Crossing the channel in boats

[MarshaBradyo]

Listening to radio re terrible situation on the water but also in camps in France

It all sounds very hard

What would you like to see happen?

Why not the UK, though? Why shouldn't we take a share of the refugees?

If they were spread out fairly between the safe countries, there's a chance that we would have to take far more than we do now. Why should the countries that are closer to the areas of the world that they are fleeing from have to deal with the problem on their own? We should take a fair share, and allow them to come in a safe way. Such a small proportion of the migrants arriving in Europe end up trying to come to the UK - most of them settle elsewhere. And the UK has the space and the resources for health, housing, education etc if it wanted to - the problem is that the government hasn't funded these properly for ages, and then tried to blame the problems on the fact that a small proportion of migrants are coming in. They aren't the main problem. Yes, they do need a better method of accommodating them and making sure that it's not just specific places that are getting too many, but the whole of the UK is not overcrowded, and it doesn't need to be underfunded or under-resourced.

How many of these people are actually refugees though ?

For those who seem to be struggling with just how many refugees the UK takes in, according to the UNHCR there are currently 82.4 million 'forcibly displaced' people in the world. 26.4 million of them are refugees and half of them are children.

There are currently 132,349 refugees, 77,245 pending asylum cases and 4662 stateless persons in the UK. The UK doesn't come near doing its fair share. Not by a long shot.

@FatCatThinCat

How many are Saudi Arabia (closer geographically and culturally than the UK and 9 times bigger) taking, the US (40 times bigger) or Australia (32 times bigger)?

[quote UserOfManyNames]**@FatCatThinCat

How many are Saudi Arabia (closer geographically and culturally than the UK and 9 times bigger) taking, the US (40 times bigger) or Australia (32 times bigger)?[/quote]
A question asked many times over the last few years (most recently during the fall of Kabul )…

Answers are always interesting………

[quote UserOfManyNames]**@FatCatThinCat

How many are Saudi Arabia (closer geographically and culturally than the UK and 9 times bigger) taking, the US (40 times bigger) or Australia (32 times bigger)?[/quote]
Yes. Why is it only a problem for Europe?

@FatCatThinCat

For those who seem to be struggling with just how many refugees the UK takes in, according to the UNHCR there are currently 82.4 million 'forcibly displaced' people in the world. 26.4 million of them are refugees and half of them are children.

There are currently 132,349 refugees, 77,245 pending asylum cases and 4662 stateless persons in the UK. The UK doesn't come near doing its fair share. Not by a long shot.

But we are a fraction of the size. Our resources are already stretched.

It's not a European problem

www.nrc.no/perspectives/2020/the-10-countries-that-receive-the-most-refugees/

I don't know enough about the politics behind it but what I want to see happen, is an end to this "there's enough of them here now, they're taking our benefits and our jobs, and they get given mobile phones and free houses" crap. There are children drowning ffs.

France have had years to find solutions and seemingly do very little

Shame, shame, shame on you. Why do you think they want to come to the UK????

Because you live in one of the most privileged and comfortable countries in the world.
Or maybe they speak English or have relatives or former neighbours there.

More likely, they were treated well by soldiers or charities feom the UK.
How did that happen?
Well, the UK is so wealthy they could afford armies and munitions to fight on other territories for reasons other than protecting their own land.

How privileged and entitled are your blinkers?

(likewise for France but you've chosen to lay the blame at someone else's door. It would be refreshing to see the UK population own their problems too)

KSA has less than half the population of the UK.

They have accepted thousands and thousands of Syrians in the past decade. Quite a few thousand Rohingya and Palestinians. The numbers dont stack up tho. I'm not sure if KSA cream off "attractive" potential refugees and offer sponsorship before they enter. I do know you cant get anywhere without official paperwork. Working under the radar would be very hard - both for you and your employer - and the consequences if caught would be brutal, making under the radar unattractive!

I'm not sure about the ins and outs of it, but KSA has certainly accepted a massive number of displaced citizens. I guess that may have lower threashold than refugees? And there would be massive restrictions on religion (and probably discrimination regarding shia/sunny)

KSA needs workers and has the Kafala system.
In short, the Kafala system requires every foreign national working in the country to have a sponsor, usually a Saudi national or a company. The worker needs the permission of the sponsor to leave the country or to change jobs, and the sponsor is responsible for the regulation of the workers residence permit for as long as they are in the country. While the system can provide residency and work, it is important to stress that it does not come close to resembling a right-based refugee protection system.
Nevertheless, the kafala system has on some occasions been used in relation to particular refugee groups such as the Palestinians, Eritreans, Yemenis and Rohingya.

Floundery

We need ID cards. And to deny citizenship to anyone arriving by boat.

We cannot possibly accommodate all who want to come“

What rubbish. The UK (Scotland in particular) is facing huge problems. Birth rate is declining, people are living longer, in poor health. We need bright, healthy, hardworking families and individuals who want nothing more than to contribute to our society and tax system. Yes, there’ll be a small percentage of dodgy people in amongst them, as there are in the native UK population.
Angela Merkel had exactly the right idea and Germany is benefitting from its thousands of new citizens.

There are children drowning ffs.

@copernicium Do you not think that is the personal responsibility of the adult who put them into a flimsy dingy to cross a cold and treacherous sea when they had already trekked through several safe countries and were NOT in a war zone at risk of death?

Are you suggesting people from other countries are too thick to be able to assess that common sense risk themselves?

Would you risk your child’s life because you wanted to live in a country where you could speak the language and had relatives when you were already ‘safe’?

Mrs SW
"Angela Merkel had exactly the right idea and Germany is benefitting from its thousands of new citizens."

Not according to these:-

www.infomigrants.net/en/post/33597/germany-twothirds-of-syrian-refugees-unable-to-support-themselves

www.dw.com/en/refugees-in-germany-we-wont-be-able-to-integrate-everyone/a-40139185

www.politico.eu/article/germany-offers-refugees-benefits-in-kind-to-return-home/

www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/most-syrian-adult-refugees-in-germany-depend-on-social-welfare/

Ellen888

Mrs SW
"Angela Merkel had exactly the right idea and Germany is benefitting from its thousands of new citizens."

Not according to these:-“

Not what my extended German family are saying. I could probably find countless articles that present the opposite conclusion than yours, if I could be bothered.
Won’t, though, because our myriad relatives tell us otherwise positive stories.

@UserOfManyNames

There are children drowning ffs.

@copernicium Do you not think that is the personal responsibility of the adult who put them into a flimsy dingy to cross a cold and treacherous sea when they had already trekked through several safe countries and were NOT in a war zone at risk of death?

Are you suggesting people from other countries are too thick to be able to assess that common sense risk themselves?

Would you risk your child’s life because you wanted to live in a country where you could speak the language and had relatives when you were already ‘safe’?

Well said.

What I want to see is the French stepping up and sorting this mess. It’s of their making

@MrsSkylerWhite

Floundery

We need ID cards. And to deny citizenship to anyone arriving by boat.

We cannot possibly accommodate all who want to come“

What rubbish. The UK (Scotland in particular) is facing huge problems. Birth rate is declining, people are living longer, in poor health. We need bright, healthy, hardworking families and individuals who want nothing more than to contribute to our society and tax system. Yes, there’ll be a small percentage of dodgy people in amongst them, as there are in the native UK population.
Angela Merkel had exactly the right idea and Germany is benefitting from its thousands of new citizens.

Then ask Nicola to get involved and arrange for them to be taken direct to Scotland

Mrs SW,
It does indeed depend on who you ask.

In the right-wing areas of Germany that support AfD, it was a failed experiment. The left wing areas say it is wonderful.

It's the same with the press.

Then ask Nicola to get involved and arrange for them to be taken direct to Scotland“

England/NI and Wales are in a very similar situation.

“Them” are human beings, women, children, men, young and old. Maybe try imagining yourself in the situation of these people. What would you hope for, for your children?

Chloenol,

"Then ask Nicola to get involved and arrange for them to be taken direct to Scotland"

Wasn't Wee Nick supposed to be taking in some Syrian refugees?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sturgeon-i-will-put-up-refugees-in-my-house-zm0s6xbrf5n

How bad must your life be before you would risk that crossing.

Who’s going to pay for the billions in infrastructure and the economy that Scotland will need to accommodate an influx of immigrants then? There is a reason it is less populated than the rest of the U.K.

@UserOfManyNames

There are children drowning ffs.

@copernicium Do you not think that is the personal responsibility of the adult who put them into a flimsy dingy to cross a cold and treacherous sea when they had already trekked through several safe countries and were NOT in a war zone at risk of death?

Are you suggesting people from other countries are too thick to be able to assess that common sense risk themselves?

Would you risk your child’s life because you wanted to live in a country where you could speak the language and had relatives when you were already ‘safe’?

I’m sure most don’t have relatives over here.

In any case, We have relatives in Australia but that doesn’t give us the right to live there. If we wanted to we would have to apply through the proper channels and fulfill the criteria. We couldn’t just rock up.

I’m pretty sure it’s the lack of ID cards and the nhs which lures them, plus the package of support. Plenty don’t speak the language going by the amount of interpreters we are having to book now at work to treat them (nhs).....