How many more lives will be lost before action ?
The BBC reported on their news website that another 4 lives have been tragically lost in an attempt to cross the channel. 2 others lost their lives 8 days ago in a similar failed attempt. The UK Government is paying hundreds of millions of pounds to the French in order to pay their enforcement officers to prevent these sailings in the first place and whilst they are stopping some the numbers setting sail run into their thousands. Almost 70,000 have successfully landed in the UK since Labour came to power.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has suggested that UK vessels could be deployed in French waters to prevent the boats getting into UK waters but the French have rejected the offer saying that it crosses a red line. This is poppycock and only serves the interests of France who would have to look after these would be asylum seekers. It also begs the question that if border guards from France can sit at St. Pancras station , and British Border police in Gare du Nord station , in Paris, then why can the French be flexible on somethings but not on this. I applaud the Home Sec. for at least giving it a try!
The mantra of smashing the gangs is sadly just that, a mantra. It's not effective as the numbers of illegals entering the UK clearly demonstrate. This is a crisis which has turned into a tragedy on too many occasions.
The EU are now in favour of using 3 rd countries to process their own huge numbers of illegal immigrants. The USA use 3 rd countries too and the numbers of illegals has dropped dramatically.
Surely the Government, no stranger to u turns, should now flip flop and resurrect the Rwanda scheme + and turbo charge it. Anyone entering UK waters in a small boat and is "rescued" by the British authorities should be immediately guilty of the crime of entering the UK. Courts should be set up to process the illegals with speed which would then be followed by the deportation of the illegal immigrants to third countries.
Any illegal immigrant found guilty of the crime of entering the UK in small boats would be fingerprinted, photographed and DNA swabbed and they would be banned from ever entering the UK in the future via any otherwise legal means. Enough is Enough.
Any emergency legislation could be passed through Parliament quickly with the vast majority of MPs supporting tough new measures. The Lib Dems , Greens and Nationalists can bleat but this absurd situation will only continue without action. Im totally in favour of either derogations from current treaty obligations and conventions and if this proves difficult we should leave the ECHR and replace it with a British Bill of rights which will give protections but denies the Human Rights industry from circumventing the will of the people.
The lack of progress on this front cost the Conservatives dearly at the last election. Rishi just failed to tackle the problem and the problem remains despite all the tired slogans.
The loss of lives in an underground seedy trade of human trafficking is preventable. Obstruction by the French to allow the UK to properly assist in stopping the boats and ending this international human disaster is a disgrace. The inaction by this Government and those before them on not taking the bold and necessary measures to smash this illicit trade is appalling. You can't turn back the clock but it does beg one stark question-
How many more human beings will die until something is done?
Nigel Evans
9th April 2026