French Police Slash Migrant 'Taxi-Boat' Heading To Uk

[naomi24]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ygjjxjlplo

 

Now that wasn't difficult was it?  With a bit of practice they might get the hang of it.

[Khandro]

^^ because they are made in the far east, arrive in Europe from its eastern neighbours through Germany. Collapsed they are quite small comparative to their inflated size & fit in a car boot.

[New Judge]

"...why don't they target the manufacturers and suppliers of these 'small boats'?"

Target them for what? It's not illegal to make and sell boats, dave.

[naomi24]

BBC News tonight.  Downing Street said //'Efforts to re-set relations with Europe had brought about a change in French tactics' but French officials have made it clear that they haven't changed their strategy and the action had been taken because the vessel was dangerously overloaded'.//

 

I've typed that verbatim.  Who's lying?  This government just can't help itself.  It takes every opportunity to deceive.  Disdain doesn't cover it. 

[douglas9401]

This slashed boat, was it a cutter?

[naomi24]

Not a word about the 'skipper'.  What happened to him?  Apprehended?  No sign of it.  Wading ashore with his disappointed passengers to set sail another day presumably.  Don't the French know that our hero Starmer is smashing the gangs?

[tomus42]

//We were foolish to ever become involved with the French in this issue, //

I agree NJ. We should have reached out to Austria to help us deal with the channel crossings.

[max137]

How convenient Macron to visit the UK this week starmer and his buddy trying to look good BS.

[New Judge]

“We should have reached out to Austria to help us deal with the channel crossings.”

There is no need to “reach out” to anybody. The protection of the UK’s borders is entirely a matter for the UK. It was foolish in the extreme to believe that the French were likely to assist us in that respect. They are lumbered with vast numbers of illegal migrants because they are not allowed to protect their borders courtesy of the ridiculous Schengen Agreement which they willingly signed. Thankfully we never joined in that madness and there is no reason why we should act as if we had.

It is somewhat naïve to believe that the French will do much to keep them there when there is a perfectly good route to see them on their way out of the country. The French are being highly irresponsible and in fact may even be acting illegally under their own laws by allowing people – especially children – to put to sea in totally unsuitable craft. But that’s their business, not ours. 

Ours is to prevent the occupants from landing here – something that could quite easily be achieved but which we are unwilling to do. 

[Pegasus16]

 ^ 10:38 Sat 05th Jul - surely there must be some sort of duty of care type laws that could be considered by the UK to prevent risk of life or serious injury to halt the crossings, or doesn't it work that way?

[New Judge]

Any "duty of care" rests with the French as the migrants are in their care before the set off dangerously. The UK cannot compel the French to exercise that duty and they clearly have no intention of fulfilling it.

In any case, the migrants leaving France is of no particular concern to the UK. The concern to us is them arriving here. And if the French won't stop them leaving we must stop them arriving.

[Pegasus16]

Frustrating having weak Uk governments, Poland and Hungary seems like they are in control of their borders.

[max137]

Heres the scenario 1 boat arrives on beach is it fully inflated if so where was it inflated these things are not small would take more than a bike pump ie need a compressor, generator to run compressor, dont forget you need to fix the motor to said boat this all takes time they take us for fools both the French and UK government. Thats one scenario like a good politican I have other if you dont like it.

[davebro3]

that's why we need to deploy UK forces IN FRANCE to seek out & destroy the boats before they get onto the water.

[New Judge]

“that's why we need to deploy UK forces IN FRANCE to seek out & destroy the boats before they get onto the water.”

I doubt the French would agree to that, dave. It might work and they wouldn’t want that. But in any case there is a far easier (and less diplomatically unsavoury) solution than that.

Even on a busy day there are rarely more than a dozen boats making the crossing. For example, in the past seven days the numbers were 0,8,13,8,3,0,8. Every one of these has been intercepted by either a lifeboat or a Border Force vessel, the occupants taken off and transported to Dover. So the idea that it is not possible to stop them is simply laughable. If they can be intercepted and “rescued”, then they can be intercepted and turned round.

It is the only solution that will work. The government knows that and all the other platitudes they utter are simply wind and puff, designed to make us think they are doing something.

It’s to everybody’s advantage. It’s certainly advantageous to the UK; the country simply cannot afford to house and feed tens of thousands of people arriving month after month. France will benefit because, once the strategy has been in operation for a week or two, the migrants will realise that heading for northern France is pointless. And it will benefit the migrants themselves as they will no longer needlessly spend months living in squalor in and around the Channel ports.

It will have to be done sooner or later. The alternative is for the numbers to increase and the country will simply be unable to absorb them without even more serious difficulties arising than they are presenting at the moment.

[max137]

Perfectly right NJ just disregard the hand wringers and human rights lawyers do what a governments first duty is to protect the people and its borders Australia did it.

[davebro3]

//I doubt the French would agree to that, dave.//

As I said before - stuff the French, just do it. What will they do, arrest the SAS?🤣