To think we are in danger of losing our compassion

[LarrytheCucumber]

Some of the newspapers this morning have stories condemning the BBC for filming part of Songs of Praise from a migrants' church in Calais.
I can't see the problem with migrants talking about how their faith keeps them going. There is apparently a makeshift mosque and a makeshift Christian church.
Surely we should see them as human beings, rather than as a threat.

LiquidAshTree: why do you relate the issue of the school that has been closed down solely to immigration? Why don't you relate it to, for instance, tax evasion by big companies?

I must say, it's almost funny how horrified the Daily Mail and its readers are by the concept of Christians exercising Christian virtues like all that pesky tolerance, forgiveness and loving one another. It's very clear that if Jesus came back to earth they would vilify him as a pesky lefty.

I think its very irresponsible of the BBC to be seen to be portraying them to be good, solid, god worshipping people, which may be true of some of them but certainly not the majority

Really, Moreshabby? And you say you got this from the newspapers and the TV?

So most of 'them' are people traffickers, criminals, thugs, rapists, and maybe terrorists?

Awful then. Could you tell me exactly which programme/newspaper report(s) this was which has discovered this?

I'll wait.

I think the anger here is misplaced, why aren't British people getting angrier at the French authorities? These people are hungry and homeless, and in france! They aren't in the process of fleeing from dangerous situations, that have already fled. They are already in a safe country. So why are they being left in this situation?

Why aren't the French authorities offering food and shelter? Why aren't local charities helping them apply for asylum in france? Why aren't French people helping them? Why are we accepting the view that a migrant camp in france is a British problem?

This is massive failing of the French public and authorities - just because these people would prefer to be in the uk (and given how little interest the French have shown them, not surprised!), doesn't stop them being France's responsibility.

There are charity workers from Kent going over with bedding, clothing and food - every French person should be ashamed that British people need to cross the channel to help people in their country.

What really annoys me is that there are millions - yes there must be millions of Africans/ Indians/ Pakistanis/ Afghanis etc etc etc who have very poor and limited lives who would love to live in the west, and a few of them have made it thus far, anything is better than where they were.

but the point is there are MILLIONs of them, effing MILLIONs of them, if I was one of them I would try everything to get my family to the west. But where will it end.

Countries in the EU are allowing many to reside there - but what about the millions left behind are they going to welcome then too?

And the ones arriving are the rich ones, is that fair? It's the ones who can afford to bribe the traffickers.

The western world needs to seriously, seriously make plans and decisions. Stop the traffickers? Let in only those from war torn countries? Let only families in? This is going to run and run and run. Long term plans need to be made to make it fair. But instead we fire fight and deal with the handfuls that survive the crossing. No - someone needs to be honest and stand up and start dealing with this and produce a long term plan.

Yeah let's open up the borders.... Sorry, where will they live again? And how will they earn money to survive?

millie you think they have left their families behind so they can come here to work?

I have two bags of clothes and blankets by my front door. A local chap is collecting and taking to Calais.

The problem is those in power and the banks.

ashleighmoneysaver.co.uk/could-your-benefits-be-affected-by-a-migrant-tax-credit-ban/

How can we donate those things like blankets to Calais? Is there a charity that can do this?

Garmingirl I thought I made it clear I didn't know their exact family situations.

I will ask the chap. He asked for clothes, blankets, pots and pans. I can't remember the rest.

Regardless of the politics or them being mc. There is a humanitarian crisis, women and children have been trafficked and may be hurt/ raped in Calais or before. I would rather my Kondo sort through, go to make their life a little more comfortable and to know people do care.

Thanks HowDdo2You. This thread has actually inspired me to want to do something to help those people.

We are not a rich country, we have no money, thats why there are cuts to services for the most vulnerable

If we don't qualify as rich, who exactly does?

But well done for buying into economically semi-literate rhetoric being used to justify ideology.

I think the belief that it is 'migrants' that are the reason for reduced services for severely disabled adults etc is mighty convenient for the tax dodgers and asset strippers out there, as PPs have pointed out. Laughably obvious diversionary tactic.

I agree with scooby that it is a potentially massive issue, with very complex roots including colonialism, globalisation and the arms trade among many others. And th UK has certainly played its part in bringing about or worsening some of the terrible situations people are fleeing.

But as someone said upthread, why does the geographical accident of our (brits') birth give us a god given right to our relatively peaceful and often cushy lives? It is random, in end, and that does make me uncomfortable.

How would any of us feel right now if for example we happened to be Syrian instead? It was just the luck of the draw.

The only long term answer, nigh-impossible though it is, is to work our backsides off to build peaceful prosperous societies everywhere. So people can stay in the homes and countries they love - or would love if they hadn't been fucked up by internal and external forces. In the end its in our interest anyway (unless you're an arms trafer of course.....)

I agree with so many conflicting posts on here.

The western world needs to seriously, seriously make plans and decisions. Stop the traffickers? Let in only those from war torn countries? Let only families in? This is going to run and run and run

Aside from all the reasons they are coming, one must not forget there are also people selling them lies and ideals where they are coming from and making money from their plight.

Such lazy opinions trotted out on this thread.

You all sound like the worst efforts of some tedious 1970s sitcom writers spewing out your thinly disguised bigotry.

Re-read Dinosaurs and Sonja's posts FGS and try and educate your tiny minds a little bit....you can move your fingers along the lines if it helps you to understand...

I, meanwhile, will applaud JessyRadlett's last line as the best thing I've read on MN for a while.

Most people see them as human beings but under EU law they are in France and that is where they need to stay or be returned by France to the first country of entry to the EU. That is the law. We can only operate properly in the EU if we follow the law. That is exactly what the bible says - follow the law - render to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's. Obeying civil law in most cases is a Christian Duty.

Travelling back from holiday last week, we saw migrant camps on the borders of Italy and France. I spent time with my children on google, finding out about wars and relative incomes. We compared the average week's food for a family in sub-Saharan Africa and in the UK. We read about migrants walking across deserts, suffocating in containers and drowning in un-seaworthy, overloaded fishing boats. We wondered at the random chance that led to us being born in the stupendously wealthy West of Europe, while thousands die in infancy around the world ...
I hope that my children will grow up with compassion and empathy, and will not be influenced by the sort of self-obsessed, bigoted, ignorant views expressed here ... I am deeply disappointed in MN.

Hang on a minute I thought we were poor because of the last Labour Goverment spending all the money or was it the greedy bankers , gosh it really is all so confusing isn't it , best leave it to those chaps that know best

For all the people quoting UN law that you must stay in the first country of entry- being an island that means we would never receive any migrants whatsoever, do you not feel that as part of Europe we have to take our fair share of asylum seekers?

Reddaisyred - can you point me to a source for that law you think exists? You'll find that difficult because it doesn't.

m.facebook.com/groups/882751941799554 This is the group organising aid.

The UK not a rich country? Oh my aching sides. Try going to an actual poor country before stating that the UK (which is one of the richest countries in the world) is not a rich country.
I certainly agree that many people in the UK have a shit time of it but that is due to ideology not a lack of resources.
As to the single men that people are saying must have abandoned family behind? It's likely they will be their family's only hope of an income. Countless people all over the world move, legally and illegally, to countries with better opportunities, work and send all their money home to their parents, wives and children. They are often separated from the people they love for years at a time.
I doubt many here have been in that situation.