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Ooh good, @JamesCleverly would like to discuss statistics. UK, number of asylum applications 2019, 32,693. France, 154,620. I mean obviously you can argue France is larger, but your still looking at a difference of about 5% land used for buildings there and 2% used in the UK. 1/ https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1293298482300751877
Now, obviously, it's also easy to then say "oh you want to sacrifice the landscape", however, by government's figures UK has 634,435 vacant properties, with 216,186 categorised as long term vacant, and that's before looking at usable building land, worth in excess of £2billion 2/
But you know, that's just statistics, which according to @JamesCleverly are "virtue signalling". They can be useful though. Immigration enforcement has been increasing year on year, and year on year governments', Labour and Conservatives, have failed to stop asylum seekers. 3/
Thing is that you don't need statistics, just a little commonsense, to tell you that if someone feels they have nothing to lose then they're going to still make risky journeys to try and find safety. 4/
I'd personally argue that it is the @conservatives at the moment, and likes of @JamesCleverly and @pritipatel who are engaged in what they themselves would classify as "virtue signalling", by enacting policies they know put people at risk while claiming it is to help them. 5/
Accepting UK has tried for decades to enact ever more draconian immigration policies, cut safe routes and reduced support for asylum seekers and it hasn't made a difference, other than, arguably increasing risks of trafficking, it's time to think in a different way? 6/
I doubt many people would disagree that we need to combat trafficking and exploitation. So why not @JamesCleverly look at those facts and statistics which @benandjerrysUK provided and start looking for genuine solutions. 7/
Rough sleeping is estimated to cost the UK government £1billion p/a. Costs of implementing policies to combat it, created by Conservative MPs btw, are estimated at £100million. UK immigration enforcement costs £392million. So you take £100million from that to help. 8/
That still leaves you with £292million, which with asylum benefits at £37.75 p/w would fund 148,751 asylum seekers per year, and that's just a quick calculation. Even taking into account other necessary costs to take out of the £292million you get the idea. 9/
So, you're right @JamesCleverly, let's stop "virture signalling", but that means stopping claims that a handful of asylum seekers are a threat, or that making the journey harder is combating trafficking when you know it will increase it. It means actually doing something. 10/
Won't deny this thread is overly-simplistic, but it's there to give a principle @JamesCleverly. A very basic summation of why tougher enforcement only risks lives and how there are better ways to deal with crossings. Maybe listen to the ice-cream firm, before dismissing them. 11/
