Nearly 1,000 migrants arrived in the UK via the Channel last Saturday while facilities to house migrants are severely overcrowded, it emerged last week.
Many Brits welcome these arrivals, while others decry what they see as an illegal circumvention of migration rules. A Dover migration centre was attacked on Sunday.
This begs the question of whether or not providing extra accommodation for new arrivals should be a government priority.
Jane Shirley, 69, Romford, had a message for the government: “Don’t just expect them to turn up on the beach and then cost us millions of pounds to sort that mess out.”
Jane said that she either wanted the numbers of arrivals reduced, or for a scheme to be put in place for migrants to come to the UK legally.
Others were unconcerned about the method in which migrants arrived. “[It is] always a priority that people be safe, regardless of where they come from” said Yann, 25 who works in music publishing.
Despite a cost of living crisis and a long in-tray at Whitehall, he believes this issue is a priority for the government and that “there is money”.
Natasha Lauder, 32, Rugby said: “Anyone who is in such dire straits to make such an arduous journey deserves as much a chance at life as anyone who lives here”.
She agreed with Yann that there is adequate money to provide hotel accommodation for Channel arrivals.
Almost 40,000 migrants have arrived via the Channel this year while more than one million applications for asylum remain unanswered. Suella Braverman has a busy period ahead.