Six and a half years ago, in a mood of desperation, the British electorate voted to leave the European Union, with which it had never felt at home, in order to regain national sovereignty and, with it, control of our borders. Today, with 40,000 illegal immigrants having so far crossed the Channel this year and 1.1 million visas handed out to legal entrants in the year to June, we live on an island that is treated as Liberty Hall – an open-access global amenity – by the world and his dog.
“Take back control” – they’re having a laugh, right? Boris Johnson took office, promising that Channel crossers would be “sent back”. Previously, he had been canvassing an “amnesty” for illegal immigrants. During the last days in the bunker, the Truss administration was planning a more liberal visa policy (more liberal than 1.1 million) and opening the floodgates to populous India, in return for a trade agreement.
