It is not a good idea to help people smugglers put more people at risk by selling them expensive trips in unsuitable boats across the Channel. The UK authorities need to issue clear safety warnings to people not to undertake these journeys, and not to expose themselves to the criminal gangs who sell these places of danger. The UK of course does not wish to see people drown in the Channel and should co-operate and assist the French authorities to prevent these boats taking off from the French coast, or intercepting them early and returning the people safely to France where they have committed themselves to the water. The longer they are at sea the more danger there is of inclement sea and weather conditions overwhelming them or of collision with one of the many large vessels using the busy Channel waterway.
The UK has legal routes for refugees and for economic migrants from the EU which people should use where they wish to seek a work and residence permit. It is not a good idea to offer an expensive rescue service to people to jump the queue or get round the rules. There is the danger the rescuers will not encounter all the boats seeking night time passage across the Channel increasing the risk of death and disaster for any given boat, whilst their presence may encourage more to think this is a low risk way of expediting admission to the UK. Some of the criminals who run these illicit boats are seeking to make criminals of their passengers by encouraging some of them to arrive and work illegally in the UK, where they would then be prey to versions of modern slavery. The authorities need to be vigilant to clamp down on such vile practices. We want legal migrants to come through the proper routes and to then settle to a decent lifestyle here in the UK.
December 29, 2018
Many of these people have paid to come to Europe with the sole intention of reaching the UK where they know that when they get picked up by the authorities they will be given a life at the expense of the UK taxpayer. They jump the housing queue, get free health care, schooling and benefits. No wonder they do not settle in the first safe country they come to. They should all know they will be deported back. Just how many are going to turn up? The numbers will increase with the better weather putting a strain on the NHS, schools and an already at breaking point, bousing crisis. There are legal routes into the UK but these people are not in Europe legally in the first place. If the crossing is dangerous it is one of their choosing. We cannot be a place of refuge for the world and anyone who thinks they have a right to be here. They do not have that right. Genuine refugees have rights but only when applied for down the legal routes. Patrols must be stepped up and these people taken back.
December 29, 2018
The asylum system is a blank cheque written by a past generation that we have no hope of honouring. Don’t delude yourself into thinking if it was only genuine asylum seekers we had to deal with, for the number of people who could have a right to claim asylum here potentially runs into the hundreds of millions. What we do is profess our humanity , with our politicians virtue signalling like mad, but hope that all these people who we dangle this asylum carrot in front of don’t take us up on the offer, and try to obstruct them if they do. It is extremely dishonourable , better we were honest about it, and withdrew from the UN Convention on refugees.
December 29, 2018
If they can look young enough they also get free university tuition which our own English young don’t get.
I should like to know who they are. Are they Pakistanis, Iraquis, and Afghanis, pretending to be Iranians so they don’t get sent back, or are they really Iranian, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard come as sleepers to subvert the Little Satan?
Whichever they be, we simply must stop underestimating just how many people in the world want to come and live here.
December 29, 2018
Sigh. It really is depressing how nasty some of you are.
These people – yes, they are people – are desperate. Most have fled a kind of hell you can not imagine.
They come here because maybe they speak a bit of the language or they know someone here.
They do not come for free housing – which, incidentally, is mostly naff. They do not come to live off the state. They come because staying in their own country is not an option.
Humanity is a wonderful thing. Perhaps you should learn to have some?
December 29, 2018
In Beaconsfield you won’t be living among it like I do !
Most of them are young men of conscription age.
December 29, 2018
‘Living among it.’
Out of a population of 65m approximately 160,000 are refugees or seeking refugee.
That is about 0.25% or one in every 400 people.
I defy any of you to be able to identify the refugee out of a group of 400.
So when you say ‘living among it’ you can not be talking about refugee.
You are clearly talking about people who do not look like you.
Incidentally – I am a Londoner. I was born in London and lived there most of my life. We moved our to get a place with a bigger garden for the kids. I am proud to be from the greatest multicultural city in the world and, yes, I do surround myself with people who do not look like me.
December 30, 2018
Andy.
I’m talking about mass immigration of poor people, not just refugees.
I lived in London for my first forty years. My own schools were made up of 50% white children, the rest ethnic minority.
I had absolutely no problem with multi racialism until they flung open the borders.
December 29, 2018
We don’t want them turning Britain into the kind of ‘hell that we cannot imagine.’
Racism has gone from being a slave master to being a “get to the back of the bus” bigot to being merely someone who does not want their own country changed radically.
It is now a race crime to not want things to change too fast.
YOU caused Brexit with this, Andy.
December 29, 2018
No reason why they can’t stay in France, Andy. First place of refuge.
December 29, 2018
If you are ever forced from your home I am sure you will be content to stay where you are told.
December 29, 2018
What is wrong with France?
December 31, 2018
Andy
Er but you keep telling us that the UK is a hellhole, full of old racists and a wrecked economy whilst the EU is a beacon of shining light.
These “refugees” crossed at least 5 EU countries to try to enter Britain. What exactly do you think is wrong with those countries.?
December 29, 2018
Should we import the whole population of their country if staying in their country is not an option, otherwise, we are not being fair and discriminating? Surely, your method plays into the hands of people traffickers? Is it not better to set up an asylum…oh no, I mean migrant office in their country and just pay for them to come here? Save on the bureaucracy and perhaps give them a NINO before they come for the seamless experience?
zorro
December 30, 2018
Why do you assume they have been forced out of Iran?
From contacts, one of whom is an English woman married to an Iranian, she quite enjoyed going there. I asked her about the veil “problem” and she said “Naa, I just had to put on a headscarf on when I went shopping”
I must explain that in Yorkshire in WAS usual to wear a headscarf for women in coalmining areas when going shopping and such.My mother did and all the women in the street…to hide their curlers was one reason sometimes
It’s different Up North! 🙂 This IS civilisation!
December 30, 2018
Andy
These people have fled a kind of hell. Interesting description of France !
December 29, 2018
The Australians have the right idea: ship illegal migrants back, and blacklist them from ever settling in the country.
If only British MPs had the courage to advocate such a plainly sensible policy, the risk to many lives could be avoided.
December 29, 2018
Clearly you have to deter more people from trying by ensuring no advantage arises to those to do make the crossing. Alas this logic is beyond our current dreadful government. They are more likely to augment the issue and use it as more project fear to push for May’s dreadful surrender deal.
December 29, 2018
The simple solution for all illegal immigrants who try, or do enter the UK, is to have a default position if they have no paperwork, or refuse to give their original nationality or place of living.
That default position should be an immediate transfer to a properly run and organised refugee camp in the middle east, which we currently fund to the tune of £1 Billion per year, where immigrants/refugees have the opportunity to apply for legal access to the Country of their choice on a simple and legal waiting list basis.
Failure to remove illegals as soon as they are found, simply encourages more to come, and to jump the queue.
Once again the Government seems incapable of any sensible policy or action and is instead encouraging more illegals to arrive by offering a help, rescue, taxi, and guest homeing service.
December 29, 2018
I agree with this view. Immigrants have voluntarily displaced themselves so to where they are repatriated if they are found to be here illegally or having had asylum claims denied is not a case for human rights.
Those immigrants who are deported should be deported to a safe place and the camp described above is such a place.
There should be no reward for breaking the law, no matter the circumstances. Once a law breaker, always a law breaker.
December 29, 2018
This is a good suggestion and solves the problem of not being able to return people to certain countries.
December 29, 2018
Or transfer to s RN ship in the Persian gulf then put on s rubber dinghy like the ones picked up on the Channel. Don’t waste the boats, re-use them. Of course, we would have to get rid of the human rights racket first.
December 29, 2018
If folk are fleeing for safety, accommodating them in a purpose-built haven should suit their intent. However, distinct from a ‘camp’ a more permanent new town funded internationally would provide better conditions & services for all to pass through toward a better long-term destination.
Efficient solutions are fairly easily devised. Sensible cooperation of nations is the difficulty that enables the increasing problems to prevail.
December 29, 2018
Australia showed the world how to deal with boat people, unfortunately we have an establishment who doesn’t really want to control immigration, for nobody can be as incompetent and useless as they are. It is pretty obvious that the only deterrent is, as you say, to make sure these people don’t benefit from their attempt to break into our country. When they should be immediately returned to France, we know they will be given tax payers money to run legal rings around our ineffectual authorities, with the result they will be given the right to stay here, under some claim for a right to a family life or some other human rights wheeze.
December 29, 2018
Indeed. One of the worst Governments in history. 9.4million first generation immigrants in this Country, half of them in the last 8 years of Tory misgovernment. What a shambles this lot are!
December 29, 2018
Probably the most incompetent and useless government of my lifetime. Think about it. Jeremy Corbyn PM, Diane Abbott HS…yes really, considered a possibility because they are so useless….
zorro
December 29, 2018
This is not carelessness; this is deliberate policy designed to wipe the English off the planet and steal their country by an international Asiatic crime syndicate.
December 29, 2018
First no asylum seeker or refugee should be allowed in this country from France. It is a safe country. Applications should be made at first country entered. They travelled across all EU countries. Why was this allowed?
Javid’s plan incorporates UN immigration pact which appears to have gone under the radar. Combine both plans and we have a new legal wave of mass immigration and less control by our nation state. Reduce to tens of thousands, allowed to settle in the community rather than detention centers. No ability to catch or deport has become the Home Office unofficial policy and then announce hundreds of thousands lost to the system and appear bewildered why homeless and rough sleepers have increased! Australia sensibly refuses to accept and turn boats around not to encourage more. Refused UN immigration pact.
Is the recent wave of economic migrants, boat people, with French help or conivance?
Too many part time politicians getting honours when there are far more deserving people across the country in full time jobs or volunteering in helping others selflessly. No disrespect JR. May promised change. The honours system is a disgrace.
December 31, 2018
The UN Migration Pact was signed, with minimal media coverage, on the pretext that it was not legally binding. The government then is bound by it and implements it. Liars and Shysters as usual.
December 29, 2018
Good morning.
I appreciate that our kind host has to use ‘sensitive language’ but this is simply a limp-wristed response to a problem that can be solved.
The people who wish to ‘illegally’ enter the UK do so because they cannot enter it by legal means. In short, these people a conducting criminal behaviour for their own personal self interest. They are not refugees seeking sanctuary – period !
If the UK government were to send these people back to France tout de suite then they would realise that their efforts are naught and would be discouraged.
If it were not possible to send them back, make it illegal to enter the UK without proper documentation and charge them. Followed by a swift trial, followed by a sentence and imprisonment. Once they realise they cannot profit from illegal entry then they will not come.
Sounds harsh ? Not when we have people living on the streets, pensioners having to sell their homes for care and people like me paying more and more taxes for less.
December 30, 2018
Your last paragraph is spot on. You could add the £14 billion in overseas aid wasted and pissed down the drain. University fees given to EU students but English charged to borrow at 61/2 percent!
The Tories have become the anti-English party even though they get most of their votes from England! People need to wake up.
December 29, 2018
Issuing safety warnings is pointless.
To stop the arrivals requires a fundamental change in approach. We need to recognise they are not asylum seekers and act accordingly. Make sure that reaching the UK does not set them up for life.
They should be expelled as soon as possible and held in detention camps until this happens.
None of this will happen of course. We need stronger leadership like the Visegrad countries.
December 29, 2018
hold them in camps? – they are being closed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-46152229
Presumably the people in them are released to vanish into their community who will ensure they stay here.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your knighthood, I’m sure you will now support TM’s Brexit deal to the same extent as before.
Reply It makes no difference to my opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement
December 29, 2018
Richly seconded. In the circumstances an honour highly creditable to receiver and giver alike.
December 29, 2018
Of course, the meaningful vote (MV) should have been taken by now; before the “Sir” announcement. Now it looks like May is trying to buy off the “veteran” MP before the MV. This puts JR well and truly “behind the eight ball”. He has to vote against Mrs May, regardless of constituency pressure; otherwise, he will be labelled a sell-out.
Reply Not so. The whips know of my opposition to the WA
December 29, 2018
I was implying that it would not make any difference to your opposition.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your knighthood.
December 29, 2018
Hear, hear!
December 29, 2018
Seconded👍
December 29, 2018
Congratulations Sir John.
Well deserved, for services to accuracy in Economics and Politics.
December 29, 2018
Well deserved.👋👋👋
December 29, 2018
My goodness, a richly deserved Knighthood for a sound, leave supporting and consistently proven right Sir John Redwood MP. What next something for Nigel Farage? Let us hope the Tory party can change back to become a sound pro real Brexit party from the current Libdem disingenuous rabble. The country can then avoid the Corbyn disaster and the party will not self destruct.
BBC far more interested in Twiggy and Southgate though! Did not even hear in mentioned by them.
December 29, 2018
@LL; “BBC far more interested in Twiggy and Southgate though! Did not even hear in mentioned by them.”
Our host has a highlighted mention on the BBC’s website. Of course, like all populist MSM broadcast outlets, the BBC radio and TV will highlight the popular audience grabbing gongs first!
Congratulations to our host.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations Sir John!
December 29, 2018
We must build a wall, and the French must pay for it. !!
Seriously, JR, I do not think the issuance of ‘clear safety warnings’ and imploring the lawbreakers ‘not to expose themselves to criminal gangs’, would make one iota of difference.
These people are fully aware of the risks they are taking, but are willing to take them in order to gain entry to these Islands illegally. The best way for the authorities to be more vigilant is to provide the necessary policing in the Channel, something the Home Secretary has apparently refused to do. Declaring a ‘major incident’ is palpably inadequate. These criminals should be returned to France forthwith.
December 29, 2018
I was unaware of your knighthood when I posted, JR. Warmest congratulations, Sir. No one more deserving.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on the Knighthood..
December 29, 2018
~
OH yes – Fantastic news _ Many congratulation, and well deserved..
Hope that’s not going to change you?
December 29, 2018
Off topic:
Congratulations, John on your Knighthood. Richly deserved.
December 29, 2018
OT: Congratulations on your very well deserved New Year Honour.
December 29, 2018
Dear John,
Congratulations on your Knighthood. I can see from your most recent posts you are still not a member of the Liberal Establishment so it looks for a change that pettiness has not excluded the deserving from proper honorific recognition.
Tony
December 29, 2018
Alas about 80% of the list is the usual depressing time server types. With only about 20% of the truly deserving scientists, medical people, business people and similar. Heavily slanted to political correctness, state sector bureaucrats, people in the public eye regardless of merit and people who toe the line as usual.
Has anyone ever had an award for being a good landlord I wonder? Perhaps they are all just unscrupulous as the BBC always has it.
December 29, 2018
LL – Sixty-odd years ago I knew an elderly couple, Jerry and Edna. They were landlords. Their cars had the number plates OBE 1 and OBE 2. But they never got an OBE.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your knighthood!
(Well-deserved, but surprised by the timing?)
December 29, 2018
Regarding the migrants: are we quite sure they are setting off from France rather than being launched close to the UK coast?
Who is providing them with the rubber dinghies, or do we really believe they are buying these themselves and transporting them to the coast without vehicles? Perhaps they are buying them online? There is more organisation going on in the background here than the authorities care to investigate.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your knighthood Sir Mr Redwood, as for rescuing these illegals if they are caught they should be returned straight away and not allowed onto our shores, this is why the UK was built with its own moat to help stop foreigners invading our country , whos to say how many isis or other terrorise have made the journey across , this is why we should stop being soft on them to send a message to others that they are not wanted and I’m not bothered who this might upset but our safety should come first or the loss of our forces aboard whos lives have been taken in the name of freedom is worthless
December 29, 2018
Your knighthood is richly deserved, John – congratulations.
Re dangerous and illegal Channel crossings: is it totally beyond the capabilities of the French and English Border forces/police to uncover and charge the crooks who run the system, thus dealing with the cause rather than just the symptoms?
December 29, 2018
Yes, congratulations on your award but when awards like this are made to serving politicians in the Commons I prefer to focus on the timing of the award and who stands to gain from such honorific aggrandisement. Evidently, May desires your loyalty and loyalties are so easily bought using the various tokens and trinkets contrived by a politicised British establishment
May’s position as PM is now solid and Brexit is dead
With reference to illegal immigration. Why should I care? Why should the British people care? British politicians couldn’t care less. Why should I?
The British political class despise the British people. We are mere taxpaying automatons without a voice and ruled over by politicians whose only concern is personal advancement
Reply I am not changing my approach to Brexit
December 29, 2018
Congratulations, Sir John.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations
December 29, 2018
The award of a Knighthood to Nick Clegg came dangerously close to bringing the whole system into disrepute…but the balance has been restored. Arise, Sir John. Well deserved.
December 29, 2018
Good grief..they have actually given a knighthood to someone who deserves one!! Fabulous.Congratulations!!
Whatever happened to “ We will be in control of our borders”? Apparently we now can’t even defend the Channel.
December 29, 2018
Off topic:
Congratulations. So richly deserved.
I don’t know how you do all you do.
December 29, 2018
Yes, hearty congratulations although your name needs no embellishment. Joy. Redwood was a great Welsh Secretary – he never signed anything he could not read and agree (no Welsh Translations). If we did not need him in nr. 11 so desperately we would need him in the Honme Office …. Foreign Office … Department of Industry … what job covers all of those things?
December 29, 2018
Congratulations Sir John.
Concerning the latest Migrant issue, it occurs to me that they must have entered France illegally, so why are the French not turning them back ?
Also they have what appears to be brand new inflatables, which were likely purchased in France.
They need to be turned around and sent straight back to France.
December 29, 2018
France is in Schengen which provides for the free movement of asylum seekers, economic migrants, murderers, rapists, terrorists, benefit seekers, etc.
December 29, 2018
All the so-called refugees intercepted by our vessels, should be checked for hypothermia. If they are O/K they should then be returned to France immediately. No interviews, no other help, just returned.
Every time another half-dozen or so make it to England, it encourages more to try.
I believe the recent increase in numbers cheating the system has been caused by the looming Brexit. The bogus refugees fear we may actually tighten our borders. They’re more confident than me.
P.S. Congratulations on your Knighthood JR.
December 29, 2018
Did I read about a Knighthood? Richly deserved, whatever happens youhave shown great leadership.
December 29, 2018
Sir John, it seems to me that rescue operations kill more people than save them by encouraging yet more of them to try it.
December 29, 2018
Dear JR,
Congratulations on your well deserved honour – Take no notice of comments from Clarke – usual drivel.
Regards,
Paul Cohen
December 29, 2018
It is the calm conditions due to the high pressure centred over the country that has increased the numbers crossing the Channel over the Christmas holiday. Regretfully patrol boats only encourage them to make the attempt and it is a large area to police in the dark.
We need to offer the French help in stopping the smugglers getting their hands on the RIBs, engines, and trailers. We could provide manpower to help get all these boats locked up ashore with their engines disenabled. The French can police all retail outlets for these type of boats for say a radius of 100 miles of Calais as it is not difficult to imagine that is the French who are making a lot of money in the ”off” season.
There will be an accident and some dinghies may have already been run down by a cargo ship. Those on board would never know if their ship hit one of these small craft and we will only find out if any wreckage is either found or washed up ashore.
Stop the supply of craft or at least curtail it and the weather will do the rest. We need to put all this in place now before the spring/summer weather comes in
December 29, 2018
Congratulations John.
No doubt Andy, Newmaniac, Margaret Howard et. al. will be adding their congratulations shortly.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations John. Richly deserved. Your blog title today sums us the situation. Helping migrants. At the moment it looks like they are getting all the help they need from the coastguards and other help to reach our shores illegally. They have paid to travel across Europe with the sole intention of reaching the UK for a life where they will be housed their children schooled free health and generous benefits. They deliberately get rid of their papers so it is difficult to send them back. Surely the least we should do is send them back to France which is a safe country and then its up to the French to send them back to the first European country they arrived in. The numbers coming over will increase as the weather improves. Migration watch say that around 80,000 people tried to gain entry to the UK and they are just the ones known about. Its all out of hand and the government needs to get a grip. We have no agreement with Brazil or India for repatriation so perhaps withholding foreign aid might assist here.
December 29, 2018
Sorry for going on. My phone showed my first post didn’t get published but I see now it has. Thanks John for including both posts.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your long overdue knighthood and thank you for your continued sterling work for Wokingham and Brexit
December 29, 2018
Congrats Sir JR – -deserved but late in my opinion.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your much deserved honour.
Just wish you and others of ability were in government rather than languishing on the backbemches whilst mediocrity reigns in Whitehall.
December 29, 2018
1. Surely the migrants that have been rescued have some intelligence on which the police can act?
2. O.T., Do you prefer to be addressed as Sir John or as Dr Redwood?
Reply Anything polite! I am the same John Redwood
December 29, 2018
Reply to reply. that’s nice to hear. Still humble.
December 29, 2018
Nice reply.
December 29, 2018
Warmest congratulations on your Knighthood. Hugely deserved.
December 29, 2018
Well deserved recognition for all your hard work,skills and experience.
When these people arrive just put them in a detention camp with no thrills and spills and then book them straight back on the next available ferry. They came from France that is where they go back to and the French do the same until they all arrive back in their country of origin. As the USA have finally woken up to the fact they cannot afford to be used as the worlds policeman the UK has to accept that it cannot be the doss house for all those wanting to get into our to and reap the benefits of our too generous welfare system. If it is good enough for Australia and New Zealand to turn these people away out at sea why can’t we.
December 29, 2018
It’s become obvious that the backstop offer put forward by the EU violates the strong and enforceable international right to political self determination meaning that May’s deal will fail in a judicial review. A judge will be forced to void the vote and we will return to a no deal.
There is also plenty of evidence that the civil service is in the process of executing the no deal run book based on publically available EU rules. These rules are the 1,2 and 3 month rules and available on the lex eu website. Such as signing the common transit agreement (2 whole months) and deregistering fishing vessels (3 months).
Importantly these rules are being done at the last minute. In otherwords they are being done as close to March 29th as possible. If May would have held her vote in Dec as planned, and won, these rules would not have needed to be triggered
However because May pulled out of the vote the no deal runbook had to be started. This has the effect that if May wins her vote there will not be enough time to undo the changes that have been executed in the run book. So for example, in April the British fishing fleet will not be able to fish in EU waters. The common transit arrangement will be in effect meaning importers and exporters will have to act like non EU countries
Voting for May’s deal will be possible but will cause chaos between the UK and the EU as we will have triggered administrative database changes which require months of planning to undo.
Worse still the vote will then get over turned by a judicial review and cause further chaos when the rules have to be reapplied again.
December 29, 2018
It seems that sir John agrees with this.
December 29, 2018
Wow! Absolutely brilliant!
Congratulations on your knighthood.
Sorry off topic. I have just read the news on Facts4EU and felt compelled to say something. I have never contributed to this site before but I have read it almost daily. I find it one of the few sources of common sense in these crazy times.
Keep up the good work. It is appreciated. I don’t know how you find the time.
December 29, 2018
Sir John Redwood, knighted for services to making the UK poorer, more divided and less relevant in a move by the PM that reeks of desperation.
Congratulations. Your life work has finally been recognised.
December 29, 2018
Tab. And you and Hans say other people’s posts are rude! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You are unreal.
December 29, 2018
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!
December 29, 2018
Why aren’t we sending all such immigrants back to France?
It often feels the French authorities are working against us in the matter of allowing these trips to continue.
As regards helping immigrants, (and us), when are UK authorities going to implement an induction process for all immigrants – There’s a whole bunch of things that could be included, like British habits and way of life, as well as how the work-ethic works. Many immigrant come from countries that do not share our values or customs, and many other qualities, and we should certainly be doing something to put that right.
JR – The spellchecker on this site seems to be the American one?
December 29, 2018
Web pages do not contain spellcheckers; I suggest you check your browser’s language setting.
December 30, 2018
(: Thanks
December 29, 2018
Congratulations Sir John
December 29, 2018
Dear Mr. Redwood,
Well the Home Secretary has appointed a Gold Commander now to deal with the growing crisis. Will that help?
December 29, 2018
The French could do so much more : restricting the sale of new rubber boats and outboards, for a start. Very few are ever sold in the winter months and the smugglers must be buying five or ten a week. Also it must be obvious that the purchasers of these items are not French nationals.
December 29, 2018
The French could actually try to arrest the smugglers .The media were able to contact them in a short time and were even given a telephone number to call
Difficult to believe this could not have been done by French security services.
Those MPs calling for a heavier presence of UK boats are not thinking straight as usual !
The boats only ensure safe passage to U.k shores ! This would immediately be exploited by smugglers
What many are anxious to know is what happens to illegal migrants once reaching U.k shores .Why are they not returned to France
Sending a group back to a safe country or returning Iranians would be cheaper than resettling in U.k and give a clear message that we will,not tolerate such incursions
The large amount of Iranians are coming from Slovenia who gave visa free entry to encourage tourism .Why would Iranians be able to claim asylum in UK? Yes they have a Theocracy which the middle classes did well under but now this oil,gold ,copper rich Country is suffering sanctions from US .
They have no real affection for the west so why allow asylum claims ?
The EU were aware the Serbian Plan was being exploited and some 12000 did not return home The scheme was stopped in consultation with EU in October
These Iranian were able to afford hotels and pay smugglers !
The EU should have taken steps to deal with the inevitable consequence of
Serbia’s action
December 29, 2018
Your loyalty to May’s been bought with this trinket. Your acceptance of it reveals the true nature of what our party’s become. We are now no more than an empty vessel
You know full well that with May as Tory leader and therefore as PM that the prospect of our leaving the EU and a rejection of the liberal left fascism is now at an end and yet you accept an honour from without question the most reviled Tory leader in our party’s history. That is not a reason to celebrate.
It’s a very sad day for the UK and British democracy when one of its most ardent proponents of Brexit chooses to accept an award from a PM that’s openly conspired to circumvent direct democracy and block our leaving
December 29, 2018
Duncan, you appear to know little, if anything, about how the Honours System works. Honours are not in the sole gift of the Prime Minister of the day, and Sir John could have been nominated by anyone or any group.
You should also note from his replies above that, as we have learned to expect over the years, he is a man of his word.
December 29, 2018
Duncan
Don’t judge the integrity of John Redwood by your own low standard.
Furthermore, who are you to pronounce definitive judgment re. “the most reviled Tory leader in our party’s history.”? You certainly don’t speak for me as I believe Ted Heath was far worse than Theresa May (and not just politically!).
Grow up and read a some British political history instead of your comic books and then you might not seem quite the fool you appear to be.
December 29, 2018
May I add my voice of congratulations on your Knighthood Sir. Richly deserved.
As for those crossing the channel to get here we should:
1. Pick them up from the boats they are using.
2. Land them back on a French beach.
3. Destroy the boats so that they cannot be re-used.
Landing them this side of the channel whereby when the set foot on English soil they have “made it” will only encourage more to follow. The Aussies seem to have the best ideas on this, but they have politicians of a higher calibre.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your knighthood, after 21 years of carefully explaining to four successive occupants of No 11 how all of them could do their job so much better if they tried, and in turn explaining to your readership what a complete shambles they were creating (a touch of sympathy being due to Alastair Darling for what he inherited). You may at some point leave the Commons with the courtesy title “the best Chancellor we never had”, but there is still hope for some enlightened Conservative leader to call upon your services.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations, Sir John, on your knighthood. Very well deserved
December 29, 2018
The award of your Knighthood was long overdue . You deserve it and I am very pleased for you . I am not blogging any more but I do wish you all the best .
December 29, 2018
Congratulations Sir John of Redwood!
I was stunned to see an award given to someone who really deserves it.
December 29, 2018
“Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.” 1 Corinthians 7:21
(Congratulations, John)
December 29, 2018
A good verse in support of voting leave.
If I can be free of Brussels’ control, I will take it.
Only 3 months to go now. Perhaps we are now on the home straight, provided HoC doesn’t move the finish line.
December 29, 2018
Just seen your Knighthood. Congratulations.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations on your knighthood-well deserved.
December 29, 2018
Many congratulations on your knighthood .
Richly deserved .
And all the more so as it was ‘ in spite of Brexit ‘
December 29, 2018
May’s plan is to split the Eurosceptic wing of the Tory party so that this weakens support for Boris Johnson, her main rival. This award and its acceptance by one of the UK’s most ardent Brexit supporters is part of that plan.
I never thought a principled Eurosceptic politician’s loyalty could be so easily bought by a PM that is the living embodiment of Europhile, liberal left authoritarianism
And no doubt as I type May will be instructing the Home Sec. to open up our borders once more to all who desire to enter irrespective of source
May will sell her soul to the devil for a few brownie points from the Guardian and the BBC
The Tory party is DEAD
Reply I made no promises when asked if I would accept a knighthood and have the same views today as before.
December 29, 2018
Your views are of no importance. They are mere opinion.
What is far more important is how this PM is using the Honours system to secure future loyalty as leader of our party. It is my belief that Eurosceptic Tory MPs are being targeted with gongs to secure support to keep May as our leader.
I find it disagreeable that decent Tory voters will now no doubt have to tolerate this grotesque leader even longer now that she’s managed to split the Eurosceptic (anti-May) wing of the Tory party
I cannot believe that you would think that this would be interpreted in any other way.
What is the point of all this any more? The liberal left’s infected both parties and the voter’s grip over the political class is now absolutely neutralised
With May in charge Brexit is dead. With this gong and your acceptance of it May’s secured your loyalty
There is nothing else to say
I have always admired and respected your defiance in the face of liberal left fascist intolerance and I wish you well but this award’s left a sour taste
Congratulations, anyway
December 29, 2018
Duncan
Oh deary me.
Look, if John Redwood was what you imply, he’d have been sussed long ago.
Even if Downing Street was attempting to buy him off, which I very much doubt, they’ll come to realise the attempt was futile.
Sir Redwood will not be doing any u-turns. Be thankful there is at least one MP of his personal and professional integrity.
December 29, 2018
Duncan
I revise what I wrote in my earlier message. You are an idiot!
December 29, 2018
If you want to take a sceptical view of Sir John’s honour, why not presume that Sir John has been honoured precisely because he cannot be bought in order to camouflage another who might have been? geddit?
In truth, Sir John is the hardest working, most patriotic Englishman in Parliament and if anyone deserves an honour, he does.
December 30, 2018
Duncan: “What is far more important is how this PM is using the Honours system to secure future loyalty as leader of our party. ”
Yes, the honours system is rotten to the core.
But another very real problem in Parliament, is how many of the governing party’s MPs are employed by the Prime Minister. That is an utter corruption of representative democracy.
December 29, 2018
The knighthood is coming from the Queen to one of her longest serving and most valuable Privy Counsellors. It is long overdue.
December 29, 2018
Italy has stemmed the flow by getting tough.
Same needs to happen in the UK. Deport them immediately back to France as a safe country.
Dublin rules apply
December 29, 2018
Many congratulations on your Knighthood John. Fully deserved.
December 29, 2018
There is only one solution and that is to remove the incentive. The French must agree to take back these people. Anything less leaves them with blood on their hands. You must also ask the question as to why this is happening now? Is it more project fear? Has this problem being going on for years but the MSM are only now being allowed to report it? Or is it the French turning a blind eye as they want to rid themselves of these people? Our Governments have a lot to answer for using these poor people’s lives as political pawns.
December 29, 2018
Christine
“Or is it the French turning a blind eye as they want to rid themselves of these people?”
Worse, the French have been deliberately using our country as a dumping ground, been going on for years.
The only solution is to simply send these people back to France. If the French don’t like it….tough.
December 29, 2018
Rather tardy in adding my own congratulations, but do so heartily. Great.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations Sir John.
December 29, 2018
These paying passengers need to be returned immediately to France. It is the only way to ensure that the money spent has been wasted, and to put the traffickers out of business, and so to deter others from following. It would save lives.
Our benefits system should be denied to illegal immigrants indefinitely. I will not be holding my breath that our socialist Government (or Marxist opposition) would agree to any measures that put citizens of the UK ahead of illegal migrants.
December 29, 2018
Many congratulations on the well deserved knighthood.
December 29, 2018
Personal note only.
Congratulations on your most deserved Knighthood John; for services rendered to the good citizens of the United Kingdom. A true accolade, with or without the irrelevant Monarchistic trinket.
As an ardent Republican, I salute you on behalf of ordinary citizens for your honesty, integrity and adherence to the true duty of their needs.
Good luck for the future.
December 29, 2018
More to the point why do we need to pay 108Million to charter ships for trade to the continent- I thought all of that was sorted when we voted to leave- also we’re only opening up more routes for the Migrants to try
December 29, 2018
Brahm
“More to the point why do we need to pay 108Million to charter ships for trade to the continent”
Because we don’t have any, and there reason for that is because successive governments have run down our shipbuilding capability, a treason for which they will be held to account when we get our country back.
What annoys me though is the fact that the French were given contracts. Did the government allow them to blackmail us ? I wouldn’t be at all surprised.
Also Downing Street has said the move without putting to tender was due to an urgent (unspecified) situation that had developed.
Why are they not saying what it was ? Probably if we were told we’d be even more anti-EU. MP’s need to force disclosure and get this out.
December 29, 2018
Why do they all want to come to Britain? France is a prosperous country. Germany even more so.
December 29, 2018
John S
Because we’re soft enough to give them a free living, while our own beg on the streets.
December 29, 2018
John S
“Why do they all want to come to Britain? France is a prosperous country. Germany even more so.”
According to the list of countries by immigrant population, based on the United Nations report World Population Policies the European countries that have the highest net foreign populations are:
Country Population Percentage
Austria pop 1,234,000 15 5%
France pop 6,471,000 10.2%
Germany pop 10,144,000 12.3%
Italy 5,000,000 8.2%
Netherlands 1,638,000 10%
Spain 4,790,000 10.8%
Switzerland 1,660,000 23%
United Kingdom 5,408,800 9%
==
As you can see only Italy is lower than us. It pays to check ones facts.
December 29, 2018
Margaret. That’s not the point. The point is we are having to support all these people when we already have a high population with housing problems already and an NHS which is creaking at the seams. They are entering the country illegally. Or doesn’t that bother you? Perhaps you condone criminal behaviour and won’t mind if they carry on when they get here? You are always at odds with everyone else on this blog Margaret. You obviously like confrontation in your life.
December 29, 2018
Ironically – you are probably more of a drain on the state than most of them.
December 30, 2018
Andy, I have paid tax all my life even when I was in Spain for 4 years. I have paid for my state pension too. My husband is 72 and still pays thousands in tax each year. Would you say that a young person was a drain on society if they were ill or needed help with housing etc? No, you are just so anti pensioners.
December 29, 2018
Not a very meaningful set of statistics. It didn’t include Luxembourg where 46% of its population is foreign born.
More important for the indigenous populations are the percentage of immigrants who have no intention of integrating with their host nation and even want to change the laws and culture back to those of their original country.
December 29, 2018
What is the population level per square mile ? That’s the issue.
December 29, 2018
Margaret – you are confusing percentages with numbers – quite a different thing for outcomes.
December 29, 2018
Sincere congratulations on your knighthood.
One of this government’s best decisions.
Looking forward to your appointment to a senior cabinet post in dur course.
December 29, 2018
Best wishes for 2019, Sir John.
December 29, 2018
So why was this activity not captured by surveillance and the boats immediately returned to where they entered the water by France.
Immediate deportation to the continent or a UN refugee camp , nearest to origin as we can best determine. No exception otherwise when the deaths occur some will use this to promote illegal immigration or have already planned to.
December 29, 2018
Congrats again John on a much-deserved knighthood.
On the thornier issue of migration, what is the point of having international treaties, conventions (eg Dublin), protocols, rules & regulations when France seems only too pleased to allow migrants to follow trafficking routes to Calais? They either turn a blind eye to them or refuse to offer them asylum, are they not a “safe” country any more?
As for your colleague, our inept and politically-correct Home Secretary, calls the present shambles a “major incident” when it’s no worse than we’ve seen for years, it’s beyond ridiculous, just pointless posturing. It remains totally unacceptable that our public services and those who work in them and our bloated welfare budget face continued strain by having to support people who have no right to be here
December 29, 2018
“Rather than being a government, which has lied to you for the last two and a half years and is presently ramming through the Withdrawal Agreement/ Treaty, which is unbelievably bad for the country and will enslave you, we are in fact a just government, willing even to honour an effective opponent of this our main policy, which actually is the best possible way forward for the country…”
December 29, 2018
Of course these migrants should be picked up. But they must be returned to their point of origin and NEVER be brought into this country without ALL correct documentation in place. Unless that is done we have no idea who they are nor what they want here that they cannot get from mainland Europe or the first safe country they enter.
They should never be permitted to chose. International Law decides.
December 29, 2018
Congratulations, an honorable man rightly honored.
December 29, 2018
It seems likely that this small outbreak of boat people will be short lived.
It’s largely been caused by the (now rectified), Serbian Tourist visa arrangement, and by the fact that the Channel is quiet over the Christmas period whilst the weather has been calm.
When the ferries are running it’s near impossible to try to do this without being seen.
Neither is 200 or so people arriving in the past two months much to write about in the scheme of things. At the peak of legal migration the net numbers were over 1000 a DAY.
These people also appear to be quite well off financially, and would be easily absorbed into the communities here which they are seeking to join. Furthermore with them being illegal they will never qualify for any State Benefits.
But those who are caught/rescued MUST be sent back as a deterrent to others who try to circumvent the system and the people traffickers who are running this business prosecuted and have their boats confiscated regardless.
And there’s no good sending the passengers back to France or Belgium either. If they’re in UK waters they can be deported back to wherever they first came from, and if they won’t tell us, to wherever we decide they came from.
Otherwise they suffered no penalty for trying, and will likely try again.
December 29, 2018
I am genuinely appalled – though not surprised – at how nasty and hate-filled many of you are.
In the mid 1930s, faced with an influx of Jewish people, the British government tightened immigration rules. It loosened them again after Kristalnacht but, even so, only allowed around 100,000 Jewish people in. An estimated half a million Jews were turned away. They also turned away from other European countries and Canada, amongst others.
We know how this turn our. It is a stain on the conscience of this nation that we gave in to the haters then and did so little to help.
The current ongoing crisis is not on the same scale – but do not doubt that hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing for their lives. Many are Muslim and they are facing persecution, war, terror in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and a host of other countries.
And, yes, perhaps they want a better life for themselves and their kids than spending the next 20 years in a camp.
We should applaud them. We should help them. We should change the rules to allow them to work. And we should force all of you entitled people to spend a day in their shoes so you can learn how fortunate you all are.
You haters are the modern day stains on Britain.
December 29, 2018
Oh. Let’s just abolish the borders and our country.
Why do you not insult ANZACs so ?
December 29, 2018
So no limits on numbers then andy?
One million a year ?
More?
Ten million a year?
Come on you young virtue signaller do tell us.
I presume you will be opening your family mansion spare bedrooms to these poor people being all concerned as you are.
December 30, 2018
“The current ongoing crisis is not on the same scale – but do not doubt that hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing for their lives.”
We’re not envisaging “hundreds of thousands” wanting to come to the UK, not even millions, but tens of millions, or even more. Africa alone has 1200 milion people and is expanding at the rate of 30 million per year.
How many people do you want to let in ?
What will the UK look like with these quantities of people taking residence ?
We already have some idea from those who are already here and from the state of the countries from which they come.
December 29, 2018
The passengers in the boats should not be described as “migrants” but as “criminals” as they are PAYING the people smugglers very large sums of money to get into our country illegally. They are as complicit as the smugglers in this illegal enterprise and should be treated accordingly.
If they are caught in the on the English side of the Channel with no papers then their boat should be towed back to French waters.
If they have papers then should be deported back to their own country.
We do not know for certain why these people wish to come to the UK and it should not be taken for granted that they approve of our culture and wish to integrate into our society. Or even that they wish to do us no harm
December 29, 2018
It is not possible for us to accommodate everyone in the ME and Africa who would like to come and live in the UK, whatever the UN, Mr. Soros and Mrs. Merkel may think.
Mrs. Merkel, Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin 21/11/2018 :
“Sovereign nation states must not listen to the will of their citizens when it comes to questions of immigration, borders, or even sovereignty.”
December 29, 2018
Identity cards for all. And no job without an identity card. And REALLY draconian punishment for anyone who employs someone who does not have a card. And I don’t mean prison – I mean confiscating everything – house, business – the lot. It won’t solve the problem of these poor people having such hopeless lives they will risk their life to come here. But we can’t take everyone in the world who is in dire straits. Make it so there is no point them coming here – and use the foreign aid budget to try to help their own country. I don’t know what else one could do.
December 29, 2018
It was Brexiteer David Davis who was the biggest opponent to identify cards. Ironic.
But do you not see the problem in your plan? Refugees are entitled to come here to seek refuge. We are obligated under international law and common human decency to help.
And yet while their cases are investigated asylum seekers are not allowed to work. Most would probably like to but rules prevent it. And so that gives people like you ammunition to call them scroungers. Even though they are also not allowed to claim benefits either. Perhaps Parliament should legislate to allow asylum seekers to take temporary work while their cases are considered. They would welcome this and it would help shut the haters up too.
December 30, 2018
What refugees “are entitled to” is to leave their place of danger and take refuge in the nearest place of safety temporarily.
Plainly if you live in the Middle East or Africa that is not going to be the UK.
What we see in Northern France are economic migrants who want to enjoy life in the UK without going through the usual applications for immigration that others do.
PS
Mike Wilson never mentioned the word scroungers nor did he even allude to it.
You make stuff up all the time andy
December 29, 2018
The best solution is to destroy the market for these parasites on the back of human misery. Look after refugees in the camps in the Middle East and spellout the rules for enterring the UK.
Those who have got as far as Italy or France should apply via our embasies. If we want to stop the cross Channel dangers and kill off the smugglers market we need to be more generous at this stage of the process without advertising it. Generally we are dealing with well educated families. Like we dealt with the East African Asians, they could quickly become assets in our post Brexit economy. I often wonder if remainers ask themselves why so many refugees wish to take a bet on the UK when they the remainer have so little faith in a sovereign UK.
December 29, 2018
Here’s a thought. Perhaps displaced people don’t want to spend the next two decades in a camp – watching their kids futures vanish down temporary toilets and handouts of rice.
December 30, 2018
In France?
December 30, 2018
Andy
As you have repeatedly told us that the UK is a hellhole , with no future for young people I suggest you pop over to Syria and warn them that they wouldn’t want to come here
December 29, 2018
There has been much talk for years that the smugglers must be stopped/arrested etc. but I have never heard of a single one being apprehended – is this correct? And they are reported of being active openly in the camps and cafes. Also it must be simple to act as a refugee and get approached by a smuggler and then arrest him – simples.
To employ more navy ships to ‘patrol’ the Channel is shortsighted. As they will be employed in only picking up boat people why not pay fishermen on their non quota days to go out and pick them up and earning more?
December 29, 2018
How could successive Home Secretaries have been so grossly negligent? I suppose because of who and what they were.
We have had the graphic example of what happens if you lay on a water taxi service in the Mediterranean. We have had the alternative example of what happens if you make it clear illegal immigrants are not going to be allowed to land and will never qualify for future immigration.
So why did Mrs May, Amber Rudd, and Sajid Javid decide to follow the Mediterranean example and not the Australian one? Because, like Brexit, the Australian one was too much of a chore. It would have meant discussing the problem at international level and probably coming out of the vastly abused Geneva Convention and ECHR. Let’s just muddle along as we are and not make a fuss. Well, Charlie Elphicke isn’t having it any more.
December 30, 2018
JR: “selling them expensive trips in unsuitable boats across the Channel. ”
Where do the migrants get these phenomenal amounts of money to buy into the people smuggling rackets?
If the authorities really wanted to smash the people smuggling rings, they’d track the cash back to its source ( cough, Sorros ) and other NWO and NG operations, often funded by government subsidy.
It’s amusing in a macarbe sort of way, that the government should be prosecuting itself as it is, itself through its manifold subsidies, funding people smuggling, terrorism and money laundering.
Can we see some arrests and prosecutions, please?
December 31, 2018
What an extraordinary achievement! Mrs May has managed to lose control of the Channel, the first person to do that since Aethelred the Unready.
As for the Home Secretary saying there are no easy answers, just imagine if Elizabeth I had proclaimed that at Tilbury.