Migrants welcome here.

The lead story on tonight's news is that 25 000 migrants have crossed the Chanel this year to try to obtain residence in the UK.  This is more than double the number last year and three times the number two years ago.  Yet he government promised that via Brexit they would "control our borders". 

 Why doesn't the government keep its promises, demands the Labour Opposition spokesperson, Nick Thomas-Symons?  Priti Patel is not fit to be Home Secretary and the Home Office is not fit for purpose.

 There is talk of turning the boats back, or sending the potential mitigants off to Albania or far distant lands to discourage them.

We should be ashamed.  We, a country with welcoming heritage,  all should be ashamed..

Not only that, we are shooting ourselves in the foot, or, if you prefer, cutting off our noses  to spite our faces.

My  quality of life is greatly enriched, varied and sustained by migrants and the offspring of recent migrants.  These do their best to maintain what's left of my teeth (Portuguese); dispense my medical prescriptions (South  Asian); supply the vicar (Germany), organist (Caribbean) and about half the choir (also Caribbean) at  the church I attend; deliver my daily paper (South Asian); cut my hair (Kurds ); supply my small community (Birstall, population 16 000) with  a wide variety of take-away food and restaurant outlets (Indian, Italian, Bangladeshi,  Chinese and soon, Caribbean); clean my car (Eastern Europeans); and provide about two-thirds (approx) of my health care (assorted)   Given the chance they might also enhance the quality of the county's cricket team.

Frankly, when "boat people" are asked where they want to go eventually and they reply America, or Germany I feel indignant.  Why don't you want to come here?  

I'd like to see the UK top of the list of preferred destinations.

 No we wouldn't be swamped overrun, unable to cope. At the moment we are experiencing net emigration:  there are more people leaving the UK than coming.

 And the UK is not "a soft touch":  we have fewer migrants than Germany, France or Spain.

 Unfortunately, as with our membership of the European Union, we are victims of spin. In this area we are poisoned by negative reporting in the popular press, with the encouragement of the Brexiteers, the  craven support of Labour (remember Ed Milliband's ant-migrant mugs?) and sadly even the Liberal Democrats seem to be strangely quiet about the issue.

 What to do about it?

 I would set up booths with neon lights advertising "Come to Britain. - make your future here." 

I would welcome  these groups of largely young, enterprising, courageous people with decent, clean, specially-built hostel accommodation to begin with, reduce the bureaucratic process of their settlement; (yes we need to sift out criminals and those with  an unsavoury past who might pose a danger); promise citizenship in a defined time if they make a success of their lives (which most will); and sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labours as they establish businesses  (cf Marks of Marks and Spencer) invent things, write books and plays, drive our HGVs, pick our fruit, cure our ills, deliver our parcels,and  pay their taxes so as to sustain my pension.

A win-win situation.