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AIBU?

Pictures of migrant children on fb

263 replies

FuryFowler · 02/09/2015 20:54

Has anyone seen these pictures, of poor poor children washed up on the beaches of Libya and Greece, drowned from their failed crossing.

I know the pics are there to shock but it's devastating to see

I signed a petition the other day, which had a pic of a drowned child on the front page. I signed and shared but then felt uncomfortable about sharing such a graphic picture.

It's makes me cry what is happening there, but was I U for sharing?

OP posts:

Report

BlueJug · 23/09/2015 17:18

I agree with some of what you say BertieBotts there is a widening gap and immigrants are not the cause of the housing shortage, it just suits some people to direct attention towards them to divert the blame and thus avoid having to deal with the issue. However facts being as they are, at the moment it is the poorer people who will bear the brunt of this yet their concerns are dismissed as racist, stupid, uncaring, hysterical etc.

Many of us would be the same if we knew it was our DC who would lose out on the school place or a better house.

While you are right about housing in detention centres - that won't be forever - they will have homes and jobs and school places sooner or later - quite rightly.

I worked in the early 90's with the refugees from Bosnia. I taught them English and helped them to access services, (doctors, dentists etc). I keep in loose contact with the guy who set up the centre so I occasionally hear how some of the people I worked with are doing. Most are ok. Their kids are grown up now and most have jobs, families, houses etc and are doig really well. That is good but it is only 20- odd years and it is naieve to think that it didn't affect the locals.

The women I taught were truly fleeing. Their men had mostly been killed or were still there fighting. They had seen terrible things. They were so thankful to be here and we were all treated with respect and a gratitude that we felt we didn't deserve.

This crisis feels different.

Moreshabbythanchic · 23/09/2015 16:59

Remember also that DC has said that it will be the most vulnerable people that we will be taking in, such as the sick, disabled and single mothers with children, this will cause more strain on the NHS and SS. Of course it wont affect the government with their private health care and private schools etc.

Plus the people going to Germany and all other European countries will, once they are registered and have passports will legally be able to come here.

Yes, we do have to do something to help genuine refugees but so many of these people are not genuine refugees seeking safety. A man interviewed today has said if they are not allowed into germany he will take his family back to syria so surely it can't be so dangerous for him.

BertieBotts · 23/09/2015 16:45

OK fair enough, but the lack of houses and jobs and school places isn't the fault of migration. How else can we house people? Well don't stop building LA houses, for a start! Oops. Too late. I agree that emotive images are manipulative, but the idea of "immigrants" being the problem with our housing, employment and education market is also extremely manipulative, and misleading.

Do you know that most immigrants to the UK are being housed in detention centres, not council houses, children aren't offered school places unless they are "fortunate" enough to be travelling alone (just think about the implications of that) and placed in the foster system due to being too young to spend time alone in a detention centre. Most hopeful immigrants are deported.

I totally agree there is an ever widening gap between rich and poor in Britain, but I believe the gap itself is the problem. I don't think that the (relatively) few immigrants allowed through are adding anywhere near as much to the problem as our government and/or media would have you believe.

Moreshabbythanchic · 23/09/2015 16:36

But will the government think of these things? They are worlds apart from the lives most of us live and having no experience of this they really don't understand our concerns.

A lady DC spoke to in a camp in Lebanon had 10 children! What sort of house will she be given and her children will take up 10 school places all in one area, not to mention medical care, and benefits given that its unlikely she would be able to work with having so many children. And that is just one family!

BlueJug · 23/09/2015 16:23

Autumnnights1 may not have come across very well but she has a couple of very good points. This was discussed on another thread here and a couple of links to The Guardian and to an Economist piece were posted. They make interesting reading.

An emotional response, a moral response is that we have to help. No-one can remain unmoved by pictures of dead and dying children. Bob Geldorf was really the first to use that with LiveAid. It is hard to square it with our consciences when we have so much and others have so little and we want to do the right thing.

But we are being manipulated by these images. Who gains from an influx of fit young men, some of whom are skilled? Big business as they have a supply of labour - easier to negotiate the wages down, no need to train people up,. Business also has a bigger market - huge sales and profits to be made from the extra consumers from food to house-building, from "schemes" to clothing.

Who else gains? Middle classes who get cheaper nannies, plumbers, builders, cleaners, drivers - although less in this case than with the Eastern European migration of recent years as many of these jobs tend to be "female" jobs.

Who loses? Youngsters competing for jobs as shop assistants, leaflet deliverers, fast food servers, apprentice plumbers, drivers. (Not the Middle class kid from University with a Geography degree and parents who are lawyers. His job or that of his sister who recently joined the BBC / PWC/ Slater and Gordon as a trainee is not threatened).

If you are waiting for a Council House or a HA house you will be have to go down the waiting list. How else can we house people? They won't be moving in to the street of £3m houses in SW London.

If you are trying to get your child into a primary with a catchment area of 500m the chances are you will be less likely to get this place. If your child is in a secondary school that is already struggling with big classes this is likely to make it worse. The Migrants will not threaten the place of a child in a Kent Grammar school or a selective secondary or private school or any school where 10 minutes down the road the houses cost a couple of million quid.

So Autumnnights1 is right to make her point, whether or not you agree, and it is something that the government should be thinking about and not something to be ridiculed.

BertieBotts · 23/09/2015 16:11

Autumn, how exactly do you think it's going to affect your life. Do you imagine they will be camping in your living room?

I am not middle class, far from it. Not that it's anything to be ashamed of.

AbeSaidYes · 23/09/2015 09:50

"But bringing everyone over to the UK is NOT the answer" This is not going to happen.

There's something a bit weird about someone posting multiple times, shouting over everyone and then saying 'enough now'.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:30

Theyve arrived. take them to chelsea to resettle, take them to hampstead to resettle, take them to all the affluent areas to resettle. Then i will say the right thing has been done.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:26

Enough now. We all know this will not end well. I do feel for them but i feel for my own first

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:25

The shouters and grieving on belalfs of live in a comfortable land.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:22

i remember years ago when at school and the babies used to come round in books. these countries need to be made to see what they do. yet theyre gouverment and rich are all flying around on private jets. strange that.

Moreshabbythanchic · 23/09/2015 00:17

And the answer to your questions are no, no and yes.

Moreshabbythanchic · 23/09/2015 00:15

I am certainly not a do gooder and I am just as concerned as you are.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:09

head in your hands.... not that i really need to say that. You do not become affected by any of this. pious do gooders never do.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:07

do you hold your hands in your head and know this is really going to affect your living? i bet you dont.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:06

do you live in a lovely part of unaffected england more? i bet you do.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:05

do you own your own house on your meagre pension more? i bet you do.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:04

where are these people going to go? are they going to oxford? are they going to canterbury, are they going to chelsea are they going to affluentual areas.. no of course not.

Moreshabbythanchic · 23/09/2015 00:03

I am a pensioner, living on a meagre pension that I worked for all my life, is that good enough for your approval?

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:01

are you working class more? are you already struggling?

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:00

whos going to pay for this? you? the middleclass? err no.

Autumnnights1 · 23/09/2015 00:00

you know what is being fed

Moreshabbythanchic · 22/09/2015 23:59

Do you? Its a geographical fact autumn.

Autumnnights1 · 22/09/2015 23:59

I have no idea, neither do you more

Autumnnights1 · 22/09/2015 23:58

To have a view on what is fed by the media is pretty poor. Go see for yourself and then report back.

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