Points to Ponder

[Hugo]

Helig,    you are right in what you say about the immigrants and this government has done nothing positive to stop it.     Nearly 40,000 have come here illegally this year and that number is about equal to  the population of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay combined.   Now if that isn't an invasion against the UK then I don't know what is.
There are too many do gooders and Human Rights issues that prevent immigration control from functioning properly
Albania isn't in the RU so the mainly young men who make their way here are just economic migrants at best.     The link below shows you what Italy did with the invasion of 15,000 Albanian  illegal migrants 20 years ago.        Those migrants didn't try it on again

https://migrantsatsea.org/2011/07/29/20th-anniversary-of-the-arrival-at-bari-italy-of-15000-albanian-boat-people/

[Hugo]

The migrant crisis in Dover is bad but doesn't compare to the one in Bari,  Italy in 1991.   The migrants were again mainly young men but the UK and Italy have different approaches.    Italy solved their problem in days while the UK's ploblems look like they will never be resolved


https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/albanian-refugees-italy-1991/

[Hugo]

I bet that the Tories didn't discuss immigration at their parties in Downing Street, In fact they are clueless on immigration and couldn't even arrange a booze up in a brewery
It's a mad world and yet they are doing nothing, nothing whatsoever to sort the mess out.     Here are three examples just on mobile phones alone
1)  Over 1000 illegal immigrants had their phones seized by the UK Customs and are now claiming compensation against the UK Government
2}  In Hull a number of illegal Albanian migrants escaped from their detention and were picked up by cars waiting for them.  All carried out using mobile phones they had
3}   An estimated 30,000  mobile phones have been given to these illegal immigrants since the middle of 2020

https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/news/2021/11/11/illegal-immigrants-handed-an-estimated-30000-taxpayer-funded-mobile-phones-since-middle-of-2020

[Helig]

It is unbelievable how this government treats the illegal immigrants no wonder they are queuing up to come across to the UK. They are put up in hotels while homeless UK nationals are sleeping on the streets. The cost of using hotels for them is estimated to be ?6.8 million a day. Paid for out of our taxes. I would like to know the true, total, costs to the UK of migrants entering the country and remaining here for however long a period. I doubt the government would want to make this information available. It must be well into the billions of pounds.

Has North Wales been receiving these the same as other areas in the north of the UK and Scotland?

[Hugo]

I've not noticed an increase in this area but perhaps other Forum members may have.     The immigration system is a farce and I have no confidence whatsoever in this latest Home Secretary doing anything positive to improve the present system
Watching the national news tonight was an eye opener and it seems like there is a mass exodus of young Albanian men hoping to come here,
The only deterrent would be to remove all the Albanians soon after they arrive and process their claims in Albania

If anyone has ever watched the TV programme "Nothing to declare" they will see how Australia deals with travellers at the point of arrival in their country.   If they don't meet the required conditions then they are put on the first available flight home.
Will we do something similar?      I don't think we will somehow

[Bri Roberts]

It has come to my attention this evening (Sunday 6th November) that the Hilton Garden Inn at Adventure Parc Snowdonia in the Conwy Valley is providing emergency accommodation to asylum seekers whilst their applications are being processed.

I've spoken with the agents for the site this evening. They have confirmed the arrangement and is effective immediately.

The Home Office is responsible now for the running and operation of the site and its security. North Wales Police are also aware.

I will be clear. I am concerned about the suitability of this property, in this location, for this purpose. It is a hotel not a detention centre. It is isolated and unsupported by the appropriate services.

I am also very concerned about the lack of notice, the poor communication and - most of all - the impact on communities in Dolgarrog and along Dyffryn Conwy.

I've contacted the Home Office Minister responsible (Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP - Minister for Immigration) for an explanation and the owner of the hotel this evening for more information and to find out more details for you.

I have also spoken this evening with the leader of Conwy Borough Council Cllr Charlie McCoubry to see what arrangements are needed and can be put in place. He shares my concerns - it seems they too were unaware of these arrangements until yesterday/today. However their key staff/teams are meeting tomorrow morning.

I am in Parliament this week and will be pressing this issue as a matter of urgency with Home Office staff and the appropriate Ministers.

As always, if you have any questions concerns about this (or any other) issue please don't hesitate to contact me:

robin.millar.mp@parliament.uk
01492 583094

[Helig]

The Tories sold Brexit on the basis we would take control of our borders. This was a total deception on their part and appears to be a sick joke.

[mull]

Going on all over the UK.

We use the Express Holiday inn in Greenock to overnight returning from trips down south. We tried to book in early September but the hotel is now closed for same purpose. As an alternative we used the Express Holiday Inn at Strathclyde Park M74 and found that although open to the public it is partly being used for the same purpose. I also note Hellig has mentioned a Hotel in Dumfries being used as well.
This is in addition to the large cruise ship berthed in Glasgow, and other city centre hotels.
Surely the obvious way to deal with this problem is to process them Quickly, so they can be either filtered into the UK population and allowed to work filling many of our job vacancies, or if not allowed in be sent back promptly to the country of origin.

[Hugo]

It was in the Wales ITV  news this evening and it did refer to Albanian migrants.     Mainly single young men on the loose in the area, it doesn't bear thinking about

[SteveH]

Home Secretary Suella Braverman challenged over decision to house asylum seekers at Hilton hotel
Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders said she was 'at a complete loss' at the UK Government's decision

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/home-secretary-suella-braverman-challenged-25455611

[Helig]

The local paper here said there were large numbers of migrants being housed in the area. Quite where they are putting them is debatable as there is nothing for the locals let alone migrants. It seems to be in hotels or HMOs. I think some guest houses have been used as well. In Carlisle the County Hotel has been full of illegal immigrants for many months now. The locals there say that everywhere in the city is full of illegal immigrants who have been shipped up from the south of England.

In Dumfries it seems to be the norm for large numbers of migrants to gather in one of the town squares in the afternoon. It tends to be men in their early to mid twenties. They have numerous children with them at times.

The SNP are rolling out the red carpet for them but there is a considerable amount of hostility from local people.

I wonder about planning permission as these hotels etc are not being used as such but more or less as long term accommodation for immigrants. I would have thought they would need planning permission for change of use to do this lawfully.

This morning they claim to have done a deal with the French to stop them coming over in boats. I have heard this so many times now and wonder if this will be yet another promise that has no foundation in truth. They should house them with MPs and the royals have plenty of places lying empty.

[Hugo]

One person on TV today said that no one coming over in boats from France is a refugee and they are correct.   France is a safe country for them as are the other countries that they have traveled through to reach France.
At best they are economic migrants but among them are criminals and other undesirables and this Albanian invasion highlights the weakness of the immigration system
As for the present Home Secretary, I have no confidence in her whatsoever

[SteveH]

North Wales: Aberconwy asylum hotel plan 'unsuitable'
BBC Wales has asked for a comment from the site's owners. The operators of the site did contact local politicians on Saturday.

In an email, seen by the BBC, the operators told a local councillor: "With the current crisis in Kent in relation to the overcrowding of detention centres, the Home Office have reached out asking us to take a short-term accommodation contract, which we felt was the right thing to do.

Re: Everything to do with the Conwy Valley
 Reply #143 on: September 24, 2022, 10:00:39 am
Surf lagoon and Hilton hotel site in North Wales wants new investor after 'unexpected costs'     
Adventure Parc Snowdonia wants investor to come on board - and could even sell the site

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63548829?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Channel crossings deal with France in final stages, says No 10
Following the meeting, Mr Sunak said there was "not one simple solution" to tackling the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.

But he said there was an opportunity to work closely with European countries on illegal migration.
More details would be set out in the coming weeks, he added.

The Elysee Palace said the two leaders agreed "to advance co-ordination to face the challenge of irregular migration".

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63540385

[Helig]

I question the UK government's claims that there is no easy solution to the channel crossings/invasion. Australia has a method of dealing with illegal immigrants which has proved to be a success. This has existed for some time now.

In yesterday's paper Robert Jenrick is stated to have said that large asylum centres could be built around the UK. This is after some Conservative MPs criticised the housing of Channel migrants in hotels in deprived, tourist and remote areas. A series of Tory MPs said the use of hotels, costing taxpayers ?6.8 million a day, was, "wholly unsuitable" with asylum seekers put up in deprived areas, often with a lack of basic amenities. Jenrick told the Commons that, " We may need to take some larger sites to provide decent but basic accommodation. We want to exit the hotels as quickly as possible and to do that we need to disperse individuals to other forms of accommodation".

Tory ex minister Paul Maynard said that 400 asylum seekers were housed in the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool which is his seat. He stated that this was "the fourth most deprived ward in the country, an area with a host of social problems and a  difficult history of child sex exploitation".

Where will it all end up? At this rate we shall have a vast number of illegal immigrants with who knows what sort of backgrounds.

[Hugo]

Helig, these asylum seekers when first processed are told to report to an authority at stipulated times.   When they are on release most just abscond.       If the asylum seeker doesn't comply with the instructions then the Customs Officers have to search for the Asylum seekers and if thyt catch them a second time what do they do?
They process them again and then release them back in to the UK
It's a waste of time and resources if these illegal migrants are not deported

Control of our borders?   This lot can't even take control of their own party.     It's a right fiasco