majority at Calais are economic migrants. The French should and could repatriate them to the original EU country that they entered. If they don't have documents or refuse to specify their origin then the French should and could interne them as illegal immigrants rather than allowing 7000 of them to live in the so called jungle camp.

That may sound harsh but it's true. The sooner we are out of the EU the better and then when the border officially moves to Dover I have no doubt that the UK will adopt that approach and then we won't become a magnet for migrants such as Calais is now.

I like your faith that the UK will in future take a tough line on immigration when the experience of the last 50 years suggests the opposite.
Likewise there seems to be an expectation that we're suddenly going to be a dynamic exporting economy able to negotiate advantageous trade deals around the world when the whole reason why we joined Europe in the first place was because we weren't and we couldn't.
Maybe it will all be different this time but there is a tendency by some to express possibilities as certainties. Perhaps they're trying to convince themselves, all I can can say is that I'm not convinced but I hope they're right.

[Redmurty]

Likewise there seems to be an expectation that we're suddenly going to be a dynamic exporting economy able to negotiate advantageous trade deals around the world when the whole reason why we joined Europe in the first place was because we weren't and we couldn't.

the reason we joined in the first place was because Ted Heath wanted us to, people are saying that the fear factor given out by the "remainers" has not materialised and are now starting to admit it was uncalled for.

Latest figures suggest the service economy who people said would die has in fact increased and things are looking positive. Look at what the deputy German Chancellor is saying. Brexit could be the end of the EU if it is handled badly and then the usual threats of giving us a bad time

cheers Spud