Jeremy Clarkson Says There Is One Simple Way Britain Could Stop Illegal Boat Migrants From Wanting to Cross the English Channel in Small Boats Into the UK
Jeremy Clarkson says he has an unusual idea for how Britain could discourage migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The 66-year-old TV presenter believes the government should focus on making the UK look less attractive to people thinking about making the journey, rather than relying on tougher action at sea or repeatedly making deals with France.
Writing in his Sunday Times column, Clarkson said the main aim should be to stop migrants from wanting to come to Britain in the first place.
He suggested showing them some of the problems people living in Britain face every day.
One example he gave was the poor condition of many UK roads. Clarkson joked that migrants should be shown Britain’s potholes before deciding whether they still want to come.
He also pointed to poor mobile phone coverage in some parts of the country. He joked that the signal can be so bad that people might have better luck communicating using two empty tins connected by a piece of string.
Clarkson also criticised Britain’s planning system. He suggested telling migrants how difficult planning rules can make it for people trying to run businesses or develop properties.
Another issue he raised was the pressure on the NHS.
Clarkson said migrants should be told about long waiting times in A&E, giving the example of a child suspected of having meningitis potentially having to wait hours before seeing a doctor.
He also mentioned pollution in Britain’s rivers and the amount of tax people can face once they start earning money.
The Clarkson’s Farm presenter suggested that migrants should also be shown Britain’s 20mph speed limits and some of the other rules that frustrate people living in the country.
He even suggested taking them to a British court so they could see cases involving people facing prosecution over things they posted on social media.
His comments appeared to be deliberately humorous and exaggerated, but his wider argument was that Britain should focus on why migrants see the UK as an attractive destination.
Clarkson said people should be shown the less appealing side of life in Britain before deciding to make the dangerous journey across the Channel.
He also suggested taking migrants to see British farmland and empty fields.
Clarkson then said that if people still wanted to come to Britain after seeing all these problems, they should be told they would not receive financial support.
The TV presenter has also recently spoken about Britain’s welfare system.
In separate comments, Clarkson criticised young people who receive benefits while staying at home instead of working.
He argued that people receiving financial support should recognise that taxpayers are helping to fund those payments.
Clarkson jokingly suggested that people claiming benefits could be given the email address of a working taxpayer and asked to send that person a thank-you message.
He said he would be more willing to accept higher taxes to fund Britain’s growing welfare bill if taxpayers received some recognition from the people receiving the support.
His comments came amid continuing debate about welfare spending and the number of people receiving sickness and disability benefits in Britain.
