To think the British government reaction to Calais migrants is pathetic?

[ribbitTheFrog]

It's like they're just putting their heads in the sand. Meanwhile people are dying, hauliers are being threatened, holiday makers having trips ruined.

I'd do the following:

Make clear any illegal entries will be turned back to France. Make clear there are not limitless jobs, housing etc in the UK. Make clear no benefits to new migrants (if this isn't the case then change the law).

Presumably the migrants think the UK has lots of money and opportunities, otherwise they wouldn't be risking their lives to leave France (a safe country).

But it's only youngish men we see 'fleeing'.... Where are their families? The women, children, older people....

Garmin they are obviously left to their fate, maybe the wars don't affect them.

Well I think it's going to get worse before it gets better

Just watching the news... 148 got into the UK last night? How come they aren't caught at our end?

The French have no interest or incentive to stop these migrants getting here, rather the reverse? They are moving their problem on.

I dont blame these people for wanting to get here, whether they are economic migrants and / or people escaping horror back in their own countries and i feel we should show compassion but I worry that we simply don't have a clue who is coming here and that the numbers involved will put more pressure on housing, health services etc.

The bottom line is - We cannot cope with housing our own population.

Well yes, we don't know if they are on the run from the law in their own countries. They could be criminals

I can't see a solution to this, it's not like they can be 'sent back'

why is it mainly young men fleeing war and poverty

why are these young men so willing to leave their parents and children to war and poverty?

these wars...that must not be compared on any level with 'our' wars (unless you wish to be patronised by some posters)

why?

I guess some may not be 'fleeing from' but 'heading to'

who knows

I admit I am worried. Worried for my children and our way of life, selfish? Maybe. I worry who these people are with no papers, murderers? Peadophiles? We have no way of knowing, there could be more sinister reasons why they are fleeing their countries (escaping justice?). There are probably many decent people among them, maybe all of them are but we just don't know. They are desperate. When they/if they make it here and find themselves starving homeless and desperate the odds are the crime level will soar as they try to survive here. I also worry about illness and disease such as ebola getting through especially as none if them are checked or monitored. I do have compassion but my children's safety and right to live in a safe country come first. Always.

I don't get why France can just leave them without housing or money but the UK has to provide HB and other benefits. I think the rules on benefits for migrants or asylum seekers should be the same throughout Europe or else they will never stop this.

I think the rules on benefits for migrants or asylum seekers should be the same throughout Europe or else they will never stop this

Vivien I am sure all rules are the same on benefits, assylum etc otherwise its not a level playing field and pretty pointless set up, would be amazed if all major rules are not the same as freedom of movement IS the same!

To the ones saying they are fleeing wars and persecution then tell me why they don't stay in the first, second or third country they get to. There are no wars in Spain, Italy, France etc, if they were so desperate for safety why continue to risk their lives to get to the UK. The old story of family here or being able to speak English doesn't wash.

For the nhs, schooling,benefits and housing. They must aim to get 'set up' over here before sending for rest of family maybe? Perhaps they have heard you get money here for children living elsewhere?

They believe the streets of London are paved with gold. Or they think work opportunities are abundant and they can earn/send home

The British way of life has a good reputation outside Europe maybe??

I have no idea. But doesn't seem like they've got much to lose

It is a terrible situation and there's no clear answer. I have always thought that we should agree with the rest of the EU to put UNHCR in charge of assessing which are genuine refugees. Claims should be assessed off shore ( maybe Estonia or somewhere) and then all people agreed to be genuine are shared out to all EU countries based on population/ land area.

I worked a number of years in Immigration. The majority are economic migrants and that is why it's mainly young men. That and them not wanting to be conscripted. However avoiding military service is not a convention reason for claiming asylum so they decide they are PKK or something to get round the asylum point.

moreshabby many do stay in other countries - Italy receives many more asylum applications than the UK, believe it or not, as does France. Most of the migrants enter via Greece, Italy and a fair number via Hungary - they can't all stay there as those countries simply would not be able to cope with the volume of applications.

It is a massive problem - Germany received over 200k applications for asylum last year, and is on course to receive over twice that many this year (an order of magnitude more than the UK btw - the burden of cross-Mediterranean migration is certainly not being spread evenly, and Britain is taking far fewer migrants than other similar sized EU nations).

So the Men avoiding conscription, why are they picking on England? I can understand Economic migrants , not conscripts wanting to come here?

Ok, I'm going to be flamed

I believe these young and able bodied men (which seems to be the majority) should stay in their own countries and work (or fight if needs be) to make their country the place they would like to live.

It has taken us hundreds of years to progress our Society from medieval serfdom to democracy. Hundreds of Thousands died in the process - it did not come easy and our present freedoms were hard won. (I'm not even including WW1 and WW2).

Unless they say and work on their own Society, how will it ever improve there?

Can the entire population of all these countries be absorbed by the first world? IS would gain more territory, drive out more populations to Europe. and so on.

And to those who say send in the Army - how do you feel about the soldiers having to shoot immigrants who try to invade Eurotunnel en masse armed with guns and knives? It is only a matter of time.

Germany received over 200k applications for asylum last year, and is on course to receive over twice that many this year (an order of magnitude more than the UK btw

And....the size of Germany is - what compared to the tiny Island with a massive housing shortage that is the UK? Excatly?

BM

I think what your saying is partly right but they have no education to understand and do this.

• Britain is taking far fewer migrants than other similar sized EU nations)

Briton absorbed at great cost to our society in human terms a good amount of the polish population how many immigrants is Poland taking?

The xenophobic hysteria displayed in this thread makes me despair.

No xenophobic hysteria that I can see. Just reality.

It's predominantly young men who make the journey from Eritrea (or wherever) to the UK because it is a long, hard and perilous journey and the old, ill or young wouldn't be able to physically do it. Women are more vulnerable, plus there is an expectation that men will provide for their families therefore will strike out to find the promised land. They may or may not intend to bring their families over in due course: many millions of pounds are sent overseas by migrant workers in the UK who are supporting their families back home. Often the whole family - or even village - will save up and pool their money to pay for one or two young men to be able to try to travel to Europe, because it is still seen as the promised land - and in comparison to the prospects back home, it probably is.

Funnily enough, the UK government (and the rest of the EU) has already thought of telling people that it ain't all a bed of roses here, but most MNers wouldn't come across the messaging as it's not targeted at us...

And of course the benefits systems across the EU vary wildly, both in terms of their generosity but also how easy they are to access. The UK might not be as generous as, say, Germany but it is much much easier to access our system because we don't have ID cards, and because you can just turn up in A&E and be seen even if you have no right to use the NHS free of charge.

beyonddespair last time I checked, Germany wasn't 10 times the size of the UK.

Whatever the ill-informed would like to believe, this is not a uniquely British problem - indeed the burden on, for example, Greece and Hungary is far more significant both in relation to their population size and their wealth.

Widow it's not it's the xenophobia but the sheer ignorance of facts that are freely available to anyone with an Internet connection.