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Original poster

Do you think that seeing the Ukrainian refugee crisis unfold will increase empathy for refugees from Middle East/Africa

119 replies

BudgeUpAnne · 26/02/2022 23:20

I don't think this is at all conscious, but I think that the pictures we are seeing are genuinely resonating with the West because of the fact that they are Europeans and white. It's horrifying and makes us feel that war is very close to home.

Like it or not, the prospect of UK refugees from Middle Eastern and African war zones divides opinion. There are many firmly in the camp that they are not our problem or that we are full. I sincerely hope that seeing neighboring countries to Ukraine taking hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of Ukrainian evacuees will stop people bleating on about how we take our fair share.

OP posts:
Georgeskitchen · 27/02/2022 17:33

Asylum should be sought in the first safe country.....that is all

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 27/02/2022 17:35

Has anyone seen anything about the Indian and Nigerian governments taking steps to repatriate their (student) nationals?

There are many thousands of them wanting to go home.

Ylvamoon · 27/02/2022 17:37

it's not that the Ukrainian refugees are white, necessarily. It's arguably that they are very visibly children, women and the elderly - the men are staying. All of the refugees have Ukrainian ID cards so their identities can be verified at the borders

^ This

AND

The refugees are currently going to their neighboring countries ... and move on from there mainly to refugee camps. Then if they are lucky they find refuge in an safe country.
Anyone having to flee their country under these circumstances gets my sympathy.

Anyone paying people smugglers/ criminals in the hope to get a better life unfortunately doesn't get my sympathy.

newhairday · 27/02/2022 17:40

No because usually from the middle east it is the men who flee and leave the women and children

Usou · 27/02/2022 18:03

Absolutely not.

Noname99 · 27/02/2022 18:24

This reply has been deleted

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VladmirsPoutine · 27/02/2022 18:26

@Noname99 Agreed. It's not like the US or UK had anything to do with the wars in those regions. It's just man from hut A fighting other man from hut B. Does light bend around you?

Motherofgorgons · 27/02/2022 18:38

@Noname99

Ukrainian refugees….caused by an attack from a foreign dictatorship invading force in a country in an emerging democracy who have no ill intent to the uk.

African /Middle Eastern refugees ….. caused by centuries old never ending internal tribal / religious warring factions who massacre each other in the name of religion / tribal issues and who at best disagree with uk values and beliefs but more usually actively disagree / loathe the liberal values we live by.

Ffs Confused

Yemenis currently being bombed by Saudi forces with US help and UK arms... that's not a foreign invading force, I suppose. It's because they are religious, innit?

Look, I don't want to sound like accepting refugees is not a difficult and extremely complex issue. It is. It's just that the current media footage with its emphasis on "blond and blue eyed children" and " intelligent refugees" ( to mention just a few of the soundbytes) is just very disturbing. Especially since I used to work in Turkey, where the streets are absolutely chockful of Syrian child refugees. They aren't women hating religious nutters. They are just children.

Why2why · 27/02/2022 19:07

[quote VladmirsPoutine]@Noname99 Agreed. It's not like the US or UK had anything to do with the wars in those regions. It's just man from hut A fighting other man from hut B. Does light bend around you?[/quote]
Grin

Suzi888 · 27/02/2022 19:28

And again No
Because of you can’t even donate money over without people losing their shit.

Why2why · 27/02/2022 19:30

@Thereisnolight, why are they unemployable? Do you think they are less educated than Ukrainians?

GalesThisMorning · 27/02/2022 19:50

[quote VladmirsPoutine]@Noname99 Agreed. It's not like the US or UK had anything to do with the wars in those regions. It's just man from hut A fighting other man from hut B. Does light bend around you?[/quote]
Grin

A brown man is clearly never going to be as easy to embrace as a white woman and her child. Well, as a mother to brown men, and as an immigrant (a privileged, English speaking, employable immigrant) I think that's shit, frankly. Not surprising, although some of the very open and off hand comments on this thread are.

Why2why · 27/02/2022 19:56

The casual racism on Mumsnet is incredible and would be funny if it were not just downright pathetic and dangerous. This way if thinking is all over the place. They sit beside you, say this kind of racist rubbish and at the same time tell you with a straight face that they are not racist. They’re only kidding themselves.

emuloc · 27/02/2022 20:00

@Noname99

Ukrainian refugees….caused by an attack from a foreign dictatorship invading force in a country in an emerging democracy who have no ill intent to the uk.

African /Middle Eastern refugees ….. caused by centuries old never ending internal tribal / religious warring factions who massacre each other in the name of religion / tribal issues and who at best disagree with uk values and beliefs but more usually actively disagree / loathe the liberal values we live by.

Ffs Confused

What an ignorant post, honestly.
Westfacing · 27/02/2022 20:04

About time the east European countries stepped up to the mark to accommodate refugees - they've been very unwilling to help those from Syria, Afghanistan etc. and have taken very few, even putting up physical barriers to keep them out.

emuloc · 27/02/2022 20:07

@Why2why

The casual racism on Mumsnet is incredible and would be funny if it were not just downright pathetic and dangerous. This way if thinking is all over the place. They sit beside you, say this kind of racist rubbish and at the same time tell you with a straight face that they are not racist. They’re only kidding themselves.
This. I cannot believe some of the horrible racism being spouted in some of these posts. Sad and pathetic.
Thereisnolight · 27/02/2022 20:08

[quote Why2why]@Thereisnolight, why are they unemployable? Do you think they are less educated than Ukrainians?[/quote]
I’m sure there’s a variation, as in every country.
But the men who flee some African and Middle Eastern countries on overcrowded boats are rarely educated - due to poor conditions at home - which is precisely the reason they are leaving. Otherwise their training would be in demand and they could apply for visas in the usual way, pay for a flight and have accommodation and a job arranged before they flee.
I can’t believe I had to type all that out.

Noname99 · 27/02/2022 20:20

Oh grow the fuck up all of you.

If you wish to continue to delude yourselves that the uk and US are the centre of all evil and the rest of the world are in fact poor victims of western oppression then you carry the fuck on. You are absolutely right …. Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Iran, Syria all beacons of peace and tolerance and equality since they gained independence from the evil west.

NippyWoowoo · 27/02/2022 20:28
Noname99 · 27/02/2022 20:29

1,200 women raped and assaulted on New Year’s Eve by refugee gangs.
Women and children left be behind in the countries where societies that give not one shit about them and that are so dangerous that the men have to flee for their lives

Bringing with them the delights of FGM, forced marriage and so called honour killings.

Yep - you are right … can’t see the difference between that an Ukrainian refugees fleeing Putin and potential nuclear threat.

Seymour5 · 27/02/2022 20:30

[quote ItsCanardBruv]@Seymour5 Bangkok, dyor.[/quote]
Rude. I did, nothing comes up. But this thread isn’t about adead actor so I’ll leave it.

emuloc · 27/02/2022 20:34

@Noname99

1,200 women raped and assaulted on New Year’s Eve by refugee gangs. Women and children left be behind in the countries where societies that give not one shit about them and that are so dangerous that the men have to flee for their lives

Bringing with them the delights of FGM, forced marriage and so called honour killings.

Yep - you are right … can’t see the difference between that an Ukrainian refugees fleeing Putin and potential nuclear threat.

You are really showing yourself now. Nasty.
Motherofgorgons · 27/02/2022 20:34

@Noname99

1,200 women raped and assaulted on New Year’s Eve by refugee gangs. Women and children left be behind in the countries where societies that give not one shit about them and that are so dangerous that the men have to flee for their lives

Bringing with them the delights of FGM, forced marriage and so called honour killings.

Yep - you are right … can’t see the difference between that an Ukrainian refugees fleeing Putin and potential nuclear threat.

Are you Trump in disguise? This reminds me very much of his "shithole" countries speech and his preference for Nordic blonde immigrants.
Usou · 27/02/2022 20:40

Well said Noname99.

Who do these people think they are volunteering the country away on everybody else's behalf?

NippyWoowoo · 27/02/2022 20:43

@Why2why

The casual racism on Mumsnet is incredible and would be funny if it were not just downright pathetic and dangerous. This way if thinking is all over the place. They sit beside you, say this kind of racist rubbish and at the same time tell you with a straight face that they are not racist. They’re only kidding themselves.
I love that it's so plain as day, every time I've mentioned it in other threads I always get the wide-eyed faux shock of 'WHERE have you seen it displayed? Do you have any links???'