The unanswered asylum question

The ever failing John Reid in a blatant attempt to deflect attention from his consistent ineptitude has announce plans for a uniformed border control force. Not satisfied with wreaking destruction on things already in existence in would seem our ever eager Home Secretary wants something new to mess-up. That said I am not opposed to the idea of an effective border control force, well equipped and with the mandate to do the job. However something tells me John Reid’s border force will fall someway short of this noble target.

That said, John Reid’s proposal raises an age-old question that is never addressed in public. Given the UK’s geographic location the number of asylum seekers who arrive directly on our doorstep from whatever state they are fleeing is minimal. The vast majority of asylum seekers have to pass through several other highly developed liberal democracies (eg France, Germany) before they arrive in the UK. Why then is it that rather than seeking asylum in the first safe state they arrive in do they pass through several more before asking for our help? This surely raises questions about the validity of their asylum claim, and more importantly the extent to which the UK, under the Labour government, is seen as a soft touch.