Britain is encouraging record numbers to cross the Channel illegally
sir – Is it not time to hand over to the Royal Navy when a record 1,185 people cross illegally from France to Britain in one day (report, November 14)?
Only Britain would pay France millions of pounds to stop the invasion and then provide a free crossing service for those who come illegally. Brian Elphick
Storrington, West Sussex
sir – Few organisations in this country stand as high in public esteem as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
The sight of the institution’s boats and volunteers facilitating, for the best of reasons, the breaking of our laws by people traffickers and illegal migrants is hardly likely to raise it further. John Gordon
Wylye, Wiltshire
sir – British troops are in Poland to prevent illegal migration from Belarus (report, November 13). Might they be more effectively deployed in Dover? Robert Farrer
Northchurch, Hertfordshire sir – The EU and others have rightly condemned the antics at the Belarus border, where helpless migrants are being used as a political weapon to force concessions from the EU. This is, of course, not an original idea.
France has been using the tactic against Britain for over a year. The main difference between President Lukashenko and President Macron seems to be one of scale, more than anything else – and honesty, of course. Lukashenko does not hide the fact he is doing it for political advantage. Macron just gives a Gallic shrug. Stephen R Usher
Chichester, West Sussex
sir – As our Government seems incapable of resolving the problem of illegal migrants crossing the Channel, might I suggest we employ the Australians to do it for us?
At least they are our allies. The French most certainly are not in this matter, and no doubt delight in extorting millions of pounds from us gullible Brits. The Australians do not stand for the nonsense we tolerate.
The way to stop illegal migration is to stop the flow. This will only be achieved once all illegal migrants are immediately repatriated to their country of origin.
Sadly this is the one way of ending this high-risk and desperate form of migration, and to return to a system where we try to help countries in other ways. The 0.7 per cent of gross national income that we hand out each year with very little transparency could instead be used to pay for a better form of controlled immigration.
Robert Bray
Bracknell, Berkshire
sir – We have shortages of workers in many of our trades. We also have hundreds of migrants crossing the Channel every day. These are families and individuals who have taken risks and endured hardship in order to make a better life for themselves. Are we putting two and two together?
David Cartwright Woodborough, Nottinghamshire