AIBU about the Calais migrants?

[Sunny67]

Having read another story today about the Calais migrants trying to get to the UK is it unreasonable to think that there are many safe countries before you get here?
Before anyone shouts racist, I'm not talking about people fleeing war zones and ending up it camps. I'm asking why people want to cross the channel and not stop in France or a previous country?

yes Haunted through Miami and you feel like a criminal.

I suppose the difference is that the USA doesn't have free healthcare and such generous welfare payments

I'm not convinced we 'the general public' were ever that desperate for people to come here, it is probably another myth the government has told us after ww2.

But you misunderstand me. They're doing at the airports to tourists. Meanwhile hundreds of Central Americans are scrambling over the border every night. You see immigration. The US tourists coming here see our immigration.

But the illegals smuggled in don't see immigration. You can be as draconian as you like at ports but we have far less of an illegal immigration problem than the US. If you're an illegal you don't get benefits.

Haunted I think though there is a lot of fiddling with N. I. numbers etc and illegals will get health care. in the USA what do they do for health care and housing?

do you think we should let them come from Calais?

We simply do not have the space to home all these people. Now I am sure all the lefties would love to have an open border to the whole world! They would soon start complaining once our very small country becomes completely overrun.

The health care is a fair point I agree. Possibly not for much longer if they do apply the rules rigorously.

NI numbers get illegals working rather than benefits and the housing problem is no different to the US. It really isn't. They aren't living it up off the tax payers back.
I don't support the rules being completely abandoned, no. But from working in the area I know that they mostly want a better life and we are lucky to have the lives they want.

the USAis huge though and here it isn't. it is overcrowded already here and there is a housing problem.

If you're talking about refugees, the vast vast majority of them do stay in the first safe country they get to - usually across one border from where they've come from. That's why the countries with the highest refugee populations are always ones on the borders of war zones. For eg the countries with the highest numbers of refugees now are Pakistan, Iran and Syria. As for whether or not they 'should' be travelling further, especially given that only a tiny proportion do, I can't really get too het up about it. If someone has left their life behind and become stateless and no longer belongs anywhere, why deny them even the tiny bit of self-determination of at least choosing which country they should live in? I mean, what is the logic behind doing so? I'd be really interested to know.

The USA has far more illegal immigration than the UK. Estimated to be around 11.3 million in a population of 313 million (so 3.5%) Uk estimated around 700,000 in a population of 63 million (1.3%).

In California, illegal immigrants make up approx 10% of the working population and add considerably to the economy.

it is overcrowded already here and there is a housing problem.

I agree that there is a housing problem, but that is caused by 30 years of failed govt housing policies, not migrants or refugees. And only around 8% of the UK is classed as 'urban'. There is plenty of space in the UK.

would you want to build on all the green spaces so everywhere is an urban sprawl. immigration has put pressure in housing especially in SE of England.

No, I would not want to do that. But we could easily adequately house all the people here already and several hundred thousand more without doing so. Only around 6% is built on at all, and like I said only 8% classified as 'urban'. In Scotland less than 2% is classed as urban. We are hardly dropping off the edges into the North Sea.

the 'affordable' and council housing should be given to people who already reside here first who need it and have made a contribution to the treasury. I think that has created a problem.

we never get any honesty about who actually lives in the properties. we have alot of legitimate immigration already. look at the Roma in Marble Arch camping on the streets. sort our own house first.

"There is plenty of space in the UK."

What, up Ben Nevis?

The Scots are fucking off soon, it seems, and that will leave us with England and Wales.

The population density of England is 411/sq km. Excluding city states and tiny islands, only Taiwan, South Korea and Bangladesh are ahead of us.

Clearly we are one of the world's most densely populated countries. And what's the point of housing several hundred thousand more people, when the demand is effectively infinite?

I love these people who claim there is plenty of space especially in the ?E. What about using one of these people's back gardens, or perhaps we should all live in high rises flats like the Communists. After all that ideology works really well.

Scotland has little in the way of employment opportunities bar the big cities. Who is going to pay for these houses to be built for people that haven't contributed anything.

Having seen the news coverage - it's young men storming the port looking for a better life. If you really feel that strongly about allowing more in do feel free to take a few into your house, support them, or is it someone else's concern to pay for it?

YANBU. They should claim asylum in France if they want to.

Furthermore we should have a zero unskilled immigration policy; and an unlimited high skilled immigration policy. Arbitrary caps a la Cameron are stupid (particularly when they apply to something he has no control over, like net migration).

We have too many illegals in this country. We need more effort to find them, and deport them. The only reason the courts should be involved is if there is a dispute about WHETHER they are here legally or not. Ancillary considerations like the so-called 'right' to a family life should play no part.

We also need to slash the welfare state. Make it fully contributory (apart from obvious cases like the disabled).

I am extremely pro immigration, but anti bad immigration. We don't need the worlds' losers leeching off the British taxpayer. We need the worlds' finest choosing to call Britain home.

Some of these posts are just vile, how can you call people fleeing from the worst situations imaginable "illegals" they are people who are illegal immigrants, they have experiences tragic situations, they have often made dangerous journeys to get to the uk, just think about the journey they make often walking/hiding in containers/sailing in dangerous boats, if that is preferable to staying in the country they are fleeing from then just for a second try to imagine how horrific the life they leave behind was.

To hear people worry about green areas being built on rather than worrying about human beings fleeing from torture, war, rape and starvation really shows how vile some people's priorities are.

Except, -ikea, they have already successfully fled - they're in France.

All failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants need to be round up and sent home.

Nothing to do with racism but it's the law.

ikeaismylocal I wasn't aware that France suffered from widespread torture, war, rape and starvation. I knew it suffered from socialism, an anti-business mindset, high taxes, and overregulation, but awful as these ills are, I don't think they really compare...

My sister was gang raped by Jamacian illegal immigrants. If immigration did there job properly my sister would be ok.

I agree ikea

Actually my favourite posts are the ones about how colonialism wasn't all bad

And only communists live in high rises

I am sure they are looking for a better life but not all of the illegals are fleeing for their lives.

For those who the Communist life is not too bad? North Korea would love to take you I am sure. No, I didn't think so......

Why are we even talking about communists?

My point is that plenty of countries have high rises that people are perfectly happy living in. Like, I don't know, New York? That bastion of socialism....

It's not like you move into a flat on the 10th floor and automatically turn commie.