UK axes support for Mediterranean migrant rescue operation

[Enricogto]

Lv2spd2 said:

Sounds like you think we could help them on their way with some sort of new roman empire.

Where did I said that? Why not bring out the dear guillotine instead? It's a bit rusty, but WD40 does wonders.

In all seriousness, what I was saying, in case it wasn't clear, it's that our current set up is the results of centuries of evolution, the same process they are going through at the moment, albeit at a less advanced stage. Supporting radical changes won't make the path any easier. Dressing a toddler with a black suit doesn't make him an adult.

[IanMorewood]

Given that Gib is on on the frontline then perhaps we ought to have an old fishing boat out there to pick up illegals and drop them back in Morocco.

[Esseesse]

IanMorewood said:

Given that Gib is on on the frontline then perhaps we ought to have an old fishing boat out there to pick up illegals and drop them back in Morocco.

How many come into Gib? Possibly more difficult to cross there?

[Murph7355]

Good news.

Maybe the Southern European States could use some of their EU subsidies towards improving their border protection....

[Dog Star]

Esseesse said:

IanMorewood said:

Given that Gib is on on the frontline then perhaps we ought to have an old fishing boat out there to pick up illegals and drop them back in Morocco.

How many come into Gib? Possibly more difficult to cross there?

I'm not aware of it being an issue there at all; I work there on and off. Beanbag on PH lives there - he will know better though. The thing is that if they land in Gib then they're stuck there - they can't get across to Spain unless they swim across at night.

[IanMorewood]

I know it's not new but,

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/08/12/318382/sp...

So 100+ per week, mostly heading for Spain but some in our territorial waters as well.

[Mermaid]

IanMorewood said:

I know it's not new but,

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/08/12/318382/sp...

So 100+ per week, mostly heading for Spain but some in our territorial waters as well.

Europe should be declaring war on these illegal migrants. Pay the African governments to "control" these vessels in whatever way they want.

[simoid]

I wonder what Israel would do if it was aware of a boatful of African/Middle Easterns (very possibly Muslims) heading towards their territorial waters...

[Bluebarge]

dandarez said:

I'm personally more concerned about why there was no lifeguard cover at Mawgan Porth, Cornwall - where 3 people died in spite of multiple 999 calls.

Migrant rescue in the Med is way below the importance of something on home shores like this.

...way below!!

So 3 white folks are more important to you than 2500 black ones? Nice sense of priorities you have there.

[simoid]

Bluebarge said:

So 3 white folks are more important to you than 2500 black ones? Nice sense of priorities you have there.

Do you need a smiley in there, or are you being serious?

I think it's the fact that 3 innocent UK people are more important to Brits than criminals a couple of thousand miles away...?

[bobbylondonuk]

Bluebarge said:

So 3 white folks are more important to you than 2500 black ones? Nice sense of priorities you have there.

This is exactly why this country is going backwards. figure out how to create an issue where there is none. then bleat on about human rights.

3 UK residents are more important to us than 1 million foreign residents 1000 miles away. No one cares if they were white or black...dont invent a race card here.

Ohh and by the way, and i aint white innit bruv.

[IanMorewood]

Whilst I agree it would be nice to protect British citizens or legal visitors on our own shores I think that as a civilised society we should at least help where possible those in grave peril, a fifty foot uk registered boat with half a dozen border agency types and a couple of marines for back up would probably be self funding if all those picked up where handed back to the authorities in Morocco or Egypt or which ever bit of coastline happened to be most likely as point of departure.

[bobbylondonuk]

IanMorewood said:

Whilst I agree it would be nice to protect British citizens or legal visitors on our own shores I think that as a civilised society we should at least help where possible those in grave peril, a fifty foot uk registered boat with half a dozen border agency types and a couple of marines for back up would probably be self funding if all those picked up where handed back to the authorities in Morocco or Egypt or which ever bit of coastline happened to be most likely as point of departure.

So the mission is not to protect the EU coastline, the mission is to close down the north african coastline. IF there is a joint naval task to do that, I dont mind.

What is being proposed,I think, is for the Royal Navy to assist Italians in protecting Italian coastlines and handover illegal mirants to an EU port. That is only going to increase the problem not reduce it.

[Enricogto]

No.
Italian Navy does a good job of catching almost all the boats that try to reach the coast.
And what the supposed new mission would achieve is to share the burden.
What would be needed though (and what the majority of EU citizens would opt for if asked) is a sort of blockade of the African coast.

[BaronVonV8]

bobbylondonuk said:

So the mission is not to protect the EU coastline, the mission is to close down the north african coastline. IF there is a joint naval task to do that, I dont mind.

What is being proposed,I think, is for the Royal Navy to assist Italians in protecting Italian coastlines and handover illegal mirants to an EU port. That is only going to increase the problem not reduce it.

But where are they going to get the ships and manpower to do that? They'd have to take it from somewhere else. It would definately be worthwhile though and we already have personnel operating in Naples. Possibly re-role one of the fishery patrol vessels. They'd be thankful for a med deployment.

I hate all these bleeding hearts, why don't we just bring everyone over from Africa and the the Middle East into Europe where they can live in comfort off our tax payers money whilst not actually contributing to society, adding to the crime rate and generally being a fking nuisance and a burden. The UK can barely sustain itself, the infrastructure is at breaking point, the country is over populated... I could go on. Do we need more mouths to feed who haven't put a single penny into the pot? We have enough home grown spongers as is. I was in Libya last year, I was so scared for my life that I spent a day cowering in some Roman ruins and buying magical fridge magnets for protection. You'd have been at more risk living in London during the Blitz.

Europe and the UK are not responsible for the worlds problems, forget the past, we have enough to worry about with the future. I feel sorry for the Italians, I bet the Mafia are hugely taking advantage of the influx of cheap labour in the form of immigrants too. Probably gonna take a load of flack for this post, but at least it'll balance out the do-gooders.

[Jimbeaux]

We get a lot of the same situation with Cubans risking their lives on all manner of home made boats to get to the Florida coast. tMany feel the risk of life is worth leaving Cuba, so they keep trying.

[DrDoofenshmirtz]

Good.
All we need now is the French to round up all the charities feeding and giving shelter to the migrants who make it to calais and chuck them in the sea.
Problem solved.

[IanMorewood]

BaronVonV8 said:

But where are they going to get the ships and manpower to do that? They'd have to take it from somewhere else. It would definately be worthwhile though and we already have personnel operating in Naples. Possibly re-role one of the fishery patrol vessels. They'd be thankful for a med deployment.

HMS Sabre and Scimitar are already stationed in the area, get some of the RNVR or university squadrons to supply the majority of the manpower, three week deployment to the med for the volunteer crews, one boat is on duty for a week and then a week off. Get it right and you need perhaps eight regular crew (they can stay down in the med for a medium term deployment) and twenty four reservist every three weeks (split into two groups), even given the RN's current recruitment/manpower problems I doubt that would be a major problem.

[Bluebarge]

simoid said:

Bluebarge said:

So 3 white folks are more important to you than 2500 black ones? Nice sense of priorities you have there.

Do you need a smiley in there, or are you being serious?

I think it's the fact that 3 innocent UK people are more important to Brits than criminals a couple of thousand miles away...?

No smiley required. A life is a life. Rescuing those in peril at sea has always been a moral obligation of mariners and, ever since the Zong massacre, that has also applied to black people.

And criminals?!!! criminals?!!! are you suggesting that the men, women and children drowning in the Med are committing some crime???. What an excellent attempt at dehumanizing your fellow Man so that you can justify letting them die.

Bravo, you must feel very proud of yourself

[JagLover]

Bluebarge said:

No smiley required. A life is a life. Rescuing those in peril at sea has always been a moral obligation of mariners and, ever since the Zong massacre, that has also applied to black people.

And criminals?!!! criminals?!!! are you suggesting that the men, women and children drowning in the Med are committing some crime???. What an excellent attempt at dehumanizing your fellow Man so that you can justify letting them die.

Bravo, you must feel very proud of yourself

They have made a decision to set out into the Mediterranean in unsafe boats and we are under no obligation to rescue them from the consequences of that decision. I don't think anyone on this thread wants them to die and in fact an interdiction exercise that towed them back to North Africa would help reduce deaths.