Borders Closed To Shut Out New Strains (Apparently)

[Spungle]

The headlines today are "Borders Closed to Shut out new strains" (of Covid)- the question is do we have an effective Border Force to repel illegal entrants, when we have 15,000 illegal immigrants a year attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK?
https://www.europol.europa.eu/migrant-smuggling-use-of-small-boats-to-cross-english-channel-0

[bednobs]

i dont get how you think people here illgally will get the vaccine?

[New Judge]

//Where does your figure of 15,000 come from?//

That figure has been bandied about as “attempted” during 2020. It’s rubbish. There are four classes of actual and attempted illegal migrants:

(a) Those who made it here, were counted as they came ashore and processed by the authorities (that’s the 8,500).

(b) Those who tried to get here but were returned to France.

(c) Those who made it here but were not counted as they came ashore.

(d) Those who tried to get here and failed for some reason.

The authorities know about (a) and (b). They nothing about (c) and (d) – and there is every likelihood that the numbers in class (c) are substantial.

//i dont get how you think people here illgally will get the vaccine?//

Those in (c) above will in all probability not receive the vaccination unless they get taken under the wing of some refugee support organisation. Those in (a) above are immediately afforded the full care and protection of whichever Local Authority they end up in. They will almost certainly be classified as “homeless” and as I said, homeless people being prioritised for vaccination.

[bednobs]

So 8500 people out of 69 might get prioritised then

[bednobs]

69 million

[New Judge]

It doesn't matter if it's just one - it's one too many.

[tomus42]

The people that go to the front of the queue are the ones they think are more likely to die. They're trying to bring the numbers down so the graphs look better and things can get back to normal quicker.

That's how it is. Moaning about which people are more deserving than others is irrelevant.

[New Judge]

How are illegal immigrants more likely to die than a seventy year old, Tomus? I'm not moaning about the current priority list - it makes perfect sense. What doesn't make sense is to prioritise people who pitch up on the doorstep.

[tomus42]

Is that happening NJ or is it your assumption? I see one story of the homeless being prioritised in Oldham from your link. I see nothing about illegal immigrants being prioritised.

To be fair, if they're lucky enough for their rubber boat to pitch up on the shores of Oldham they would probably get to jump the queue.

[New Judge]

//Is that happening NJ or is it your assumption?//

It is an assumption. I based it on the fact that many homeless charities are now calling for the homeless to be prioritised. Once pressure groups start making noises and their demands hit the Twittersphere this government has a habit of succumbing to those demands. Where Oldham leads, many will follow. Since many illegal migrants will be classified as "homeless" it is likely they will be among those prioritised.

[tomus42]

//Since many illegal migrants will be classified as "homeless" it is likely they will be among those prioritised.//

I doubt it, but I admit it's possible. I reckon any illegal immigrants that are caught will not be classed as homeless on the grounds that they'll be held in a detention centre somewhere. Hopefully they'll be tested though.