Let them take the ferry - Reader says Schengen Agreement would stop the boats
The papers continue to report almost daily stories about the high numbers of Channel boat crossings.
It beggars belief that armed French police just watch as migrants board craft.
What is the point of them being armed if they are no deterrent? Perhaps they just have pistols and need machine guns to ward off the traffickers who may also be armed?! But we are paying them millions to prevent the boats leaving.
I strongly believe we should be in the Schengen Agreement – part of borderless Europe – and then these dangerous journeys would stop as people would be able to get here on ferries and trains.
And perhaps these people desperate to come to this country would find that the grass isn't greener over the other side of the Channel and return to continental Europe to find a country where the standard of living is higher.
In that way, they wouldn't have to spend thousands of euros and then feel that they are stuck here. Of course, Border Forces would have to do more of the checking of restaurants, car washes, nail bars and other workplaces that they already visit to check they aren't hiring illegal workers.
But all these massive sums spent on fruitlessly trying to stop many of the boats could be diverted, increasing the Border Forces operations in the UK. Penny Munden, Croydon
The director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported on Tuesday this week that the Noura Al-Kaabi Kidney Dialysis Center in the north of Gaza is now 'a pile of rubble'.
This after it was apparently destroyed by the Israeli military. Dr Ghebreyesus added that 'the destruction of this health facility directly endangers the lives of patients with kidney failure'.
Assuming there was no military threat from the building, is there any reason why this destruction should be described as anything other than racist violence by the Israeli government? Kevin, Watford
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Are there any depths to which the Israeli government can sink in its genocide of the Palestinians for some people to stop saying, 'It's all the fault of Hamas'? I doubt it. Mick, West Midlands
My dad was a doctor in the 1940s. He would have morning surgery with no appointments, then go out on his rounds to see patients at their home. He came back for lunch, then it was out again in the afternoon to see patients, back for tea, then evening surgery. After that, he would be on call at night and many a time had to visit for emergencies. Somehow, I don't think doctors today would work that hard. S Rushworth, Southport
Richard Row (MetroTalk, Wed) defends Elon Musk's work slashing US government spending as drastic but necessary. What efficiencies did he make exactly? And he's left things in a 'better' position? For whom? All he did was take money from some of the poorest people. It was completely unnecessary. Agatha, Surrey
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Scottish Sun
20 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Inept French cops given millions of YOUR cash for planes, 4x4s & drones STILL fail to stop migrant boats
FRENCH cops paraded around in a buggy paid for by the UK — as dinghy migrants set sail. On yet another shambolic day, the number of arrivals here hit a record 20,000 since the start of 2025. 7 French cops parading around in buggies paid for by the UK as small boat migrants set sail Credit: AFP 7 Police patrol Gravelines beach near Dunkirk Credit: LNP 7 A plane patrols the area over Gravelines Credit: LNP Critics said £500million of taxpayer cash given to France had only turned its beaches into 'the world's most expensive sieve'. Patrols with jeeps, quad bikes and drones were pictured on the sand yesterday as smugglers prepared to launch more dinghies. On Monday alone, 879 reached British shores, the third biggest daily total in 2025. We saw patrols at Gravelines near Dunkirk, and Équihen, west of Calais. The crisis is now 48 per cent worse than this time last year and 75 per cent higher than in 2023, according to Home Office figures. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: 'Record numbers of young undocumented males have crossed this year thanks to French beaches being the world's most expensive sieve — this is a disaster for the country. 'They are costing us money, making us less safe, and they bring a terrorist threat. 'This will only get worse under the weakest Prime Minister I have ever seen.' PM Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are due to meet in London next week for a State visit and a summit focused on tackling the crossings. The UK first signed a deal with France under the last Tory government, with nearly £500million committed to extra patrols, surveillance drones, vehicles and riot vans. Illegal Channel migrant delivery riders ARRESTED as cops swoop on major asylum hotel after Sun expose Sir Keir has extended the commitment. The leaders are also preparing to unveil a new 'one in, one out' migrant returns deal — sending some Channel arrivals to France in exchange for Britain accepting migrants with family reunion rights. But the Tories have branded the plan a 'fantasy' and demanded their Rwanda scheme be reinstated. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'One year into Labour's government and the boats haven't stopped, they've multiplied. 'It's become a free-for-all. 'We need a removals deterrent so every single illegal immigrant who arrives is removed outside Europe. 'The crossings will then rapidly stop.' Sir Keir has faced pressure to deliver on his promise to 'smash the gangs' fuelling the crisis. 7 A cop brandishes a tear-gas spray as he tries to prevent migrants from boarding a boat at Équihen Credit: AFP 7 Another cop takes a snap at Équihen, west of Calais Credit: AFP But Downing Street insisted it will take time to solve it, warning 'it's not simple' to dismantle international smuggling networks. The PM's spokesman said the figures were 'clearly unacceptable', adding: 'But let's be clear, gangs have been allowed to embed industrial-scale smuggling enterprises across Europe, whilst our own asylum system collapsed through failed policies like Rwanda. They are costing us money, making us less safe, and they bring a terrorist threat. This will only get worse under the weakest Prime Minister I have ever seen Nigel Farage 'But we are taking action.' The spokesman pointed to arrests of gang leaders, thousands of boat seizures, and closer ties with France. 7 Fire officers on a jet ski as illegals try to board boat Credit: AFP
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Inside 'Alligator Alcatraz', the airport turned Trump migrant detention facility
President President Donald Trump (second from left), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (left) and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (right) tour a migrant detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida (Picture: Getty Images) President Donald Trump has toured a new migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' and hailed it as 'beautiful' and 'so secure'. Trump on Tuesday visited the makeshift facility at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee which received federal approval last week to house thousands of undocumented immigrants. The president said that 'some of the most vicious people on the planet' will be held at the detention center, which takes its name from the alligator-filled environment and the notorious former maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island in California. 'We're surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation,' said Trump, while walking around the outside and inside of the facility that had bunk beds behind chain link fencing. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page 'Worst of the worst always first and I think it's great government what we've done.' Trump was accompanied by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who issued a warning to migrants. 'They don't have to come here, if they self-deport and go home, they can come back legally,' she said. 'But if you wait and we bring you to this facility, you don't ever get to come back to America. You don't get the chance to come back and be an American again.' President Donald Trump (left), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (second from left) and others toured the inside of 'Alligator Alcatraz' on Tuesday (Picture: AP) What is 'Alligator Alcatraz?' 'Alligator Alcatraz' was coined by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who shared a video about it on X (formerly Twitter) a week-and-a-half ago and called it 'the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump's mass deportation agenda'. It has 3,000 beds and was built in eight days after DeSantis authorized its construction. The Trump administration said it will eventually hold up to 5,000 people. The facility has tent structures to house migrants and will cost $450million to operate annually, with the federal government fully reimbursing the state. It is slated to become the biggest migrant detention facility in the country. President Donald Trump (second from left), Governor Ron DeSantis (middle), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (second from right) and others walk outside a new migrant detention center at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility (Picture: AP) Where is it located? 'Alligator Alcatraz' is located on a 39-square-mile airstrip in the Big Cypress National Preserve wetlands adjacent to Everglades National Park. It is in the heart of the Everglades, which is home to alligators, pythons, mosquitos and other dangerous wildlife. Before departing the White House to tour the facility, Trump advised prospective escapees to run from the reptiles in a zigzag manner. 'Don't run in a straight line; run like this,' he said, waving his hand. 'You know what, your chances go up by 1%. Not a good thing.' A drone view shows the construction site of the state's 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (Picture: Reuters) What did it used to be? The facility is at the site of a former airport. DeSantis said the facility was constructed with the airport's concrete infrastructure, temporary structures like beds, and is equipped with medical care and food preparation operations. The 11,000-foot runway at the airport has recently been used for training, but officials indicated that it could soon be used for deportation flights. 'So you'll be able to bring people in, they'll get processed, they have an order of removal, then they can be queued and the federal government can fly — right on the runway, right there, you literally drive them 2,000 feet, put them on a plane and then they're gone,' DeSantis said. President Donald Trump (left), Governor Ron DeSantis (middle) and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (right), talk to the media as they tour 'Alligator Alcatraz' (Picture: AP) How has Florida reacted? The state attorney general and governor have both pushed the facility and fast-tracked it for the Trump administration. DeSantis said that Florida National Guard members will be deputized as immigration judges so that migrants can have hearings within 48 hours. 'We'll have people here in this facility that can make (legal decisions)… Someone has a notice to appear — (President Joe) Biden would tell him to come back in three years… here, you'll be able to appear like a day or two,' said the governor. 'So we want to cut through that so that we have an efficient operation between Florida and DHS to get the removal of these illegals done.' Activists attend the 'Stop Alligator Alcatraz' protest in front of the entrance of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on June 28 (Picture: EPA) What concerns are there around the facility? Democrats and environmentalists have already come out in opposition of 'Alligator Alcatraz'. On Saturday, they rallied along Highway 41 to protest its construction. They held signs with statements like, 'No Alligator Alcatraz', 'Another stupid plan to abuse people & the Everglades', and 'Out of Florida'. Two environmental groups claiming the facility will disturb and damage the Everglades ecosystem on Friday filed a lawsuit against agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Florida's Division of Emergency Management. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Let's give back to the environment on David Attenborough's 100th birthday Arrow MORE: Donald Trump launches new Victory 47 fragrance so you can smell like a patriot who never backs down Arrow MORE: Russian boxer sparks anger after giving orangutan her vape to puff
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Charities call for end to Israeli-backed aid group as dozens more die in Gaza
The call by groups including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International was made as at least seven Palestinians were killed while seeking aid in southern and central Gaza from late Monday to early Tuesday. On Monday, Israeli gunfire left 23 people dead as they tried to get desperately needed food, witnesses and health officials said. Israeli air strikes killed at least 37 people on Tuesday in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital. Those deaths came a day after witnesses and health officials said 30 Palestinians were killed in a strike on a seaside cafe in Gaza City. The war has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half of the dead were women and children. The Health Ministry on Tuesday afternoon said the bodies of 116 people killed by Israeli strikes had been taken to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours. The Hamas attack in October 2023 that sparked the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Some 50 hostages remain, many of them thought to be dead. More than 165 major international charities and non-governmental organisations, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty, called on Tuesday for an immediate end to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund. 'Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,' the group said in a joint news release. The call by the charities and NGOs was the latest sign of trouble for the GHF — a secretive US and Israeli-backed initiative headed by an evangelical leader who is a close ally of Donald Trump. GHF started distributing aid on May 26, following a nearly three-month Israeli blockade which has pushed Gaza's population of more than two million people to the brink of famine. In a statement on Tuesday, the organisation said it has delivered more than 52 million meals over five weeks. 'Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza,' the statement said. 'We are ready to collaborate and help them get their aid to people in need. At the end of the day, the Palestinian people need to be fed.' Last month, the organisation said there had been no violence in or around its distribution centres and that its personnel had not opened fire. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed around the chaotic and controversial aid distribution programme over the past month. Palestinians are often forced to travel long distances to access the GHF hubs in hopes of obtaining aid. The GHF is the linchpin of a new aid system that took distribution away from aid groups led by the UN. The new mechanism limits food distribution to a small number of hubs under guard of armed contractors, where people must go to pick it up. Currently four hubs are set up, all close to Israeli military positions. Israel had demanded an alternative plan because it accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid. The United Nations and aid groups deny there was significant diversion, and say the new mechanism allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates humanitarian principles and will not be effective. The Israeli military said it had recently taken steps to improve organisation in the area. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the militants of hiding among civilians because they operate in populated areas. Of the latest seven deaths by Israeli fire, three occurred in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, while four were killed in central Gaza. More than 65 others were wounded, according to the Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, and the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, which received the casualties. They were among thousands of starved Palestinians who gather at night to take aid from passing trucks in the area of the Netzarim route in central Gaza. An 11-year-old girl was killed on Tuesday when an Israeli strike hit her family's tent west of Khan Younis, according to the Kuwait field hospital that received her body. The UN Palestinian aid agency also said Israel's military struck one of its schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza City on Monday. The strike caused no casualties but caused significant damage, UNRWA said. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank said Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in the territory, including a 15-year-old, in two separate incidents.
