The immigrant barge - what’s actually wrong with using it?

[NC523]

Educate me!

I looked at pics from the inside, it all looks very much like standard student accommodation to me, including common rooms/relaxation areas/health support on board. Residents can go on & off the boat, it’s passed fire etc safety and been used to house people in lots of other situations. I don’t understand why people think it’s not ok. Can anyone explain please?

Also don’t forget, it costs money to travel illegally! For many families, they can only afford one shot. That’s why they send their young men- it’s their only hope. They’re not all drawing lucky straws and jumping on an easyJet ffs!

Luxury cruise ships have plenty of safety features that will prevent spread of fire or enable evacuation of an affected area. It’s likely that the barge is the same. The big difference will be that one will be operating within the recommended numbers for safety in a fire and one will be operating with more than double that number. Which will likely prove fatal in the event of evacuation.

Hopefully another thing that is the same will be the prosecution of whoever made the decision to do that in the event of deaths. Since Braverman knows full well that the ship isn’t fire safe for that many people. You don’t fuck about with fire and evacuation in the event of a fire.

If I was fleeing a persecution from a war torn country, I reckon I'd be delighted with my barge accommodation, 3 meals a day, and free healthcare. Id be thankful to my host country while my claim was properly assessed.
If I was an economic migrant who had paid a people smuggler to get me across the channel to live off the British tax payer I'd definitely expect a nice hotel.

The thing is, I live in a city that takes asylum seekers. They are put in the housing no one else will live in, in the most awful areas where they are surrounded by addiction and poverty. No mans land. If you're single you are housed with multiple others from across the world and share facilities. Your flatmates may or may not speak your language. You can walk around as much as you like but many don't, due to the aforementioned neighbourhoods. I'm not sure the boat is worse.

The issue here is the system. You get refused asylum, you appeal. Then you appeal the appeal. On and on and on. No peace, no certainty, living in shit circumstances with no chance to improve those circumstances or contribute to the country. Its an awful awful mess. Don't get distracted by the boat, this goes much much wider and deeper.

Yeah agree with this, we are shit with care leavers too. If someone is considered to be an asylum seeker we have also acknowledged they are vulnerable. A half way house sort of thing while they get themselves up and sorted is entirely reasonable rather then leaving them at risk of exploitation.

This. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. There will be riots, fires, disease, fights. People will die. It’s inhumane. We should be ashamed that we allow this to happen in our name.

I think the Fire risk claims are bollox - there's no way the Gov would risk another Grenfell type disaster.

The issue here is the system. You get refused asylum, you appeal. Then you appeal the appeal. On and on and on.
It's not the system it's the law and Human Rights

Maybe if they paid asylum decision makes a reasonable wage more would stay. They recruited 800 earlier this year in addition to those they already have, but lots will leave when they realise the workload, the stress and everything else isn't worth a fair bit under £30k a year. It also can take 6 months plus to get people through the door which is ludicrous. A government issue and not those doing thankless challenging jobs for shit pay with not enough staff.

I honestly don’t think that young fit men are at particular risk during a covid outbreak. I’m a middle aged fat and unfit woman who’s had covid three times. It was shit but I survived. I would be more worried about a tb outbreak due to low vaccination rates in some countries.

It’s not ideal but tbh I’m not sure how accommodation is supposed to be found. Yes it is absolutely the government’s fault but they still need to be put somewhere while waiting. If it’s warm, theres food and little risk of violence then I’d consider that a plus if I were an asylum seeker. I don’t like it but we also don’t have the ability to provide a blank cheque to house people.

@midsomermurderess More than 75% of those seeking asylum here are found to have valid claims.

• *Aided and abetted by dodgy lawyers, perhaps?

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-build-cases-to-prosecute-rogue-immigration-lawyers

Because the migrants know that if they refuse, they get a 4 star or 5 star hotel instead. Same as when they rip their passports up before they enter France so their government and the British government can't deport them back to anywhere. Clever people.

Why would a riot break out and why would someone start a fire? Are you saying these men can’t behave?

"there's no way the Gov would risk another Grenfell type disaster'. Grenfell, the cluster of causes that led to it, was underpinned by a mindset. There is no evidence that that has changed.

Up to 500 bored men with little to no privacy, very little outlet for physical energy and cramped into a tiny space. I image it will become violent and unsanitary quite quickly

Do people really think that refugees are being put up in 4 or 5 star hotels?

The media really have done a number on the Great British public! 🤔

It's unsustainable and what about the young people already here who may like to have a family or affordable housing.

We need to help the homeless as well

‘The media really have done a number on the Great British public!’: Hasn’t it just. And people just swallow it. Swallow it because it suits them I guess.

Well, they're all volunteers, no-one invited them.

And if it does become 'violent and insanitary' then they can ring their pals back home and tell them that the 'streets aren't paved with gold' and not to bother coming.

They found it easy enough when they deliberately slowed it down to be a deterrent. (Spot a theme here?) They could just undo whatever the fuck they did when May was Home Sec with her hostile environment.

Has anyone tried comparing the barges to UK prisons?

Since these are people caught entering the country illegally they are lucky to be allowed out at all. As it is they can spend the day in town or wander around talking to friends.

I think some of you are struggling to understand it because you live in relative luxury compared to the rest of us who see this as pretty normal.

But it’s not an either or. We can help those who were born here AND those who are granted asylum.

but we have a goverment who like to pit people against each other to take the spotlight of them rather than them ensuring the infrastructure is in place

Why would it become unsanitary? There’s an en-suite in every bedroom and a laundry on board.

True but it doesn't seem to happen.

There is a real shortage of accommodation and the people already here should have priority

Do you think these men are going to either;
a) clean
b) iron

??