Action must be taken on immigration

NO matter how you feel about the recent action by the government to limit illegal immigration by small boats, most will agree that action has to be taken. Whether the recent action will reduce the risky undertaking, or not, I don’t see the resulting costs in looking after refugees diminishing soon, and at present the crisis is said to be costing us, the taxpayer, £7million to £8million daily, monies many of us would prefer to be invested in the many crises we nationals are having to go though at present.

Perhaps the government should position their Border force boats outside French and Belgian territorial waters and monitor the usual crossing points (drones?) and then, when coming across a refugee boat, ‘rescue’ those on board. Now, as this is a humanitarian rescue you need to get these people to the nearest landfall for treatment – French or Belgian ports – who, as this is a humanitarian rescue, cannot refuse docking and disembarking, can they? We are already paying the French to aid control of the boat departures, and recent news is that the French are demanding more monies, so all we are doing is assisting them. No doubt the above action would result in us being taken to the European Court again, disputing our treatment of people seeking a safe haven (the UK, the land of milk and honey dream sold to them by people traffickers – oh, only if that was true!) and, as the government expect that to happen over their recent plans, what is there to lose? Marc Houlton Plymouth, Devon