The Government keeps on about us having an immigrant crisis and we need to ‘stop the boats’.

It’s a problem, certainly, but not a crisis.

The solution is very simple: set up offices in France where refugees can apply for asylum in Britain.

Those who are granted it can then be given a ticket for the ferry and their friends or family in Britain, if they have them, can be told to come and collect them.

Those refused asylum - tough. If you get on a boat and come across the Channel anyway, when you land we’ll send you straight back to France.

That’ll be the end of the boats, and the people smugglers will be out of business.

Most immigrants, of course, are perfectly legal because they have a visa to study or work or come to join a family member who is a student or has a job.

The illegal ‘boat people’ are only a tiny minority. They need to be stopped, of course, but let’s keep things in proportion.

Martin Kyrle
Chandler’s Ford