About the episode

The House of Commons is in recess, but politics is not standing still. In contrast, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has renamed this week Small Boats Week, the week in which he looks to tackle Britain’s migration crisis with – once again – a five-point plan. Starting with the Bibby Stockholm barge, a floating gray giant similar to the Bijlmer Bajes, where the small room capacity is doubled with bunk beds. Its goal: to accommodate five hundred asylum seekers. This week, the first asylum seekers will board the barge indefinitely.

To limit the number of asylum seekers, Sunak’s government hopes to deport migrants to Rwanda, which is not currently possible, but there is already a plan B: deportation to Ascension Island. A piece of rock in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, approaches to the migration crisis ran aground due to delays in handling asylum procedures. If Sunak wants to fulfill his own promise: complete 92 thousand (!) asylum procedures before the end of the year, his civil service will have to process more than 2,800 applications every week from now on.

About Van Bekhoven’s English

In van Bekhoven’s Britten, Lia van Bekhoven and Connor Clerx talk about the biggest news topics and the most important developments in the UK every week. From Brexit to domestic politics, from Royals to tabloids. Why did England fascinate the Netherlands more than so many other European countries? What role does the UK play in Europe for now, after the word Brexit seems to be banned from British life, but the consequences of the decision to leave the EU are becoming clearer every day?

The British monarchy, and with it the country, is facing profound changes following the death of Queen Elisabeth and the imminent coronation of her son Charles. The popularity of the Royal Family is at an all-time low. How will the British monarchy change under King Charles, and how will it affect the Commonwealth? In Van Bekhoven’s Britten, Lia and Connor analyze an empire of waning prosperity, influence, and power. The Conservative Party has supplied prime ministers for thirteen years, will it end after Rishi Sunak? What would Britain be like under Labor’s Keir Starmer? And how do ‘ordinary’ Brits, if any, deal with this? All of these questions and more are addressed in Van Bekhoven’s Britten. A critical view of Great Britain, where there appears to be a race between Northern Ireland and Scotland who can secede from England first. How long will the Kingdom remain united?

After more than 45 years among the British, Lia van Bekhoven has a unique view of England. A resident, but definitely not an Anglophile, he is deeply concerned about news, politics, the monarchy and the daily life of the North Sea. Every Wednesday you get a new podcast about the life of Englishman Van Bekhoven on your podcast app. Sharp analysis, depth for which there is no time on radio and a good portion of humor. Subscribe and don’t miss a single episode.

About Lia

Lia van Bekhoven is the UK correspondent for BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack and Elsevier, among others, and is frequently seen on talk shows as an interpreter for news from the UK. He has lived in London since 1976 and, in addition to being a correspondent for radio, television and written media, is also an author. Mama went dancing, legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales (1997), Land of the Divided Gods, Northern Ireland and Troubles (2000), In London, 9 runs through the British capital (2009) and Great Britain (2022).

About Connor

Connor Clerx is a presenter and podcaster at BNR Nieuwsradio. He has worked for BNR since 2017 and is frequently heard on De Ochtendspits, Boekestijn en de Wijk and BNR Breaks.