The arrival of asylum seekers by boats in European countries has become an increasingly common phenomenon. But there was an incredible clash of cultures that took place at Fairlight Glen Beach in East Sussex last Monday. A group of 11 asylum seekers, 10 men, and one woman, were greeted by around 80 naked men and women on their arrival.
The nudists had gathered there for sunbathing, only to suddenly find a dinghy coming toward them from the sea. One of the nudists swam out to inquire the people onboard whether they were fine. Once the inflatable vessel landed ashore, the nudists offered them warm drinks as relief following what must have been an arduous journey.
Nudists' reaction
One of the men present on the beach was Jamie Anley, an entrepreneur, along with his wife, Astrid. He told The Sun about their amazement on seeing the approaching vessel while they had just started to soak in the sun without their clothes.
"It was a hilarious situation. We were sat on our towels and I noticed the boat. They had an engine on their dinghy but they were paddling about ten meters off the beach, probably thinking, 'What the hell is this?'. The beachgoers were all very friendly — we offered the migrants drinks... They were aged from about 17 to 45. Some of the men kept their heads down but some had little smirks on. Some of them were wearing leather jackets, they weren't dressed for the occasion!" Anley recounted.
Larger issue
The arrival of asylum seekers on British shores has been going on at a steady rate this year. As of the last count, 6,515 people have arrived by boat in the country. These people tend to enter the European mainland from the disturbed regions of Asia and then cross the channel into the UK. On the day when these people arrived, in total, 165 persons on 12 boats came into the country.
The 11 people who landed on the nudists' sunbathing point went off into the woods after leaving their vessel on the coast. The nudists informed the police and the latter was able to locate the asylum seekers and take them into custody.
The larger issue of how to improve border control and prevent illegal entry into the UK remains a hot political topic.
