There is a sentence in the latest BBC report on English Channel migrant crossings that is just exquisite. Thursday saw 1,000 people arrive in Britain unauthorised — a new record — and the story on the Corporation’s website explains how UK Border Force boats, as well as lifeboats, ferried the arrivals to Dover. However, it added:
‘A Whitehall source accused France of losing control of the situation.’
It’s a line worthy of Swift. Britain is seeing record levels of illegal migration, the Home Office is running a maritime Uber service, and somehow it’s all the French’s fault. Some wonder why the Boris Johnson era hasn’t produced any great political satire but who could take the competition? This may be the first government that satirises itself.
Boris Johnson’s government cannot afford many more days like yesterday
It’s true, France could be doing more to prevent illicit journeys to the UK from its shores. But France is not responsible for policing Britain’s borders.
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