To understand why the Congolese athletes would go missing after 2012

[NewlyMintedPeasant]

I was just reading that more athletes have gone missing after the games. I can relate to their mindset I must say. If there was a land far richer than England where I could easily work illegally and send enough money home to improve the quality of life for my entire extended family I wouldn't think twice about staying. That's just the economic factor, add in the fact that my country was a war-torn place with deep poverty and I'd be practising sport from an early age.

Obviously I'm not saying it's logical to just throw open the borders, just that put me in the same boat and I'd have no shame in living illegally.

I've been to Rwanda and to the Congolese border, studied some of the history of the place. I would have no hesitation either. It really is just an accident of birth whether you are born in a country with healthcare, a stable government and and rights or not. People find it hard to empathise with immigrants and refugees. I can't understand why. If I thought DD might starve or be raped or killed, I would not hesitate to move and work illegally.

I saw a similar story on one of those 'Passport Control' - 'Border' programmes a couple of weeks ago. May have been in Oz though but basically some athletes had gone missing after some competition there. One by one they were sought out and sent packing from the country.

I can also see their mindset and would do it myself without a second thought.

I can totally understand their mindset, however, if everyone could move to the UK that wanted to, our country would be 3rd world in no time.

Chances are that they will pop up and claim asylum anyway.

I understand why they choose to come here too.

The Cameroon athletes have popped up (their visas are legit until November anyway) saying they want to stay in the UK for now because of the training facilities.

I'm a legal immigrant and I've basically done the same, moving for economic bettering, only I was fortunate not to come from a country that was 3rd world but one that had the education system in place to give me skills that are desirable for the UK.

Good luck to them. I have worked with congolese families who were refugees in the uk. I stood with some as we watched Mo Farah win his 2nd gold medal. Also a refugee and now British citizen. I found this intensely emotional.
Completely agree re accident of birth comment. We don't know how privileged we are.