Page 10 | Volunteering with asylum seekers and refugees

Lemniscate8 · 2025-08-03T09:09:02+00:00

There is so much said on MN about asylum seekers and refugees, and often it is speaking about them as a block, rather than by people who know any as individuals. AIBU to suggest that some of you who currently feel fear and hostility have a go at some volunteering to get to know one or more individuals and see if your feelings change? There are lots of ways to get involved in helping welcome a refugee to the country, and maybe more people extending more welcome will help with intergration, which seems to be one of the main concerns of some posters. Many places have volunteers facilitating english conversation sessions, or literacy support. Many councils look for volunteers to support refugee and asylum seeker children in schools, you can ask your local council, or one of the main refugee organisations what volunteering opportunities are available in your area. Also volunteering with any homeless charity is ineviatably going to bring you into contact with refugees, as so many are sleeping rough You can find out about people first hand, rather than through the right wing press. Personal relationships can only help people understand each other better

xanthomelana · 03/08/2025 18:16

I’d suggest instead of judging everyone else you come and live in an area where these men are housed then see if you have the same opinion. It’s easy to tell everyone else to volunteer when you are not being directly affected, maybe you can put them up if you feel that passionate about it?

AnotherDayInParadise43 · 03/08/2025 18:14

GanninHyem · 03/08/2025 17:42

@Panterusblackish the vast majority of group based child abuse is done by white perpetrators. Perhaps we should be advocating for white British men to be locked up somewhere or.... Is it just the Pakistanis you have problems with?

Actually the per capita stat per nationality shows a vast difference. It shows something like British men 6% likely to commit sexual violence, some other nationalities relatively similar such as France, Angola men. Then when you look at men from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia the figure jumps up to something insane like 70-80%. This has been in the news in the last week.

Carandache18 · 03/08/2025 18:11

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 15:12

I dont recognise any of what you describe, working in schools in London

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I recognise this. Schools in Peterborough used to (and maybe still do) release different ethnic groups at staggered times in the slight hope of minimising aggressive behaviour.

NeedAnyHelpWithThatPaperBag · 03/08/2025 18:11

It's a real conundrum as probably at least half the world could claim legitimate reasons for emigrating. How to force the countries people are fleeing from to make life liveable and worthwhile for the general population, is the real problem. Colonialism is deemed wrong. But corporations are, in effect, the new colonialists with their giving with one hand and taking with two. Charity seems to have as many disincentives as benefits...

Original poster

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 18:11

Mademetoxic · 03/08/2025 17:54

Why don't you have them in your home then? Be their host? Instead of lecturing everyone.

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I do, through the Refugees at Home charity, but this is not what I am specifically suggesting here- it is a great charity that does a huge amount of good, and I would strongly recommend it for anyone who has a heart to open their home to refugees. (and a spare room) This particular thread was to suggest a way that people with fear could possible get to know some individuals, and help the individuals and help their fear - Refugees at home is not really for people who are afraid

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JHound · 03/08/2025 18:08

I would love to volunteer with asylum seekers and refugees but all the things I have seen are work hours. Do you have any good links?

amber763 · 03/08/2025 18:08

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 13:22

Asylum seekers are not overwhelmingly men, however the media portray them. Men have a small majority, as you would expect. Lots of women and children to, but I dont really think a civilised society is going to deny asylum to a persecuted person based on thier sex?

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In the year ending March 2025, approximately 77% of the total asylum applications in the UK were from males. This translates to about 64,993 adult males (aged 18 and over) and 12,428 males aged 17 and under. Overall, this means that out of the 109,343 people who applied for asylum in the UK in the year ending March 2025, the majority were male.

Original poster

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 18:08

scatterolight · 03/08/2025 17:58

How about the 12 year old in Nuneaton who "got to know" 2 asylum seekers last week by being raped and strangled by them? How about her OP? Does she need to check her privilege? Extend the hand of friendship?

You people make me sick. You think you're moral but you don't give a shit about the real-world consequences of your luxury beliefs.

I dont have "luxury beleifs" I dont belief I have condoned sexual assualt anywhere in any post I have ever made, Those men belong in prison, and I trust they will spend a lengthy time there.

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Noodledog · 03/08/2025 18:04

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EasternStandard · 03/08/2025 18:02

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:52

I'm not talking in terms of one paliament, I am talking in terms of decades

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Ok so over the next few decades we’re going to see many more people arrive so we should volunteer so we don’t mind that

Or we could change the system

AzurePanda · 03/08/2025 17:59

@GanninHyem I lived in Tower Hamlets for many years and saw exactly this on a regular basis.

scatterolight · 03/08/2025 17:58

How about the 12 year old in Nuneaton who "got to know" 2 asylum seekers last week by being raped and strangled by them? How about her OP? Does she need to check her privilege? Extend the hand of friendship?

You people make me sick. You think you're moral but you don't give a shit about the real-world consequences of your luxury beliefs.

Mademetoxic · 03/08/2025 17:54

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:52

I'm not talking in terms of one paliament, I am talking in terms of decades

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Why don't you have them in your home then? Be their host? Instead of lecturing everyone.

Original poster

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:52

EasternStandard · 03/08/2025 17:47

Ok so numbers will go up and we need to find a way to accept that, that seems to be the reasoning.

In which case Labour have a struggle ahead as they’ve pledged otherwise.

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I'm not talking in terms of one paliament, I am talking in terms of decades

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EasternStandard · 03/08/2025 17:47

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:44

Numbers are going to increase, not decrease, that is the reality, the question is, how to make it work

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Ok so numbers will go up and we need to find a way to accept that, that seems to be the reasoning.

In which case Labour have a struggle ahead as they’ve pledged otherwise.

GanninHyem · 03/08/2025 17:45

Phobiaphobic · 03/08/2025 17:37

I think this is an excellent plan.

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Funny isn't it, I live in an area that takes a lot of refugees, were a city of sanctuary, and most of our population was not born in the UK. Never once experienced these roving gangs of furrin men preying on young girls and children.

Original poster

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:44

Jennps · 03/08/2025 17:42

I already gave you one. Reduce the numbers drastically. If your only premise is that we must have open borders at all cost, then you are not looking for any real suggestions, you just want to push a far left rhetoric. And except people swallow it with a dose of cringe words. Well that ain’t happening, by the looks of electoral polls.

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Numbers are going to increase, not decrease, that is the reality, the question is, how to make it work

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Jennps · 03/08/2025 17:42

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:28

Well, the numbers are only going to rise. Look at what is happening in the world. The Uk is not taking their fair share of refugees by any measure, so any adjustments are going to be raising the numbers, quite significantly. So yes, building bridges and intergration, what are your suggestions. If you would rather call it something else less cringy, go ahead, but lets have some positive suggestions from you, if you have got any.

Edited

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I already gave you one. Reduce the numbers drastically. If your only premise is that we must have open borders at all cost, then you are not looking for any real suggestions, you just want to push a far left rhetoric. And except people swallow it with a dose of cringe words. Well that ain’t happening, by the looks of electoral polls.

GanninHyem · 03/08/2025 17:42

@Panterusblackish the vast majority of group based child abuse is done by white perpetrators. Perhaps we should be advocating for white British men to be locked up somewhere or.... Is it just the Pakistanis you have problems with?

Original poster

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:42

Katesam2016 · 03/08/2025 17:40

You are completely deluded! 😂

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No I am not, I have been involved with the process and people for decades, how long have you been involved?

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Katesam2016 · 03/08/2025 17:40

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:38

with many professionals it is quite easy to confirm identity these days, university staff, etc, are well documented on the internet in many countries, and so are members of crafts guilds, etc. Many asylum seekers dont deliberatly dump identity papers, they just dont happen to have them to hand when they run. I've known people warned at work, for example, that a warrent has been issued for their arrest, and they have taken off immediatly not even hanging round 5 minutes, so they might well not have any documents to hand, even if they are close by

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You are completely deluded! 😂

Original poster

Lemniscate8 · 03/08/2025 17:38

smallglassbottle · 03/08/2025 17:32

Can I ask a question?

If someone comes across the channel and has discarded their identity papers en route, how do the authorities find out their identity? They could be a criminal or an ex isis member or something.

with many professionals it is quite easy to confirm identity these days, university staff, etc, are well documented on the internet in many countries, and so are members of crafts guilds, etc. Many asylum seekers dont deliberatly dump identity papers, they just dont happen to have them to hand when they run. I've known people warned at work, for example, that a warrent has been issued for their arrest, and they have taken off immediatly not even hanging round 5 minutes, so they might well not have any documents to hand, even if they are close by

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Phobiaphobic · 03/08/2025 17:37

SootherSue · 03/08/2025 16:25

Are these asylum seekers worth getting to know as individuals? Do sexual assault victims of asylum seekers need to be more open-minded, too?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/03/council-leader-police-cover-up-rape-asylum-seekers/

To reduce tensions, I think that the communities who pontificate about wanting asylum seekers are the ones whose communities should have them all, and the communities who don't want them should be left alone. Don't say there are too many for you to cope with - it is your side of the argument insisting that no matter how many people from completely different cultures come here, it won't impact community cohesion or local resources. To suggest otherwise is racist.

So stand by your convictions. Get together with like-minded people, approach your MPs and local councillors. Demand that asylum seekers be rescued from the filthy stupid bigoted angry plebs and moved into your neighbourhoods. Not the poor neighbourhoods in your constituencies (so you can once again foist them off on someone else whilst looking righteous), YOUR neighbourhoods, next to YOUR kids' schools, where YOUR daughters walk home at night. Then, since you are so very right and enlightened, you can dance around with the asylum seekers singing Kumbaya, and the rest of us can have a little cry about how many productive new members of society we've lost to you.

I think this is an excellent plan.

tuvamoodyson · 03/08/2025 17:36

skymagentatwo · 03/08/2025 15:46

Even the ones that lied to get here? 🙄

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….the ones who destroy their documents and say they’re 14 when they’re actually 26? Those ones OP??

PInkyStarfish · 03/08/2025 17:34

There is a vast difference between refugees that include women and children fleeing persecution and war that come here via legal means and the fighting age men that come to the U.K. via dinghies who through personal identification overboard so that we have no idea od their true identities, their ages or if they have a criminal background. They are not fleeing persecution or war but will be instructed by traitorous lawyers who will tell them what to say. Those men are a danger as their culture and often their religion do not hold women and children in the same regard as we do. They come for economic reasons only and could have stayed in France.