"People in this country are already struggling"

[iamaboveandBeyond]

Can i just ask, am i alone in this (and therefore IABU)?

But as a person who is 'struggling' in the UK, i am sick of people who are not in a similar position using "us" as a reason why the country cannot afford to help refugees?

I have said this on many threads already, but wondered what others thought outside of the specific Syria/Calais threads

(Note - I'm not the thread police of course, but if this didnt morph into an identikit refugee thread, that'd be fab :) )

[JanetBlyton]

They are second world many with an education so I doubt they will be unemployable as sadly some of the UK poorest are. I suspect they will do well here although their culture of discrimination against women is not something I want imported here any more than it already is so we need to tread carefully.

[Samcro]

"Actually, they're getting the money from the foreign aid budget. There. Do you feel better now?"

just had to say that that is for the first year

[CoteDAzur]

"theyre getting the money from yet more cuts and taking away from the disabled and vulnerable. that's where. NOT their own pockets, not their own mansions"

Actually, they're getting the money from the foreign aid budget. There. Do you feel better now?

[mimishimmi]

People in our countries may already be struggling but that doesn't necessarily mean immigrants will. They may have better educations, less destructive personal habits, more willingness to slog long hours of work, live with multiple families, start their own businesses.

[sproketmx]

I get what you mean. I too am one of those struggling but when it comes to govt spending I do think I would prefer them to spend some money on refugees and less on bailing out irresponsible bankers who keep their bonuses, second homes and 'expenses' for MPs who quite frankly can afford their own lunch and a train ticket. I do despair at these things sometimes. I can imagine my boss's face if I asked him to buy me lunch and put diesel in my truck. I mean the man regularly skips out of his turn at buying the milk for the breakroom

[iamaboveandBeyond]

I'm sorry, i do hate to be the disappearing OP - i'm not well (new meds) and as much as i try to read through and then formulate a post, it just isnt happening

[LightningOnlyStrikesOnce]

I do feel for you Becker and those like you. You do raise a worthwhile question, which is why in hell are we treating our poorest like this. The business with people taking their own lives in response to benefit sanctions and so on (usually for petty reasons) is I think a state crime, and it is appalling that our representatives in Parliament think it is in any way an acceptable price of modern society and have done little to stop it. Britain can afford better, there is no excuse for it.

Britain can also afford to help refugees though. I can't imagine that being told Britain is so rich helps you to feel any happier, but it is. The two needs are not mutually exclusive. We certainly need to make sure our poorest don't suffer any more for that help.

[Aqualady]

Right now I am fucking ashamed to be British, I abhor this selfish attitude

I hate that ^ When MNers hate their own nation, being British. I think you'd actually hate^ to be Syrian or any other of the nations that are seeking refuge here and in Europe (and rightly so) so lost I think you need to wind your neck in and stop being hysterical. Nobody I have spoke to thinks that she shouldnt except or help these people.

I'd actually rather live here than most places on this earth. The UK is ok. The summer is wank but it's not a bad place to be compared to other places. That's why people seek to get here. For safety.

I often find That posters are hypocritical onhere sometimes and it's the same posters. "UK has no sovereign religion any more, embrace minority religions!!' Then when the shit hits the fan '' Use Cristian morals to help refugees!!'

Be embarrased to be British that's fine. But many many people are not and actually do care and want to help out this crisis. I'm from Manchester and I'm part of a drive that is collecting clothes and food. So save your shame for some one else.

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

I know lots of people who are struggling and they are not anti immigration and they want us to help the refugees. I know lots of very well off people who voted for a government that made peoples lives difficult and yet they use them as an excuse when they say they are anti immigration and don't want to help any refugees.

[Lostlight]

Exactly what god save said.

It's usually those with the least that are prepared to share what little they have.

Right now I am fucking ashamed to be British, I abhor this selfish attitude. We have plenty to share. We have freedom, we have peace, we most of all have lack of such desperation that we choose to load our children into overcrowded dinghies in the middle of the night. And I dare say most of have never experienced the total terror and abject misery that comes with such desperation

If we can't find some compassion and humanity to give such a small amount, then we are well and truly lost.

That is all.

[godsavethequeeeen]

I'm a low earning single mum, generally exhausted and miserable and being hit by tory cuts. But I'm not being bombed.

As far as I'm concerned the refugees are welcome here.

[iamaboveandBeyond]

Wow, thank you for all the responses! I will read it properly in the morning :)

[featherandblack]

I agree notime. We have no idea what it's like to be bombed out of our homes and live in fear of our lives. I would be willing to bet it's worse than the very valid problems people are suffering here. Most countries have poverty they are trying to do something about - sometimes not enough. But if everyone used that poverty as an excuse not to intervene when another nation is going through something much worse, aren't we losing sight of what it means to be human? How would we like it if people responded to Britain this way if we were to go under? There's also the small matter of our having most of the world's resources and living in relative luxury to the rest of the world. Our 'tough' is not the South African township 'tough'. I can imagine most of the world scoffing at the idea that we couldn't take a cut to our standard of living because our country couldn't afford to sink any lower.

[Notimefortossers]

And I feel for them BeckerLleytonNever but having everything taken away from you by an uncaring government is not the same as having the shit bombed out of your towns and villages and watching your children die in front of you. Amongst other atrocities.

[BeckerLleytonNever]

Notime how many people in this country have taken their own lives because of thee unfeeling uncaring government taking EVERYTHING away from them?

And Im getting to that point too.

[BeckerLleytonNever]

Which is funny as in normal circumstances the 'we should help our own first' brigade couldn't give a flying fuck about the poor in this country and show no interest whatsoever in helping them.

Local councils have been saying that they have put aside housing and money for healthcare etc for refugees. If they had that housing/money available why haven't they spent it already on the people in their area who needed housing etc?

^^ this and thiss below.

I don't get where the money is supposed to come from. Dave has spent the last few years telling us the country is too skint to pay for decent public services.

My parents are both having to wait very long times for operations. They live every day in pain, despite paying for the nhs all their lives. If the money exists to pay for keeping refugees, why are my parents still on waiting lists?

totally.

BTW theyre getting the money from yet more cuts and taking away from the disabled and vulnerable. that's where. NOT their own pockets, not their own mansions!

[Aqualady]

'christian values' - oh the irony.

[Lweji]

I'd rather say unfortunately for the most selfish amongst us, feather.
There are, thankfully, quite a few that apply those values.

[tomatodizzymum]

That's a really good point boffinmum.

[BoffinMum]

The question is not whether people are struggling, it is how we can get more skilled at integration. We are currently fairly rubbish at it.

[ghostyslovesheep]

the men make the journey alone if possible because they can then legally send for their wives and children - they would only risk their lives if they had no other choice - better to lock yourself in the back of an airless crate and hope they grant you refugee status in the EU than risk your wife, parents and kids lives for nothing

[featherandblack]

One need doesn't cancel another out.

Britain prides itself on 'Christian' values. Unfortunately for us, the Christian model of charity doesn't have a clause about our not having to give as a nation if we can't really afford to. On the contrary, the woman with two coins was upheld as an example of Christian giving because she'd given everything when she could least afford it.

Put it this way, I think it would be a bit rich for anyone saying we couldn't afford to help Syrian refugees to buy into the Christmas story this Christmas. No room at the inn and all that.

[ender]

Neither do I, meant to put a in my post.