To think an amnesty needs to be made asap for Grenfall residents

[brexitstolemyfuture]

Mayor Kahan supports this but government officials haven't granted it yet. Surely these people have been through enough without persecution for subletting or visa issues!

squishy I don't know whether immunity from prosecution should be given in your two examples, but I like to think that, were I to find myself in those situations, I wouldn't let fear of facing the legitimate consequence for my actions stop me doing the right thing in relation to the greater crime.

Haven't RTFT but the message being sent out is those on the waiting lists for housing, working NMW and trying to raise their children are being pushed down the queue and, potentially, illegal immigrants are being re homed in multi million pound housing.

I think the potential problems of abuse of this amnesty far outweigh the good it could do. We could be swamped in a flood of people claiming immigration statuses they are not entitled to and, while I would like to think that could not happen, the experiences of the twin towers and the Manchester concert, suggest otherwise.

Those who were illegally sub-letting, taking advantage of those renting from them and of others on waiting lists for properties, should be pursued and prosecuted. They should not be allowed to get away with jeopardising their tenants lives nor rewarded with new properties to sub-let. They are shameful and disgusting

Lois, that's what I was going to say.

Yes, I know (only from London experience) you do get some gits who play the system - sublet, claim family breakdown to gain 2 properties (and rent one out), claim asylum to gain a property then re-rent out and go 'home', claim to not work but run a shop...

But there always so be done who are desperate/sneaky/corrupt enough to see an opportunity and take it for their own benefit. Why should everyone else be punished?

I don't pretend to know what the answer is. An amnesty would work for the 'good' as well as the 'bad' alike.

CrossWordsalad: I would like to think most people would too, but in the examples it wouldn't seem fair if doing the right thing was what led to someone being prosecuted, when the minor crime would never have been detected had the person not witnessed a more serious crime. It is not a perfect analogy, but more appropriate than the "if I have cancer do I get amnesty for murder?" sort of analogy that was being posted earlier on the thread. The minor crimes of vulnerable witnesses/victims are often overlooked when they report a much larger crime to the police. Perhaps a better analogy would be how foreign sex slaves should be treated by police when they escape and report their traffickers to the authorities: Prosecuting the major criminals should be more of a priority.

Despite all the concerns about a "precedent" being set, there already IS a precedent for granting amnesty in exceptional circumstances, and for discretion when deciding whether to prosecute.

My goodness there are some interesting attitudes towards/ depictions of illegal immigrants on this thread : who are clearly just all scum, with no children to feed or raise and no human traits at all.

Sadly 'illegal immigrant' became code for scum of the earth some time ago and that picture sticks.

Think of that poor man (not illegal as it goes) who fled dreadful circumstances in Syria only to perish in a truly awful inferno. I know this is emotive but we must stop falling for the DM version of what an illegal immigrant looks like and behaves like.

I am still actually waiting for the evidence that the building was somehow teeming with lots of them either way.

I think it would be very interesting indeed to have an analysis of who was in each flat because a lot of stuff being talked about may not be accurate at all.

I see in survivors mentioned a few older people - men over 60, women of 80 who died or lived with English names presumably been here all their lives in social housing. Others were probably commercial rate tenants - the Italian architects presumably paying £1500 a month to a longn leaseholder who had bought a flat in the block. Others include the Syrian refugee brothers etc etc. It makes it very hard to generalise about everyone there.

I think Mrs May has taken the right decision announced in her speech today and what the nation wants that in this case of this ghastly inferno we need to leave the issues of illegal immigrants and illegal subletting out of it and just offer people somewhere to live.

Hoever it is rightly bringing to the fore a whole series of very important issues - who should be housed, do we house people not allowed to be here who have sneaked in, where should people live, what rents should they pay, who gets priority over others for social housing, what connection to an area do you need to be housed there rather than in say near Sunderland where my family is from (where housing is a lot cheaper and perfectly nice).

Illegals should not even have been here to be in the inferno.
No
And the sooner Kahn goes the better

"And the sooner Kahn goes the better"

Why?

Why, userblah, is he too brown for your liking?

It's odd that the Khan loathers don't seem prepared to say why.

Or they'll sling together some bullshit claiming he is a sympathiser of people he defended in his professional legal capacity.

And the sooner Kahn goes the better

Why, what was his role in this?

Isn't it just bert. I

userblah wankbadgering at its very finest there. "Illegals". And it's KHAN FFS.

Yes to providing housing to grenfell victims

Yes to agreeing not to prosecute tenants who were subverting

Yes to the Home Office considering, free of charge, applications from grenfell residents to regularise their status with a presumption that they will grant 3 years leave to remain (so no criminals included)

Yes to prosecuting landlords who deliberately overcrowded or sublet for profit

I too wonder what all the anti Sadiq Khan rhetoric on this thread is all about. Does he have some big connection to the fire which I've missed? What has he done that he needs to "go, now"?

Donald, is that you?

I'm all for compassion - and i can see how it could help with getting information - but to do so would set a troublesome legal precedent.

Also im genuinely curious - why are some people not fans of Sadiq Khan?

Set a troublesome legal precedent? Because this kind of tragedy happens all the time.

There is no question that subletting and illegal immigration is a big problem but let's not use this tragedy as a warning or to set an example.

I would not start handing out amnesties or council housing to illegal immigrants caught up in this disaster. Its too hard to prove who was or wasn't there at this juncture. Set up an anonymous tip line.

What is necessary is immediate re-housing of official council tenants. Given the very severe pressures on council housing in London, priority must be given to those who have waited their turn, have the greatest need and who have links to the community.

Subletters should lose their right to housing, going forward and this should be policed by the council. Its disgustingly cynical IMO to take scarce subsidized housing and let it out for personal gain.

I would like to say: I voted for Sadiq. So did my partner. I think he's a good person and a good mayor. The fact he is what my mother would have called a Nice Asian Boy is also rather useful when things kick off in the capital. I didn't vote for him because he is a NAB but it has certainly come in handy.

Khan is simply trying to stir up further issues for TM

I can understand why some posters dislike Khan, I don't think there's ever been a politician popular with everyone? It would be weird if everyone liked him wouldn't it? I don't like him for shallow reasons; he's a bit smug and vain, I don't like loads of politicians for various reasons (not all as shallow as that). However, a quick google will explain that if you are Jewish you might have more valid reasons than mine to dislike him because of who he's rubbed shoulders with in the past.