Why Aren’t Illegal Immigrants Arriving On Small Boats Arrested?

[Hymie]

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly clearly states in this youtube video that coming on a small boat is illegal, but cannot explain why they are not arrested as soon as they set foot off the boat.

Answers on a postcard, please.

[royfromaus]

Hymie
royfromaus - Where do you live, Hymie? – if you had read a few of my AB posts you would quickly conclude that I’m in the UK.


______________________________

So if I put

Hymie in the UK, you will receive the postcard then?

Impressive dat.

[THECORBYLOON]

ROY, did you expect him to give his postal address?

[ichkeria]

Maybe he was thrown by the stupidity of the questions.
In any case I’d question the “criminal” tag.

[New Judge]

//In any case I’d question the “criminal” tag.//

The Immigration Act 1971, reinforced by the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, makes it an offence to arrive in the UK without leave. The only exception for refugees is for those arriving directly from a place where they are in peril.

https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/immigration

Nobody living in France meets that description.

Of course there are numerous defences to the offence (both statutory and Common Law) which the government is attempting to tighten up on.

[Hymie]

As NJ notes, there are numerous defences open to illegal immigrants arriving on small boats.

One of the statutory defences (of arriving illegally in the UK) is that the immigration offence was committed as a necessary part of the refugee’s journey to the UK.

I’m no lawyer, but I would think 100% of those refugees arriving on small boats could successfully employ this defence – and therefore they are not arriving illegally.

[-SharonA-]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12020963/Over-1-850-migrants-crossed-Channel-April-busiest-month-small-boat-arrivals-year.html