Small Boats: France To Get More Money

[naomi24]

//The Times newspaper has reported that the UK will give France more than £200m over three years. ...Last year, the UK agreed to pay France £63m a year to increase surveillance of French beaches.//

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64909510

Someone somewhere has failed to notice that paying the French is not working. Furthermore, if the plan to send the boat people straight to Rwanda comes to fruition (not holding my breath with that one), before long the boats will stop coming so is there any point in paying the French even more to carry on doing nothing?

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[Zacs-Master]

'Last year, the UK agreed to pay France £63m a year to increase surveillance of French beaches'

The £63m is part of the £232 million and is for last year and this.

I do agree that it seems to be throwing good money after bad.

[ToraToraTora]

Kin ridiculous, they just pocket the bangers and do eff all. The answer for us both is obvious why do the French refuse common sense.

[chelle7272]

The article says the government believe it's well spent, so it's not an oversight.
As we can no longer return anyone to France, I guess they think paying France to prevent it happening in the first place is the only option. If we don't pay they would no doubt do even less...
Do you an alternative solution?

[Zacs-Master]

'I guess they think paying France to prevent it happening in the first place is the only option'

except Macron is on record as saying “We will not be able to resolve this issue if the way of dealing with the subject of migration does not change on the British side … they have not sufficiently organised legal, stable, secure ways and means to seek asylum in Britain.”

[ichkeria]

Why do you think the boats will stop coming if "Rwanda comes to fruition"?
As you say yourself, even that is not likely to happen anyway.
The only way to stop the boats coming is a combination of deterrents that occur on the other side of the channel. That involves clamping down on the criminal gangs who facilitate it, and patrolling the places they start out from.

[ichkeria]

France is willing to patrol the coasts but not unreasonably wants a fixed payment system rather than the piecemeal approach adopted thus far.
If France was asking us to do thia I think we would want the same,

[naomi24]

I think if people knew that on arrival here they were going to be sent straight to Africa they would be less inclined to pay the several thousands of pounds it costs them to get here. A couple of boatloads taken straight onto planes bound for Rwanda and they would soon get the message. (I read this morning that there's a new service from Calais to the Kent coast being advertised on TikTok. A speedboat providing a crossing that takes just 45 minutes. Cost £7,000).

The alternative is to make this country less attractive to people coming here illegally. They're coming from tatty tents in a muddy field in France but they get here, they're fed and watered, they're accommodated in hotels, and they get, free of charge, any medical treatment they may need. Perhaps instead of giving money to the French we should take a lesson from them.

[Zacs-Master]

'I think if people knew that on arrival here they were going to be sent straight to Africa'

We've had this discussion many times before tho haven't we, without an answer to how it's facilitated of financed or whether it's even legal / against people's human rights.

I appreciate that the present costs in housing / feeding / benefits would tumble but 40,000 this year alone equals 100 400 person flights or 200 200 person flights (plus return journeys) and I'm sure they wouldn't come cheap.

[ichkeria]

Just how unattractive would you want to the make the UK to people fleeing the likes of Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea (where you can be conscripted indefinitely) etc?

[naomi24]

If they're coming overland they can only be coming from a safe country so they're not fleeing in fear of their lives.

[Samuraisan]

I think the French are quite happy to see them go, they don't want them either. Somehow they should stop them arriving in Europe.

[youngmafbog]

//Just how unattractive would you want to the make the UK//

I'll ignore the fact that when they come to the UK they are are not fleeing a warzone (well not unless Rishi has declared war on the FRench).

The answer must be pretty simple. Make us as unattractive as France. Stop putting them in Hotels, illegals (ie criminals) should be in jail especially as some may want to harm us. Stop giving them any money, stop any legal aid, stop giving them free medical care.

How's that for starters?

[nicebloke1]

Is not Sunak doing what needs to be done first. Changing our laws to prevent them stopping here, even if they get here?

[ichkeria]

Contrary to popular belief most migrants DON’T try to get to Britain.
And who could blame them.
Many get suckered into paying for dangerous journeys across the channel
Until that’s stopped nothing else is likely to work

[naomi24]

//Contrary to popular belief most migrants DON’T try to get to Britain. //

That's irrelevant really, Ich. This is about those who do.

[ichkeria]

Someone suggested making the UK unattractive and so the riposte to that is obvious.
This problem cannot easily be solved and certainly not quickly. But no politician - of any party - seems brave enough to admit that.
If Rwanda is seriously to be expected to take all the boat people I expect the expense would be prohibitive. Even assuming they actually would do it
If it’s just a threat to put people off. that’s immoral, possibly illegal but crucially also probably futile

[douglas9401]

Most is neither here nor there, too many do.

[Zacs-Master]

'no politician - of any party - seems brave enough to admit that.'

That's not strictly true, Ich. Unfortunately the details rarely makes headlines. From The Independent:

'Addressing the House of Commons later on Monday, the home secretary admitted the deal would not “fix” the issue of Channel crossings but called it a “positive step”.

“There is no single solution to this problem and international cooperation is an important part of the solution,” she added.'

[fender62]

something on the news about the cost of flights to return migrants
not sure if he said first class to new york to albania price, why not use raf transport planes, plenty of room on them, all unwilling migrants could be darted with tranquilizer, safer then a dinghy ride.

[ichkeria]

The problem is, Zacs, that while people may speak sense on certain low key occasions, it is wholly at odds with the language of "invasion" etc, and the impression is given that we are going to "fix this problem" and that is what people hear because it is what they want to hear, and sadly it seems it's what polticians really want them to hear.