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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

refugees living on the street

76 replies

user1490094090 · 21/03/2017 11:21

Are people aware of how many refugees are living rough in the uk? You get housed when you are an asylum seeker, but not when you get refugee status. Tens of thousands, including children, end up on the streets. Anyone else shocked? I find it unacceptable such a rich country.

OP posts:
Happyandhungry · 21/03/2017 11:57

There's loads of born british people living on the streets too. Its all sad but i dont think that refugees have it specifically bad compared to other homeless people.

nobullshitallowed · 21/03/2017 12:01

Agree with @Happyandhungry

Refugees are no different to anyone else on the street unfortunately. I know a homeless family who thankfully get in a hostel at night, but are roaming the streets with 2 very young children during the daySad

ImFuckingSpartacus · 21/03/2017 12:05

I think you may be exaggerating with "tens of thousands on the streets". That is a lot of people you know, I think someone would have noticed?

Gileswithachainsaw · 21/03/2017 12:06

I think the homeless situation on general is shocking.

Everyone's got a story I don't think it's fair to say one particular set of people has it worse. Expect many have been to hell amd back.

Lostwithinthehills · 21/03/2017 12:29

According to The Guardian there are around 4000 rough sleepers in the whole of the uk. Your exaggeration of tens of thousands of refugees sleeping rough in the uk undermines any argument you may go on to make. Around half of the rough sleepers in London, which has the highest concentration of rough sleepers, are EU nationals who have failed to secure work and housing. A fair number of British rough sleepers will have underlying problems, like mental health issues, and I don't see that they are any less worthy of our concern than refugees.

WorraLiberty · 21/03/2017 12:33

Well said Lost

Rattata · 21/03/2017 13:28

People are classed as homeless when they are in "temporary" or emergency accommodation - it may be an ok flat or a crappy B&B room but they are not necessarily wandering the streets. If you have young children you get priority for emergency housing - the housing office will find you something even if it is in a hotel initially.

RachelRagged · 21/03/2017 16:43

Second what Worra said to you Lost

.

isadoradancing123 · 21/03/2017 19:10

Many British people living on street. It's not acceptable for them. Why should it just be unacceptable for refugees

ZackyVengeance · 21/03/2017 19:12

Im shocked when ever i see a rough sleeper
It seems to be a big problem these days,

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:15

The government figures are 4000 rough sleepers in the UK. I know this isn't true, as I've met more than that just in the normal course of my work in London over the past few months. The most respected charity estimates are 250-500 000. Of which half are in hostels, sofa surfing, temporary accommodation, and half are sleeping rough ( including children and individuals with refugee status)

GraceGrape · 21/03/2017 19:15

All threads about refugees go the same way - British people first.

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:36

I m not mking any comment about British people, that fact that anyone is sleeping on the street in a rich country is shameful, although I would say that drugs and alcohol and a criminal record contribute to SOME people finding it difficult to get housed.

Refugees should surely always be housed though, shouldn't they? Isn't that what refugee status means? A person being given refuge? Surely there are some sort of international standards on the treatment of people with refugee status, and sleeping rough in the parks and carparks surely falls below that.

Any one of us, or our children could be refugees, far away, by this time next year.

Lostwithinthehills · 21/03/2017 19:39

Are there really between 125,000 and 250,000 sleeping on the street every night? The population of Southampton is 237,000, is it genuinely likely that the number of rough sleepers is similar to an entire city? Where are they all?

Moussemoose · 21/03/2017 19:43

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work. They are forbidden from taking paid employment.

Just in case some of you don't know that.

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:43

that is the rough estimate of most homeless charities, although about half are in overnight shelters, etc. Of course all the winter shelters are closing down at the end of March.

WinnieTheW0rm · 21/03/2017 19:46

OP/title was using the emotive language of 'on the street'

The numbers show that this is not true. If she wants to make a more measured case about insecure housing, then that is what she should have said

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:50

The ball park estimate amongst homeless charities is roughly 250 000- 500 000 homeless,

OF WHICH HALF ARE ROUGH SLEEPING ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT

In other words, hundreds of thousand on the street EVERY NIGHT in the UK.

That is not emotive language, that is the situation as it it.

This number includes many children, and individuals WITH REFUGE STATUS

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:51

Am I really the only person here who finds this deeply distressing and shameful?

Gileswithachainsaw · 21/03/2017 19:52

All threads about refugees go the same way - British people first

Why what are you planning on saying to the British homeless people. "Hey least you speak the language and know all the drug dealers. Silver linings...Hmm"

The fact anyone is homeless is shocking. I'm sure plenty of the people on the streets have been victims of abuse violence sexual assault loss of family etc

Why the fuck on a thread about honeless people where life can't get much worse fir anyone still somehow be a game of top trumps

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:52

For those of you with sons, this could be YOUR child in the years to come. For those of you with daughters, much less likely but still possible.

Florrick · 21/03/2017 19:54

OP do you have spare bedroom or two to offer?

TheWeeBabySeamus1 · 21/03/2017 19:55

Asylum seekers are not allowed to work, but they are given accommodation by NAAS (?) which includes all bills paid (a room in a shared house with other asylum seekers). However once they get leave to remain they are no longer claiming asylum and NAAS cannot house them. They then have to do what anyone else (British or otherwise) does and either go on the council list or find private rented accommodation.

My ex has just got his leave to remain and had to leave his NAAS house. He is currently in a homeless shelter, and is hoping to the money for a deposit on a private flat in the next few months.

So it's a shit situation, but the exact same situation as everyone else. Families will usually be housed but single people will languish on council lists for years unless they can find the money for a deposit on a private home, and until the government starts making building more social housing a priority it's only going to get worse unfortunately.

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:55

Because a lot of people don't realise that the rough sleepers they passing by every day may very well be refugees. Most people probably assume that offering refuge to someone somehow involves providing shelter and security, rather than a few yards of gutter with newspaper in as blanket and pillow

user1490123259 · 21/03/2017 19:57

I currently have an Iranian refugee sleeping in my spare bedroom

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