The phrase ‘frying pan to fire’ comes readily to my mind… 
While much of that is true he did not ultimately settle here and I’m not sure that he was exactly “granted asylum” though he did he move to the UK when out of favour in the Ottoman Empire - movement between countries, especially for fairly high profile individuals, was much more easy and fluid in the 1st decades of the 20th century than it is these days.
He went back, started a war and was ultimately assassinated according to Wikipedia.
Crossing the Channel might not be illegal, but it does cause lifesaving services to be on almost constant alert when they might be needed elsewhere.
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Lifesaving services must obviously treat all lives as equally precious, whoever they are and wherever they’re from.
Refugees are generally people in desperate need, who have no choice, or at least feel they have no choice about their journeys - the ‘elsewhere’ lifesaving services might be needed could well be people - equally precious to their loved ones of course - messing about in boats just for a laugh.
…or foolishly jumping into the sea to rescue a dog 
Or, caught out in the forthcoming storms which will soon be lashing the UK coastlines.
They might have engine failure, or need a crew member taking off for emergency treatment.
Please do not be so dismissive of those out at sea, many of whom are putting their lives at risk to bring fish or goods to the UK.
Which they do Geof, more pertinent is whether the UK should provide additional services as on the Kent coast they are clearly overstretched.
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Its a legal obligation… LIVRET_STATE_OBLIGATIONS_RELATING_TO_RESCUE_2019_NEW web.pdf (1.9 MB)
Is that the same thing though Graham?
Indeed frequently do - not sure that the smugglers to whom they resort have any great interest in equipment maintenance or making sure adequate fuel is supplied for the crossing.
I think if you read my post carefully again Jane you’ll see I wasn’t at all dismissive.
Your own comment, though, might be interpreted as implying that refugees shouldn’t be seeking refuge because they tie up resources that might be needed elsewhere, and this in turn implies that there is some kind of hierarchy of needs, or importance of lives needing saving.
I subsequently pointed out that there is no such hierarchy - I took care to say very clearly that all lives are equally precious - even though it is of course sometimes the case that danger might be the result of irresponsibility by any individual or group.
I wasn’t talking about the migrants but fishermen or other sailors who have well maintained boats but engine failure or other problems are not unknown.
People smugglers putting far to many people into ribs with dodgy outboards are another story.
Geof, I think you have made your point more than once.
Migrants are being taken advantage of and let us hope that the Border force will be enhanced by the Navy so other users of the Coastguard and the RNLI are not inconvenienced when they are also in need.
Maybe it is a point worth repeating?
N.b. I thought we were talking about refugees and not migrants.
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No one knows if they are refugees or migrants until their cases have been processed.
I have worked with refugees in UK, one would think from your comments that I don’t understand their plight.
It is a point worth making that they are not the only ones who rely on the emergency services.
No I am not making any assumptions about your views. I think you are a kind and fair person but I just think there is such a level of hostility to refugees and migrants that it is worth taking up their cause more than once.
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What really got my goat was Geof’s comment about people messing about in boats just for a laugh.
The UK is a maritime nation and that means that there are many serious sailors around our coasts.
What I don’t get is no one is complaining about all rich Russian Arabs immigrants in London what are the differences in between them and the people coming in the over the channel
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