Migrant Boats To England

[naomi24]

//James Salmon, who owns tour boat company Dover Sea Safari, has rescued scores of migrants from the English Channel in the past year - and warned that the problem is getting worse.//

http://news.sky.com/story/1708473/three-migrants-intercepted-in-english-channel

If this has been happening and getting worse for the past year, why hasn’t it been more widely reported?

[Maydup]

Because its part of everyday life for a port. More people are taken off lorries and from the underside of coaches than is widely reported, more make it over the channel in boats than we realise and many more are detained on false passports.

Its only widely reported when it becomes unusual. So we hear when 20 people are found stuffed in the back of a transit van on the M1, or if a boat were to capsize.

The migrant help centre in Dover has been busy for over 50years.

http://www.migranthelpuk.org

[Old_Geezer]

There has been more reports regarding smuggling across the channel recently. And it says James has been rescuing for a year rather than it's been ramping up for a year. It's plausible this is about the right time to draw attention to his experience. The main issue is what the authorities intend to do to stop it. The story seems to imply that they do little or nothing.

[Svejk]

A conspiracy of silence? Until very recently, I'd never heard of 1 person trying to get here, illegally, by boat.

[Baldric]

///"They have since been transported to Dover where processing of the group is underway," the Home Office said.///

Why do they keep bringing them to Dover, we have a Border Control in Calais, why not dump 'em back there where they came from?

[Maydup]

The south coast of England has colourful history of people crossing the channel. It just not been reported as widely as it has recently and since the word migrant became common use.

[naomi24]

Svejk, //Until very recently, I'd never heard of 1 person trying to get here, illegally, by boat. //

Neither had I. And there we are all busy concentrating on the Mediterranean.

Maydup, I don't agree that what is happening now is part of everyday life for a port. We're familiar with tales of people stowing away in lorries, but we've not been made aware of this until very recently.

[EDDIE51]

Why has it not been reported more widely? Because most of them get across undetected? Plus as said, just two or three being found is no longer newsworthy.
Of course all this will magically stop if we leave the EU !

[douglas9401]

Not migrants, suicidal illegal immigrants.

[naomi24]

Eddie, //Of course all this will magically stop if we leave the EU ! //

We know this won't stop but hopefully the current rights of millions of people to come and go as they wish will.

[naomi24]

Douglas, //Not migrants, suicidal illegal immigrants.//

It has to happen, surely!

[Maydup]

Naomi - you being unaware of it doesn't mean its not an everyday occurance!

We haven't mentioned the swimmers - here's a random report from 2012 when a swimmer died in her attempt to cross. As I said, only reported when newsworthy, but nevertheless old news for the people of the south coast.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188130/Migrant-woman-dies-trying-swim-English-Channel-Britain.html

[Old_Geezer]

Hardly magically Eddie. But the authorities may well realise that, what with immigration being one of the reasons to get out, that they find the incentive to beef up detection. Of course the major benefit re immigration control on leaving is the removal of the right of foreign EU citizens to just stroll in. But I'm sure that you are aware of that and are just trouble making. Naughty naughty.

[naomi24]

Maydup, //you being unaware of it doesn't mean its not an everyday occurance!//

Clearly! However, the question is why hasn’t it been more widely reported? I'd say it's newsworthy.

[EDDIE51]

It's not just the South Coast , I read there are literally tens of thousands of 'landing places' around the 7,000 mile coastline of the UK , any one of which can be used to land a small boat without anyone taking notice.
For a small inflatable even a beach will do, not even a jetty is needed.
Such an inflatable can be carried on a larger boat and used to put people ashore.

[Maydup]

Here is a local news report from 2013 on the subject of migrants crossing the channel in boats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-22843947

[naomi24]

Eddie, I'd say most people are aware of that. However, the south coast is clearly the most convenient place to head for. I wouldn't fancy their chances of making it from Calais to, say, Northumberland.

[naomi24]

Maydup, oddly enough the first report I read a few weeks ago was a local one. This should be national news.

[Maydup]

A recent attempt to reach a Norfolk beach here

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/migrants_attempt_to_reach_sea_palling_from_the_netherlands_1_4554200

[naomi24]

Maydup, another local report. Doesn't the lack of national reports concern you?

[Jackdaw33]

What's wrong with Northumberland? We have some lovely soft beaches, ideal for landing, provided you can get there in the first place.