A TOE IN  THE WATER...

OK, I`ll test the water here on what is undoubtedly a tricky and sensitive subject.  It concerns illegal immigration and whilst I may be reluctant to write too much about it I am acutely aware that it is a subject that is especially relevant to us residents and taxpayers here in Kent.  Yesterday, for example, saw a record number of people illegally crossing the English Channel from the French coast - some 430 arrived on Kent`s beaches having made the perilous journey in inflatable dinghies.   That was the highest ever recorded daily number.

So far this month alone there have been over 3,000 entering the country illegally  on the Kent coast and at least 8,000 so far this year - more than the whole of last year.  I saw a recent report that suggested that there are at least 800,000 living in the UK whose status is, shall we say, uncertain.   The influx into Kent has already seen the county council declaring that it is no longer able to deal with the number of unaccompanied children who have made the crossing and the calls on the county`s other resources are understandably `strained.`

It`s a difficult thing to write about without appearing unsympathetic towards those who may have a legitimate reason for making the crossing and I do understand the imperatives that drive people seeking a better life into the hands of people smugglers; but I`m not sure that continuing to accept the number of people making the journey is sustainable.  It`s interesting to note that the majority of those arriving on our shore come from Iran and Iraq, seem mainly to be young men and one wonders about the impact on the spread of the coronavirus by such illegal entry, not to mention the conspiracy theory concerning invasion by stealth.

The Government`s approach seems either to do nothing or take the scorched earth option which is what the new legislation currently going through Parliament seems to indicate.   It`s all a bit extreme which is what is not needed in bringing some semblance of order to the current chaos.   

Perhaps public perception is not helped by the fact that the BBC in particular seem keen to press the case to allow the status quo to continue by invariably interviewing charities in support of the migrant influx or, as witnessed on BBC Breakfast this morning, showing a lengthy and sympathetic piece about how desperate the migrants are, how terrible the conditions they have to face when they arrive and other countries take more migrants than we do and anyway the numbers are actually not so bad as they used to be.   Really?

I don`t subscribe to the scorched earth policies that some would have, rather as a resident and taxpayer of the Garden of England I would prefer a system that is fair, practical, affordable and sustainable.   Just need a Government that will come up with a solution like that.   In the meantime, I`ll just carry on paying for it all but with a growing feeling of mounting disenchantment.  

Time to take my toe out of the water rather than jump in with both feet........