To think thank God we are finally doing something about mass immigration

[Ubik1]

By helping these people here

The Royal Navy expects to have saved more than 1,000 migrants by the end of today - in their biggest rescue operation in the Mediterranean so far.

Pregnant women - including one in labour - and young children and among the 700 desperate people already picked up by HMS Bulwark around 27 miles from the coast of Libya in the busiest day of operations in the Mediterranean.

Efforts are continuing near the war-torn country with those already on board having traveled for around 10 hours in four overcrowded rubber and wooden boats.

Thank God they are rescuing these poor people. I hope Europe gets organised to receive these people from the boats and helps the migrants washing up in Greece.

we don't get a free pass while the rest of the world is in turmoil

A good point. Where does helping your neighbours stop?

Where can we put them all? I feel like putting a tent up in the garden tbh. It's dreadfully sad.

I can't help comparing our attitude now to when the Ugandan Asians or the Vietnamese boat people were coming in. People actually took them into their homes and their communities.

theoddity where should they be taken then?

Well where would you take the drowned kitten AnyoneForTennis? If you felt you should save it, would you think it was fair to then drop it off to your next door neighbour?

It's such a complicated issue. Most reasonable people would want to see these families housed and fed and left to live in peace.

But also see that the infrastructure of some areas is under strain.

I just don't know waft the answer is. But I'm glad they are rescuing those people

These are people, not cats. They ( many of them) will need medical attention. Rest etc. They won't want to be traveling on further.

Ideally I would like these people to be able to safely return to their own countries. I would like these people to access to good health, education, economic prosperity and religious freedom.

Then we won't have the issue of too many immigrants risking their lives.

Hadn't actually thought about the urgent medical attention they may need AnyoneForTennis, it's a fair point. But are they really equipped for that in Lampedusa? Are they basically left to rough it when they hit dry land?

Well this is going spiffingly so far isn't it - well until you almost spoiled it BMW!

Mass Mumsnet wringing of hands here - Yes bring them all here - plenty of room, plenty of housing, schools, jobs, services etc. Not a problem at all in the benevolent UK.

What is your suggestion Seen? Leave them to drown?

Actually, what is it we are finally doing about mass immigration?

No Ninky, perhaps just return them back to the start of the journey as opposed to completing the final leg.

perhaps just return them back to the start of the journey as opposed to completing the final leg

You mean back to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan?

Would you want to go back there?

So what then Orlando Check where it is that each of them would like to go first. Perhaps set up a pan European drop off service.- a bit like the Circle line?

seen

We should address the issues that cause people to flee.
Iraq
Syria
Afghanistan

Well I suppose rescuing them is the moral thing to do.

Then I suppose they claim asylum under the usual rules.

You would hope the EU would organise things so that asylum seekers are divided between countries???

The mass immigration thing... I posted a thread a while back saying that we should be sending boats. And now we are and I'm glad. Those people have nothing but at Leary they are alive.

I think this is really difficult. But I kind of agree with Seen that there is a bit too much Mumsnet handwringing, bleeding-heart liberalism going on here.

There is simply not enough room or resources in this country to deal with the tens of millions of people who want to leave their country and come here.

I don't know what the answer is, but letting in everyone who wants to come here is not it.

i feel dreadfully sad for these people and angry at the traffickers.
but dont know what the answer is.

we as a country can't take "them" we can't look after the most vulnerable in our own country.

On reflection, no, I suppose we don't have infinite space and resources here. Not with so many UK families relying on foodbanks etc

But Greece are in same position aren't they?

Of course we can afford to take them.
We can even afford to make sure everyone in our country gets fed.

But then we would have to spend less money elsewhere or raise taxes.

We can make sure our world is a fairer and safer place for many people. Share the Earth's resources equally.

Now that is bleeding heart liberalism.

Well maybe, but they need help NOW, not in 5 years time with a new government ( coz this one won't arrange that)

It's not really about Earth's resources Orlando - as someone above pointed out, Africa has the most natural resources of any continent in the world. It's about politics.

Greece is in a far worse position. Yet the island people are feeding the immigrant people. I think the mayor of Lesbos has spent the last of his budget feeding people.

But long term?

Long term. God knows.

We need some suet if stAbility in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya. People need to be able to live in peace.

How to achieve that? I've no idea. Military intervention in these countries seems to make things worse