We Came By Sea by Horatio Clare

5 out of 5 stars

The publisher provided a copy of this, free of charge, in return for an honest review.

Those that arrive on these shores in small boats are here with the faintest hope of re-making a life on this island, and are vilified in the right-wing press. This narrative has sadly been picked up by the current prime minister, Kier Starmer, as he tries to out reform, Reform.

To try and understand what was happening to these people, who are desperate to try to start a new life, Clare heads to Dover, the current front line for those arriving from the continent. He is hoping to speak with some of these people, the volunteers who are caring for them, the people manning the lifeboats who often end up rescuing them as the substandard boats they are on get into trouble and who see tragedy most weeks> He is hoping to speak to the personal of the UK Border Force who are tasked with repelling this invasion force.

Mostly, he is there to discover the truth of what is happening, as he feels that the way this is being reported in the press is at best wrong…

Most of the people that he ends up speaking to wish to remain anonymous, which is understandable. There are various reasons behind this, but it is predominantly because they are not opening themselves up to the torrent of abuse they would get from trolls online. It is quite sad that it has come to this, but such is the power of populism. There are a few who don’t mind their names being mentioned. The discussions are eye-opening, and it is here that he begins to learn how big businesses ‘manage’ the situation through the lucrative contracts they have been awarded.

He moves on to Calais. The centre of this town is quite pleasant, however, the outskirts are pretty grim. There is a lot of poverty and crime. He is helped in finding where the people who want to cross the channel are by others who work in charities supporting those who have made it this far through Europe and are desperate to reach the UK.

There is a strong presence of the CRS riot police, who, it turns out, are partly funded by us. They seem to be aiming to irritate and provoke the 3000 or so people who are sleeping rough in the area.

Another charity worker highlights the folly of the amount of money being spent on this hostile environment. They suggest that the money would be better spent on infrastructure, integration and jobs for the people arriving. Not only would it make a massive difference, but the overall ongoing costs would be much lower in the long run.

This relentless demonisation of migrants didn’t apply when it came to Ukraine, though. 267,000 people applied and were granted visas. He imagines what it would be like of this same principle was applied to all asylum seekers who were wishing to move away from opposition and persecution in their home countries.

Back in Calais, Clare finds out that the police have stepped up their persecution of the rough sleepers. They raid camps, take tents and possessions. The charities helping these people can’t supply replacements fast enough. It is a nasty campaign. Immigration across Europe is a huge political hot potato. Borders are being closed on the southern shores, and Clare writes about the UK companies that have used this for their own advantage. They don’t seem to have a single atom of empathy or compassion among them.

The government at the time this book was written plan to house a large number of immigrants awaiting processing (horrid phrase), in a barge called the Bibby Stockholm. It is in need of a lot of repairs and upgrading to become fit for habitation, and surprise, surprise, a private company has been awarded a very lucrative contract to undertake the work. It is being carried out in Falmouth before being moved to Portland. No one is happy about it (except probably the company with the contract) and even when finished, it is fraught with problems. The inmates (it was described as a prison) complain of the treatment they receive there, and when Leonard Farruku commit suicide, the home office refuses to pay to repatriate his body. His sister starts a crowdfunding page and raises £19K in one day. The compassion of some of the British people is very moving.

The description of a boat journey undertaken by an artist in a small dinghy is quite tense. The projection of a future where immigrants realise their relatives took the same journey is touching too.

As winter comes, the cold makes the journey much harder. Clare heads to Liverpool to see how people are being helped in that city. There has been a lot of protests against them being there, mostly egged on by right-wing groups, but it is found that these protests fade if there is dialogue and resistance.

There are countless stories that could be told, but Clare only picks up on a few for this book. We are fed an ever more hysterical rhetoric by a press that leans further right each day, but the thing to remember is that there is only a small number of genuine asylum seekers each year. Having safe routes for these people would stop all the small boats and paying councils, particularly in the North, rather than the corporations that are making huge profits, would be better for everyone.

As climate change bites harder in the coming years, more and more people are going to be on the move, so we are really going to have to deal with it properly. This is a brilliant book, full of compassion for those who have made the decision to leave their home (or had it forced on them). There is a lot of food for thought, and as with all his other books, it is so well written. Read it as soon as you are able to.