UK policy has caused people smuggling

SEVENTY-THREE years ago, I served in the British Army, dealing with Jewish refugees crammed in ships, fleeing the horrors of Europe to find a new Jerusalem in Israel.

We shepherded them from one ship in Haifa harbour, to another, to be confined in internment camps in Cyprus. That was the policy of the British Government, supported by an uncritical British public, which the Jews saw as an extension of Nazi imprisonment, and hated us for it.

A large flow of displaced refugees was an international problem for all nations, in which the refugees were the most helpless. The expenditure of UK taxpayers’ money was enormous, almost all negative, wasteful, and made everything worse. I cannot list better options here, but perhaps you can see them now.

For 20 years, Britain has closed Channel travel to refugees, while seaworthy ferries transport thousands safely across, at reasonable rates. There is only one legal authority in the world which has made it possible for peoplesmugglers to make a fortune.

I have no wish to minimise the problem. Because Britain does not use identity cards, immigrants reaching the UK might disappear into the black economy. But we could use British employers to control such abuses. Refugees could apply for asylum in UK foreign embassies.

We pay French policemen

£54 million a year to patrol the coast and destroy flimsy tents in the morning, after refugee children awake. Nobody can be proud of our nation.

Conservative Governments talk of low taxes and waste every penny. Not a single benefit comes to any human being, apart from criminals.

N Westerman, by email