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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Where would you flee to if war came to us ?

632 replies

wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 20:37

Sorry really not wanting to sound alarmist. But just pondering on the thought of which country we could seek refuge in, should the worst happen?

Our European neighbours would be out, as they'll have their own issues.

So where could we go ? Interesting to think about with all that's going on and how the general public view refugees...

OP posts:
Bagelsandbrie · 26/02/2022 20:38

I have actually been sitting here thinking about this and I literally don’t have a clue. We have no family anywhere. Nowhere to go. I guess we are lucky to live rurally so I suspect if things hit the cities we’d be the ones taking people in.

GirlInACountrySong · 26/02/2022 20:39

well we won't...we'll stay put i expect

LauriePartridge4Eva · 26/02/2022 20:40

I won't flee. I will stay and fight. I lived through the Troubles and I'm not about to run away now. I've already decided I am staying, no matter what happens in the future.

WouldIwasShookspeared · 26/02/2022 20:40

Kenya. We all have dual nationality.

WandaThePanda · 26/02/2022 20:40

Scotland Grin

SlashBeef · 26/02/2022 20:40

Not sure. I guess I could claim asylum with family in Jamaica but I think I'd rather take my chances here!

bellac11 · 26/02/2022 20:42

Its a good question and something I raise when people go on about 'asylum seekers have phones/jewellery/leather jackets/look well fed'.

Well I am extremely well fed, have a phone, handbag, make up, jewellery but if a tank came rolling down the road right now I would have to flee and I woujld take as much with me as I could.

Dont know where I would go as I dont speak any other languages

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 20:42

I would try to get out well ahead of time. If I had been in Ukraine and able to financially I would have left weeks ago. It has been clear for some time that shit was going to hit the fan. Same thing for the pandemic, it was clear to lots of people what was going to happen, but lots of others ignored it.

I would make super early contingencies and get out. Unless it really came out of the blue. But these things don't come out of the blue entirely.

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qualitygirl · 26/02/2022 20:42

Well I'm in Ireland so I'm guessing if there's war here then the pretty much the whole world is up shit creek...

Swear · 26/02/2022 20:43

Well we don't have the right to go anywhere. Because of Brexit.

Spanglybangles · 26/02/2022 20:43

Nowhere to go really. However, I do have family on the Westen Isles, so would probably look to head there with the kids if need be. (Note to self, chat with sibling and reserve our space now!!)

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 20:44

@Swear

Well we don't have the right to go anywhere. Because of Brexit.
Europe would be out anyway. We would be in the same boat because of NATO.
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umberellaonesie · 26/02/2022 20:44

Realistically no where because if the removal of visas for Ukrainians to come to the UK this week is anything to go by. No where would have us.

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 20:45

@umberellaonesie

Realistically no where because if the removal of visas for Ukrainians to come to the UK this week is anything to go by. No where would have us.
What ? I didn't know we had done that ! I have heard on the news that some countries were removing visa requirements for Ukrainians.
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umberellaonesie · 26/02/2022 20:45

@Spanglybangles

Nowhere to go really. However, I do have family on the Westen Isles, so would probably look to head there with the kids if need be. (Note to self, chat with sibling and reserve our space now!!)
Definitely book your spot cos they weren't that happy for visits at the height of COVID.Hmm
ShadowPuppets · 26/02/2022 20:48

During WW2 my great grandad had a gun and apparently had 5 bullets in it - one each for his wife, 3 daughters (including my 10 year old grandmother) and himself. In the event that Hitler made it across from France and Nazi boots landed on English soil he planned to use it on them all.

I can’t say I’d do it myself, but as I said to DH last night, it’s a sobering thought as to what we would do if this were happening in France, not Ukraine.

umberellaonesie · 26/02/2022 20:48

I may have picked it up wrong as am honestly not following the news closely. But something that surprised me during the uprising of the Taliban in Afghanistan was many of my peers did not realise that you needed papers to leave the country not just as permission to enter another.

I think free travel has created a false sense of security and misunderstanding of what leaving a country particularly one in a state of flux takes.

Canyoujustgotobedplease · 26/02/2022 20:49

Jamaica for me and my sons

Spanglybangles · 26/02/2022 20:49

@umberellaonesie. I hear ya! We did visit in summer and felt pretty welcome, but the island socials can (sometimes) certainly tell a different story where visitors are concerned.

RewildingAmbridge · 26/02/2022 20:49

Germany, if they were in the same boat as us Canada or Australia, my industry/profession is in high demand in both of the latter countries and I've been offered very good roles previously in both so would make sense mid to long term, and more likely to get a visa if your skills are in demand. The only foreign languages I speak are German, moderate Spanish and Russian (definitely not going there), so not a wide range of options.

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 20:50

@RewildingAmbridge

Germany, if they were in the same boat as us Canada or Australia, my industry/profession is in high demand in both of the latter countries and I've been offered very good roles previously in both so would make sense mid to long term, and more likely to get a visa if your skills are in demand. The only foreign languages I speak are German, moderate Spanish and Russian (definitely not going there), so not a wide range of options.
But they would be screwed as well.
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Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 20:51

@RewildingAmbridge

Germany, if they were in the same boat as us Canada or Australia, my industry/profession is in high demand in both of the latter countries and I've been offered very good roles previously in both so would make sense mid to long term, and more likely to get a visa if your skills are in demand. The only foreign languages I speak are German, moderate Spanish and Russian (definitely not going there), so not a wide range of options.
Oh sorry, I didn't read that correctly. Germany would be screwed as well. I think Canada and Australia maybe OK. I don't know if they're in nato. But they're definitely friends of nato.. so not sure.
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umberellaonesie · 26/02/2022 20:51

I could go to Australia or New Zealand easily for work but not sure how easy it would be to get there from here during an invasion

Mumofsend · 26/02/2022 20:53

I'd stay here but I would immediately go and do a massive supermarket stock pile and try and make a safe haven within my house using under the stairs and the lounge.

I'm not in a city but a very large town that is likely to become a city at some point.

TheNinny · 26/02/2022 20:53

The U.S. as I’m a dual citizen and have family there. But only if they’d take DH and DD in as dependents. But that’s assuming I could get on flight somehow. If not, I’d stay put. We live really rurally so not sure how that would play out in a war situation. Otherwise Ireland or a Scandi country….but it’s the getting there that’s the issue.