Health Tourism - woman has 5 babies on the NHS

[BlimmingCheek]

AIBU to think that this woman is taking the bloody piss?

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3673011/Nigerian-mum-Bimbo-Ayelabola-flew-into-Britain-and-had-quins-on-the-NHS.html

I very much doubt she will be sent back. Who is paying her legal fees is what I would like to know?

Are we a soft touch or just a lovely compassionate country with enough resources for all?

'And if all her friends and family are allowed to live here, why isn't she? '

Because chain migration is strongly sanctioned by law in this country for some pretty valid reasons, the same way it is in other nations. Nationality is not automatic by birth, either.

So all those other people had a way to stay here: married a British national, were entitled to nationality, work permits, etc.

She has no such entitlement, so is not legally entitled to live here permanently at present.

It is a great pity to see a Nigerian woman and babies booted out of the country to an uncertain future and a husband who is a spineless jerk. Nigerians tend to assimilate very fast in Britain, learn English, place a tremendous value on education (they have a similar record to white British pupils in number and grades earned at GCSE level and tend to stay in the education system longer than most groups).

Exactly math. Our aging population will need these babies in the future as taxpayers.

With five tiny children dependent on her now though, plus all this media attention, I very much doubt she will be able to make a case to stay. I suspect she thought that speaking to the media would garner some sympathy. A mistake.

It is a non-EU nation. The reality is that there is plenty of migration already from EU member nations and this will likely rise in the future, but it certainly won't from non-EU/EEA nations. Each government has made this more difficult for a variety of reasons.

It's possible she can get attention the way Gamu did and perhaps find a way to remain, but it's uncertain.

What we need is more job creation first and foremost.

Math - yes, there is a certain irony in the situation but it is true that taxes on fags are a nice earner for the govt., especially as they can put them up without anyone protesting (or at least anyone listening).

god...bill the Nigerian government for the delivery? Yeah, I can see them fastforwarding that one right to the treasury....

Pigletmania you have no idea what the actual cost/benefit of keeping these babies in the UK will be. The fact that the mother will claim benefits is neither here nor there because you have no idea how much any of them might 'contribute' in the future.

Of course some might say it's inhuman to treat babies like that let alone suggesting flying them back to Nigeria shortly after birth, presumably to face absolute poverty (would you suggest supplying milk for the flight home or will it be the feckless mother's fault if she runs out on the way?)

people on here are really, really starting to make me sick. It's turning into the the MN Daily Fail Discussion Boards.

suzi - we have a growing population in this country, we don't need people coming here specifically to give birth. In fact much population growth is to do with immigration - we have more immigrants than emigrants and many of them are younger women who have children in this country (and some of the largest groups of immigrants tend to have more children per head than the settled, white British population, and so do their children - so you get two generations of above-average birth rates).

One of my friends is a Polish translator and much of her work is in our local maternity department. (Obv. Poland is in the EU so her work is not relevant to a debate on health tourism, I imagine.)

I think A1980 has hit the nail on the head "We aren't a charity and we cannot fund free care for the entire world."

If we carry on like this I can see GB becomming like a 3rd world country. People seem to think we have a bottomless pit of money. I don't read the sun but I don't see this women as a particular asset to the economy.

Okay her kids might contribute in the future but that is a long way off. We need money coming in now to ease the debt. do we want to end up like Greece?

allegrageller, I wasn't planning to do anything to her at all. Let alone do anything to harm the babies. but you do agree surely that it is morally wrong to come here for the purpose of getting free treatment?

Oh please. Scaremongering much? Surely then, seeing as our children's potential benefit to the economy is a long way off, we should make massive cuts to education too. It would immediately benefit the economy now.

I will declare my conflict of interest here: I am an immigrant to this country, from a poor(ish) african country but contribute a heck of lot to this economy. As does my sister. My parents do now but when we first came here we didn't.

I'm with you allegrageller, I'm leaving this thread now.

Why assume she'll be going back to Nigeria to face absolute poverty, allegrageller?

There is a degree of wealth in Nigeria, and as a PP who has actually worked in a Nigerian NICU has said there is also excellent health provision if you can afford it.

Given that this woman and her husband could afford 2 airfares to the UK and support her for the duration of her pregnancy it's reasonable to assume that she won't be going back to face absolute poverty.

I can understand why she did what she did, but it doesn't make it right.

Sidge if it could be proven she wasn't, deportation might be fair enough, I'll agree to that (if her entry to the country was illegal, which I'm not clear it was, but I didn't read the link as cannot bear to even look at the Sun, it makes my eyes burn)

however, the point is we do not know what she'd be going back to and as such can't really make hypothetical decisions on it. If she is indeed an illegal immigrant she'll certainly be deported in time. With 5 babies she won't be going anywhere very fast, will she? If she's legally here, so flipping what. I don't think 5 babies are going to smash this country's GDP to smithereens. Look at what we're about to save by chopping the public sector to bits!

Seriously people, get a grip and focus on what's important rather than bitching obsessively about 'scroungers'. If you're so worried about 'contributions' go out there and make some more of your own, ffs.

btw, no, I don't actually think it is 'morally wrong' to want the best for your children at a price you can afford. If this woman could afford Nigerian healthcare she'd presumably have paid for it rather than flying across continents while heavily pregnant. Big flipping deal. People try to do what's best for them and their kids. Appalling!!

This country was built on immigration. When businessmen screw others out of money we call it 'entrepreneurship' but when a woman like this tries to help herself and her kids she is 'immoral'. What a sick world some of you live in.

So it's OK to screw over other people to secure benefit for your own children?

Nice morality.

If anyone read the story carefully, you would deduce that she came here when she was 3 months pregnant. Far enough along to have had a scan in Nigeria and be aware of how many babies she was carrying. If it takes 2 months to get a visa, she could have applied for that as soon as she discovered she was pregnant. Some people on here are soooo gullible.

What on earth is all this superiority about The Sun and of course The Daily Mail - is it because they print stories the looney liberals would prefer not to know about?

I also remember a poster saying that they had lost a premature baby due to a woman from Nigeria having multiple babies and using up all the spaces in the SCBU. It is NOT the same woman but after reading this extract from her post, do you really agree that we have the resources to treat anyone from anywhere? It seems that this case is not an isolated one and is not usual.

*I lost my own daughter - my only child, our IVF miracle - when she was born extremely prematurely and the hospital could not offer her life sustaining care because their neonatal unit was operating massively in excess of its capacity. My daughter died in my arms before she could be transferred elsewhere. It subsequently emerged that in the neonatal unit at the time of our daughter's birth were triplets born to a Nigerian lady who got off a plane and went straight to hospital to give birth to her triplets.

I believe this country should take a hard line on health tourism and not make our NHS a soft option for people who come here to take advantage of our NHS. My family have paid the highest price possible because of a NHS tourist. My heart broke the day my daughter died and despite us being 5 years down the line our daughter is grieved for every single day.*

unusual not usual.

allegrageller, she is no better than a thief. If you want something better do you shoplift then?

Also it occurs to me that is her husband did go back to Nigeria (and is not still here as an illegal immigrant), it may be that she knew she would have a better case to stay here if she was single with 5 babies and could plead poverty. Maybe she would apply for him to stay here as her spouse when she was given the right to remain here?

Also those of you saying that she would not be able to fly back to Nigeria with them on her own - well isn't most of her family here, would they not help her fly back with them?

Why would she stay here until she was 32 weeks pregnant with quins, would you not immediately fly home when you discovered that or at least have had a scan first before you flew half way round the world? Why did she not have travel insurance?

These people are not stupid - seems you lot are!

I think you need to go for a lie down.

Sorry to hear about your daughter but it's not the fault of this nigerian woman or any other.

Not surprised she will be applying to stay under article 8 she have a cat she can't can't leave and thats a integral part of her family

Duellling: it plainly was, actually.

DuelingFanjo - can you not read? It was not MY daughter. Arse.

Yes, Blimming, what woman wouldn't jump at the chance to raise five little ones on her own in a foreign country without any support from the father of the babies?

She was induced for medical reasons at 32 weeks. Up to then she was probably on bedrest, if the experience of a friend of mine who had mere triplets was anything to go by.

Gooseberry no it wasn't. It was the fault of horrible management.