Trade in migrants

SIR – Alexander Downer, a former Australian high commissioner to Britain, reminds us how a country can deal effectively with mass uncontrolled migration and people smugglers trying to game the asylum system (“How Australia stopped the migrant boats”, Comment, November 21). Australia’s offshore processing regime instantly closed down the inhumane trade, which had resulted in many deaths at sea.

However, while the British Government has been fully aware of this option for many years, it has shamefully not implemented something similar and foolishly tried to pass responsibility for dealing with the problem to the French, who have very little incentive to assist.

Andy Taylor

Cobham, Surrey

SIR – Why are we sending soldiers to protect the Polish border with Belarus when we cannot protect our own borders from the invasion of over 1,000 migrants a day via the Channel? Diana Davis

Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

SIR – Taking a hard line with migrants must make a lot of compassionate Britons feel wretched.

Firm control of our borders is essential, but surely it could be a huge positive to welcome those who are prepared to go through so much to live and work here when Britain is so short of staff in many areas.

Roger Graham-palmer

Wrexham

SIR – As a long-time supporter and shoreline member of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, it annoys me greatly that the Government is effectively using it as a free taxi service for illegal migrants in the Dover Strait.

Not only does this mean that volunteer crews have an enormous amount of extra work (to the understandable annoyance of some of their employers), but it could also impinge on the availability of boats and crews for other rescues.

If the Government wishes to continue to rely on the RNLI for this service, it should be contributing to its costs and not depending on voluntary efforts.

Richard Moorby

Usk, Monmouthshire