Pandemic and illegal immigrants

tangerinenotorange

Well-known member
Disturbing report in the papers that the UK now has an estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants walking the streets, amounting to one quarter of the entire total in Europe. This figure is consistent with previous estimates of the illegal population in the UK by the Pew Research Centre in 2019, but the NAO acknowledged it had not attempted to verify the number. There is also evidence that French navy tugs are escorting immigrants to the UK. The immigrants tell UK officials they are from Iran and war-torn Afghanistan and Syria and that their lives are in danger and they are duly admitted and registered. These are in addition to the 1.2 million undetected.

Some will say that's OK because these are political refugees and we have a duty to let them in. However, the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19. I assume that those landing in the UK undetected join up with relatives already living in city centres and mix with their compatriots and the general public. Obviously, they will not disclose any virus symptoms for fear of being deported. If the numbers quoted are accurate this is going to render any test and trace regime worthless.

The govt has now set up a task force comprising the SBS, MI5 and GCHQ to identify the immigrants in the English Channel and give them assistance and medical help. This comes just days after Priti Patel asked French border chiefs to up their game as the number of Channel crossings was accelerating out of control.
 
Disturbing report in the papers that the UK now has an estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants walking the streets, amounting to one quarter of the entire total in Europe. This figure is consistent with previous estimates of the illegal population in the UK by the Pew Research Centre in 2019, but the NAO acknowledged it had not attempted to verify the number. There is also evidence that French navy tugs are escorting immigrants to the UK. The immigrants tell UK officials they are from Iran and war-torn Afghanistan and Syria and that their lives are in danger and they are duly admitted and registered. These are in addition to the 1.2 million undetected.

Some will say that's OK because these are political refugees and we have a duty to let them in. However, the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19. I assume that those landing in the UK undetected join up with relatives already living in city centres and mix with their compatriots and the general public. Obviously, they will not disclose any virus symptoms for fear of being deported. If the numbers quoted are accurate this is going to render any test and trace regime worthless.

The govt has now set up a task force comprising the SBS, MI5 and GCHQ to identify the immigrants in the English Channel and give them assistance and medical help. This comes just days after Priti Patel asked French border chiefs to up their game as the number of Channel crossings was accelerating out of control.

You’d never get a job as a reporter, for the BBC!
 
Disturbing report in the papers that the UK now has an estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants walking the streets, amounting to one quarter of the entire total in Europe. This figure is consistent with previous estimates of the illegal population in the UK by the Pew Research Centre in 2019, but the NAO acknowledged it had not attempted to verify the number. There is also evidence that French navy tugs are escorting immigrants to the UK. The immigrants tell UK officials they are from Iran and war-torn Afghanistan and Syria and that their lives are in danger and they are duly admitted and registered. These are in addition to the 1.2 million undetected.

Some will say that's OK because these are political refugees and we have a duty to let them in. However, the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19. I assume that those landing in the UK undetected join up with relatives already living in city centres and mix with their compatriots and the general public. Obviously, they will not disclose any virus symptoms for fear of being deported. If the numbers quoted are accurate this is going to render any test and trace regime worthless.

The govt has now set up a task force comprising the SBS, MI5 and GCHQ to identify the immigrants in the English Channel and give them assistance and medical help. This comes just days after Priti Patel asked French border chiefs to up their game as the number of Channel crossings was accelerating out of control.
I suggest you stop reading The Mail on Sunday.😊
 
So...5 mins of Googling
The figures are made up and come from 2017 when Pew did the research and came up with the figures.
This is a BBC comment on them
And this is the 'Official' UK Gov site figures for illegal immigrants
.
If you want to browse all 3.....maybe the O/P would like to as well.....best to know the full facts rather than what you read on Facebook.
 
Don't be such a nob B-side. There are dozens of different estimates of illegal immigrants in the UK, but no official count because the government doesn't want to know and wouldn't know where to find them even if it did. The point of the OP is not the number here but the possibility 76% of them are carrying the virus.
 
Nonsense, just another racist article🙁
The French have no legal right to stop anyone who wants to set off from France and go for a sail into the English channel, but if the tides and currents take them out of French territorial waters (beyond 12 miles from the french coast) and into International waters, then the French navy has no jurisdiction. But if the immigrants then stray into our territorial waters, (within 12 miles of our coast) we it is us that has jurisdiction, we can stop them if we want to, But we obviously choose to let them in, - maybe we are still short of fruit pickers
 
Don't be such a nob B-side. There are dozens of different estimates of illegal immigrants in the UK, but no official count because the government doesn't want to know and wouldn't know where to find them even if it did. The point of the OP is not the number here but the possibility 76% of them are carrying the virus.
76% with the virus when 2% is a high end total for any location seems like a made up stat to me.
 
Poster posts links to facts and figures on an immigration related topic.

Posters immediately gets called racist, by the usual suspects who troll this politics forum.

That’s the problem with this type of topic now.
It’s almost impossible to raise and attempt to debate. Without getting shouted down and accused of racism - not just by the usual suspects on here, in all walks of life too.
 
What a strange bunch of posters we have on here. The OP warns about the risk of the spread of infection from unregistered immigrants because statistics show that in the Med immigrants are carrying the virus. As far as I can see he hasn't even given an opinion and he gets called a racist and a liar by the usual mob who can't grasp the concept of debate. The points made seem valid to me - lack of control over immigration, high level of infection likely and French naval assistance for immigrants to reach the UK.
 
We had this at the turn of the last century when Woolwich Arsenal and the Royal Engineers came up on the Flying Scotsman* for some pre-season friendlies at Raikes Hall Gardens.

They had that flu that was going around and it spread like wildfire-not just the UK but all the over the world.

*edit:might have been Stevensons Rocket
 
Disturbing report in the papers that the UK now has an estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants walking the streets, amounting to one quarter of the entire total in Europe. This figure is consistent with previous estimates of the illegal population in the UK by the Pew Research Centre in 2019, but the NAO acknowledged it had not attempted to verify the number. There is also evidence that French navy tugs are escorting immigrants to the UK. The immigrants tell UK officials they are from Iran and war-torn Afghanistan and Syria and that their lives are in danger and they are duly admitted and registered. These are in addition to the 1.2 million undetected.

Some will say that's OK because these are political refugees and we have a duty to let them in. However, the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19. I assume that those landing in the UK undetected join up with relatives already living in city centres and mix with their compatriots and the general public. Obviously, they will not disclose any virus symptoms for fear of being deported. If the numbers quoted are accurate this is going to render any test and trace regime worthless.

The govt has now set up a task force comprising the SBS, MI5 and GCHQ to identify the immigrants in the English Channel and give them assistance and medical help. This comes just days after Priti Patel asked French border chiefs to up their game as the number of Channel crossings was accelerating out of control.
What is your source for your post?
 
It's easy to find reports of illegal immigrant numbers, although I suspect nobody knows the true number. For those who can't read the link, it says "Dave Wood head of immigration enforcement at the Home Office knew the scale of the immigration problem from internal estimates that at least 150,000 foreign nationals entered the UK illegally every year and then disappeared into the black economy"

 
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What a strange bunch of posters we have on here. The OP warns about the risk of the spread of infection from unregistered immigrants because statistics show that in the Med immigrants are carrying the virus. As far as I can see he hasn't even given an opinion and he gets called a racist and a liar by the usual mob who can't grasp the concept of debate. The points made seem valid to me - lack of control over immigration, high level of infection likely and French naval assistance for immigrants to reach the UK.
So....lets make this clear.

The report mentioned by the O/P is from 2017 and not 2019 and is from a christian religious think tank in the USA

The stats/figures (even if you don't believe them) say that these figures were not correct and (as has been said) nobody knows the true figures because the figures for 'illegal immigrant' can be anything from a student over staying their visa....to a businessman remaining in the UK.....to a refugee paying to be smuggled in a boat to the UK.

The O/P wasnt being called a racist....the report was.....but it was a 'loaded' opinion that the UK is being 'swamped' with illegal immigrants and there are 800k - 1.2m currently here (highly disputed) and even more arriving to join 'other' illegal immigrants already in the UK......and according to the O/P's thinking....they MUST have C-19 and be infecting the general population in the UK.

Mr Farage's 'expose' of the French Navy shadowing immigrants was true.....but the French Navy had been following international law, saying: "It would be illegal to intervene with the boat. Instead, the navy is committed by law to save lives at sea, and consequently shadows boats that are at risk."....The French had also reported the boat....which was picked up by the British coast guard before anyone got away.....and this happens with all illegal crossings.

The addition of the the 'official' UK Gov site on illegal immigration 2019 - 2020 has shown a drop of 8% in immigrants (across all areas) since 2017.....It also showed that in 2019 we have the lowest level of illegal immigration since 2009......and even now...illegal immigration is dropping.

So......the O/P gave their view......but it wasn't backed up by the correct information
They took that info....reported it in a way that is incorrect....In a Trumpy #FakeNews way...and YES, every time some (with an ulterior narrative) tries to scare monger without giving the full info.....I'm going to check it out with all other sources before discussing it.

But don't let real facts get in the way.....everyone knows these people are shape shifting aliens trying to take over Lancashire and convert us all into Jehovah witnesses.....Fact.......
 
What a strange bunch of posters we have on here. The OP warns about the risk of the spread of infection from unregistered immigrants because statistics show that in the Med immigrants are carrying the virus. As far as I can see he hasn't even given an opinion and he gets called a racist and a liar by the usual mob who can't grasp the concept of debate. The points made seem valid to me - lack of control over immigration, high level of infection likely and French naval assistance for immigrants to reach the UK.
Whatever
 
So....lets make this clear.

The report mentioned by the O/P is from 2017 and not 2019 and is from a christian religious think tank in the USA

The stats/figures (even if you don't believe them) say that these figures were not correct and (as has been said) nobody knows the true figures because the figures for 'illegal immigrant' can be anything from a student over staying their visa....to a businessman remaining in the UK.....to a refugee paying to be smuggled in a boat to the UK.

The O/P wasnt being called a racist....the report was.....but it was a 'loaded' opinion that the UK is being 'swamped' with illegal immigrants and there are 800k - 1.2m currently here (highly disputed) and even more arriving to join 'other' illegal immigrants already in the UK......and according to the O/P's thinking....they MUST have C-19 and be infecting the general population in the UK.

Mr Farage's 'expose' of the French Navy shadowing immigrants was true.....but the French Navy had been following international law, saying: "It would be illegal to intervene with the boat. Instead, the navy is committed by law to save lives at sea, and consequently shadows boats that are at risk."....The French had also reported the boat....which was picked up by the British coast guard before anyone got away.....and this happens with all illegal crossings.

The addition of the the 'official' UK Gov site on illegal immigration 2019 - 2020 has shown a drop of 8% in immigrants (across all areas) since 2017.....It also showed that in 2019 we have the lowest level of illegal immigration since 2009......and even now...illegal immigration is dropping.

So......the O/P gave their view......but it wasn't backed up by the correct information
They took that info....reported it in a way that is incorrect....In a Trumpy #FakeNews way...and YES, every time some (with an ulterior narrative) tries to scare monger without giving the full info.....I'm going to check it out with all other sources before discussing it.

But don't let real facts get in the way.....everyone knows these people are shape shifting aliens trying to take over Lancashire and convert us all into Jehovah witnesses.....Fact.......


Let’s make it even clearer. Nobody knows how many illegal immigrants there are in the UK but estimates by those who have researched the matter indicate that there are as many as 1.2m. The Telegraph described the research as the first study of its kind in a decade. As posted above, in the opinion of the former head of immigration enforcement at the Home Office the number was at least 150,000 per year. Logic dictates that those being added to the illegal immigrant population are joining existing immigrants.

That immigrants in transit are being guided by French navy vessels is a matter of fact. Could the French authorities have prevented the intended immigrants from leaving French territory? Yes of course they could and should under the existing Anglo-French agreement. You pointing out that illegal immigration numbers are falling is irrelevant to the issue. This arises as a result of additional invigilation, tightening of the immigration rules and the realisation on the part of immigrants that the streets of London are not paved with gold.

I’d like to concede that you make some valid points B-side but you really don’t. The point of the post was to identify a risk which has been largely ignored to date, namely that potentially infected immigrants of whatever number are entering the UK and are not subject to any controls. If you had read the post properly you would have seen my comment that "the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19". This might have been a one-off, but then again it might not.

Your crusade to undermine the opening post by amateurishly and falsely seeking to dispute the facts is childish. Why don't you comment on the topic? Do you consider that illegal entry to the UK by potentially infected illegal immigrants is a risk? If you think there are no illegal immigrants or that the illegal immigrants are not infected say so and give your reasons like a grown up.
 
The 76% is correct but the sample was 99 immigrants who were obviously in very close contact and were isolated pretty much immediately.
I think we should take all arrivals seriously but I think your post is just another attempt by a Boris Bot to massively deflect from any shortcomings in the Government's handling. Your posting history suggests that you will blame anyone and anything except the PM.
 
All this “stamping of the feet” - by the privileged white middle class Guardian types...

Has their bleating changed anyone’s mind, on the opening post?
 
Before this becomes really boring...

1.) The 800k - 1.2m has been debunked as incorrect as it's a total guess....just follow the links to the BBC article you obviously didn't bother reading.
2.) "150k illegal immigrants every year".....Again, just follow the link to the 'official' Gov.uk site showing the removal of illegal immigrants.
90% of those entering the UK are gone within 3 months and the 10% remainder within 6 months......2019 lowest levels for 12 years
So your 150k entering every year and remaining is made up bolloxs
3.) "Pointing out that illegal immigration numbers are falling is irrelevant to the issue"..but that's the point of your 1st paragraph...and argument!!!!
4.) " I’d like to concede that you make some valid points B-side but you really don’t"......Why not just say you cant understand a reasoned discussion.
5.) "Seeking to dispute the facts is..... "childish"......even though I gave you proof that your 'facts' are incorrect and from credible sources.... your comments are still directed at immigrants and not C-19

You seem to want to point out the fact that a few hundred immigrants coming into the UK during lockdown are joining up with these mysterious 1.2m other illegal immigrants and that's where there's a real threat from C-19.......but you just ignore the millions of UK residents who are already flouting the law, don't wear a mask in the pub or choose ignore social distancing on a daily basis......Are these not the main cause.....But you seem to want to highlight immigrants who are the problem.......like they all have C-19 and are here just to infect us......which is plainly not true.

And as for Calm Down......well...........I'm the only English member of a family of immigrants who came here in the mid 60's.
As a kid I watched as they encountered prejudice, hate and discrimination from inbred knuckle draggers.....I also have never bought a copy of the Guardian in my life.
But I read about immigrants who are fleeing war, discrimination and persecution......and the opening post is just a mild horror post that other knuckle draggers would agree with as (like the O/P) they wouldn't bother to do their own research or reading and realise it's just scaremongering with a hint of Alf Garnett (one for the oldies)

Anyway......highly unlikely to change your mind....even with all the facts and articles...but hey ho.....I think people make up their own minds.
 
Before this becomes really boring...

1.) The 800k - 1.2m has been debunked as incorrect as it's a total guess....just follow the links to the BBC article you obviously didn't bother reading.
2.) "150k illegal immigrants every year".....Again, just follow the link to the 'official' Gov.uk site showing the removal of illegal immigrants.
90% of those entering the UK are gone within 3 months and the 10% remainder within 6 months......2019 lowest levels for 12 years
So your 150k entering every year and remaining is made up bolloxs
3.) "Pointing out that illegal immigration numbers are falling is irrelevant to the issue"..but that's the point of your 1st paragraph...and argument!!!!
4.) " I’d like to concede that you make some valid points B-side but you really don’t"......Why not just say you cant understand a reasoned discussion.
5.) "Seeking to dispute the facts is..... "childish"......even though I gave you proof that your 'facts' are incorrect and from credible sources.... your comments are still directed at immigrants and not C-19

You seem to want to point out the fact that a few hundred immigrants coming into the UK during lockdown are joining up with these mysterious 1.2m other illegal immigrants and that's where there's a real threat from C-19.......but you just ignore the millions of UK residents who are already flouting the law, don't wear a mask in the pub or choose ignore social distancing on a daily basis......Are these not the main cause.....But you seem to want to highlight immigrants who are the problem.......like they all have C-19 and are here just to infect us......which is plainly not true.

And as for Calm Down......well...........I'm the only English member of a family of immigrants who came here in the mid 60's.
As a kid I watched as they encountered prejudice, hate and discrimination from inbred knuckle draggers.....I also have never bought a copy of the Guardian in my life.
But I read about immigrants who are fleeing war, discrimination and persecution......and the opening post is just a mild horror post that other knuckle draggers would agree with as (like the O/P) they wouldn't bother to do their own research or reading and realise it's just scaremongering with a hint of Alf Garnett (one for the oldies)

Anyway......highly unlikely to change your mind....even with all the facts and articles...but hey ho.....I think people make up their own minds.

Clearly, I'm not going to convince you that your arguments are naive and factually incorrect. If you believe the opinion of the senior civil servant in charge of immigration regarding the number of immigrants is "bolloxs" there's no point in me trying to educate you. You clearly don't want to address the subject under discussion and your credibility disappeared when you accused me of failing to understand a reasoned discussion.
 
Clearly, I'm not going to convince you that your arguments are naive and factually incorrect. If you believe the opinion of the senior civil servant in charge of immigration regarding the number of immigrants is "bolloxs" there's no point in me trying to educate you. You clearly don't want to address the subject under discussion and your credibility disappeared when you accused me of failing to understand a reasoned discussion.

You’ve just completely dismantled 1966’s whining post, again.
 
I think your post is just another attempt by a Boris Bot to massively deflect from any shortcomings in the Government's handling. Your posting history suggests that you will blame anyone and anything except the PM.

What on earth are you suggesting? The OP was essentially an observation that covid infected immigrants are entering the country unnoticed and unmonitored. No mention of Boris was made. I think you need to deal with your obsession before it gets out of hand.
 
So....this "Opinion"of an unknown Civil Servant.....is now better than the actual Government figures from an actual UK Government website...of the department this 'unknown' person works for?

And you say I'm 'Naive'...........You don't seem to understand how this works......do you?

Maybe ask Calm Down.......he seems to like you a lot....🥰
 
...the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19". This might have been a one-off, but then again it might not.

So, you start a thread with "disturbing news" about the number of illegal immigrants in the country, then brush that off as a (supposed) aside by moving on to your real "disturbing news" that of all the 1.2m illegals, 76% of them are carrying Covid-19!
Of course, you don't actually say that but that's the inference you want to project.
Your reasoning comes from the fact that aboard a boat load of refugees that went ashore in Malta (99 souls we are told by another poster), 76% of them tested positive for Coronavirus. I make that 75.24 people (I do hope Mr 0.24 recovers quickly).
It's not really a strong basis from which to extrapolate "disturbing news" of an Armada of plague ships heading our way. Especially when you finish by saying that the Malta incident, "might have been a one-off, but then again it might not."
Well, excuse me for not tossing women and children aside in my eagerness to be first aboard the lifeboats!
You've produced a scare story. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
So....this "Opinion"of an unknown Civil Servant.....is now better than the actual Government figures from an actual UK Government website...of the department this 'unknown' person works for? And you say I'm 'Naive'...........You don't seem to understand how this works......do you?

The "unknown civil servant" B-side is questioning the competence of is David Wood who worked for the Home Office for nine years until 2015, including as Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency and then as Director General of Immigration Enforcement in Theresa May's government. Recognised as the UK's leading authority on immigration. I think it's you who doesn't understand how this works.

If you want to learn about Controlling Britain's Borders from an actual expert, here's some light reading for you.

 
The "unknown civil servant" B-side is questioning the competence of is David Wood who worked for the Home Office for nine years until 2015, including as Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency and then as Director General of Immigration Enforcement in Theresa May's government. Recognised as the UK's leading authority on immigration. I think it's you who doesn't understand how this works.

If you want to learn about Controlling Britain's Borders from an actual expert, here's some light reading for you.

A right wing think tank linked with Vote Leave and an offshoot of the IEA. So no bias there then.
 
"David Wood who worked for the Home Office for nine years until............ 2015"

So that was 5 years ago..........so he's obviously well up to date......unlike your argument.
 
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Apologies to anyone who might be interested in the subject of this post without the puerile attempts to derail it and the ridiculous accusations of racism from the lefty loonies. Just to clarify the post, here is a bullet point summary. Please make your own minds up

  • A large number of immigrants enter the UK each year and disappear into the black economy
  • The number is not known because the government has avoided researching the matter, but the foremost authority on immigration and former Director General of Immigration Enforcement suggests it has been as many as 150,000 per year.
  • The Malta government raised concern recently because 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19.
  • The actual numbers of immigrants in Malta were small but the authorities warned that groups travelling long distances together could be similarly infected
  • In view of the number of immigrants illegally entering this country after travelling in groups and the fact that they cannot be traced in the UK, it seems like a significant infection risk that track-and-trace cannot remedy.
 
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Apologies to anyone who might be interested in the subject of this post without the puerile attempts to derail it and the ridiculous accusations of racism from the lefty loonies. Just to clarify the post, here is a bullet point summary. Please make your own minds up

  • A large number of immigrants enter the UK each year and disappear into the black economy
  • The number is not known because the government has avoided researching the matter, but the foremost authority on immigration and former Director General of Immigration Enforcement suggests it has been as many as 150,000 per year.
  • The Malta government raised concern recently because 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19.
  • The actual numbers of immigrants in Malta were small but the authorities warned that groups travelling long distances together could be similarly infected
  • In view of the number of immigrants illegally entering this country after travelling in groups and the fact that they cannot be traced in the UK, it seems like a significant infection risk that track-and-trace cannot remedy.
I am left wing and I have criticised you on this thread. However, I am not a loony. The way you have phrased your concern in the bullet point post (above), presents as a real risk. As to the level of risk, it is hard to say.
 
Apologies to anyone who might be interested in the subject of this post without the puerile attempts to derail it and the ridiculous accusations of racism from the lefty loonies. Just to clarify the post, here is a bullet point summary. Please make your own minds up

  • A large number of immigrants enter the UK each year and disappear into the black economy
  • The number is not known because the government has avoided researching the matter, but the foremost authority on immigration and former Director General of Immigration Enforcement suggests it has been as many as 150,000 per year.
  • The Malta government raised concern recently because 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19.
  • The actual numbers of immigrants in Malta were small but the authorities warned that groups travelling long distances together could be similarly infected
  • In view of the number of immigrants illegally entering this country after travelling in groups and the fact that they cannot be traced in the UK, it seems like a significant infection risk that track-and-trace cannot remedy.


You're right to highlight the risk of unidentified and unregistered immigrants, especially if the estimate of numbers is anything like that quoted. Ironically, registered immigrants are not a matter of concern as they can be monitored and tested. It's the illegal ones who present the high risk because of the communities and conditions they are likely to be living in and the low profile they undoubtedly wish to keep. At least it seems that the government has identified the problem by setting up a task force to identify and process the immigrants, but we could do without the French assisting them to cross the channel.
 
Just to point out, there is a huge difference in illegal immigration and those applying for asylum.
Those crossing the channel cannot possibly be applying for asylum.
 
Just to point out, there is a huge difference in illegal immigration and those applying for asylum.
Those crossing the channel cannot possibly be applying for asylum.

Those picked up in the Channel by UK immigration, which I assume includes those escorted by the French navy, must be applying for asylum.
It's those that are not picked up who are the biggest worry. If they number 150,000 a year that's a massive problem.
 
Let’s make it even clearer. Nobody knows how many illegal immigrants there are in the UK but estimates by those who have researched the matter indicate that there are as many as 1.2m. The Telegraph described the research as the first study of its kind in a decade. As posted above, in the opinion of the former head of immigration enforcement at the Home Office the number was at least 150,000 per year. Logic dictates that those being added to the illegal immigrant population are joining existing immigrants.

That immigrants in transit are being guided by French navy vessels is a matter of fact. Could the French authorities have prevented the intended immigrants from leaving French territory? Yes of course they could and should under the existing Anglo-French agreement. You pointing out that illegal immigration numbers are falling is irrelevant to the issue. This arises as a result of additional invigilation, tightening of the immigration rules and the realisation on the part of immigrants that the streets of London are not paved with gold.

I’d like to concede that you make some valid points B-side but you really don’t. The point of the post was to identify a risk which has been largely ignored to date, namely that potentially infected immigrants of whatever number are entering the UK and are not subject to any controls. If you had read the post properly you would have seen my comment that "the part of the news I found disturbing is not the numbers, but the fact that the Maltese government has recently revealed that 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19". This might have been a one-off, but then again it might not.

Your crusade to undermine the opening post by amateurishly and falsely seeking to dispute the facts is childish. Why don't you comment on the topic? Do you consider that illegal entry to the UK by potentially infected illegal immigrants is a risk? If you think there are no illegal immigrants or that the illegal immigrants are not infected say so and give your reasons like a grown up.

"Illegal immigrants not subject to controls." That's why they're illegal. If they abided by the controls they wouldn't get in.

The bottom line is that if illegal immigrants accessing Europe from the Mediterranean were responsible for a spike in COVID 19, you'd expect it where they are. That's not in mill towns up North and in Leicester, but the South East and London in particular, where the rate is proportionally lower than the rest of the country after leading the way early in the pandemic.
 
Those picked up in the Channel by UK immigration, which I assume includes those escorted by the French navy, must be applying for asylum.
It's those that are not picked up who are the biggest worry. If they number 150,000 a year that's a massive problem.

But thats not how asylum works surely?
 
But thats not how asylum works surely?
Once they're outside the 6 mile limit they are in international waters and can't be picked up by the French navy unless in trouble hence the shadowing but not intervening. There is no substance in the insinuation that the French are colluding in them getting here.
 
Apologies to anyone who might be interested in the subject of this post without the puerile attempts to derail it and the ridiculous accusations of racism from the lefty loonies. Just to clarify the post, here is a bullet point summary. Please make your own minds up

  • A large number of immigrants enter the UK each year and disappear into the black economy
  • The number is not known because the government has avoided researching the matter, but the foremost authority on immigration and former Director General of Immigration Enforcement suggests it has been as many as 150,000 per year.
  • The Malta government raised concern recently because 76% of illegal immigrants found by them tested positive for CV-19.
  • The actual numbers of immigrants in Malta were small but the authorities warned that groups travelling long distances together could be similarly infected
  • In view of the number of immigrants illegally entering this country after travelling in groups and the fact that they cannot be traced in the UK, it seems like a significant infection risk that track-and-trace cannot remedy.
As I understand the point you're trying to make is that there is,

1) A significant enough number of people entering the country illegally (Britain is an attractive place to come if you have some English and currently live in poverty).

2) Their mode of entry doesn't allow for social distancing so therefore they are at greater risk of contracting the virus. Although you don't mention it their living and working conditions are likely to increase the spread of the virus too.

3) Their illegal status means they will undermine the efforts of track and trace.

Why then do you need to pad out the argument with a load of dubious statistics and make claims that aren't supported by your so-called facts? You've looked for the highest estimate of illegal immigration you can find rather than the soundest estimate then unsurprisingly people challenge those figures and they begin to look dubious. Then there is Malta. The Maltese have never claimed that 76% of illegal immigrants have Covid. They found one group of 94 illegal immigrants and 64 of them had the virus. It isn't the same.

I thought the point of using statistics was to bolster one's argument. You've managed to find supporting data that has totally undermined what you were arguing. Well done.
 
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