Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
BrownJenkins · 27/02/2022 10:42

I'd volunteer to fight, always fancied being a sniper.
I'm in my 60's and couldn't run anyway.

oopsIdiditagaintoo · 27/02/2022 10:42

I've got an Aussie passport, which gives me the right to go and live in Aus and NZ. I'll get started with DD's Aussie passport application this week. No idea how I'd get there. Might end up being an 8 week boat trip 🤔

zingally · 27/02/2022 10:44

I'd go to my mums in the first instance. She lives rurally, on the welsh borders. It would be as safe as anywhere.

bellac11 · 27/02/2022 10:52

One of the groups of people I work with are asylum seeking children and when people talk about 'refugees' and all the negativity that comes with that, I try to get them to understand what it would be like to have to deal with war/conflict in this country, what would they do, where would they go,, what would they take with them.

Therefore this thread is the opposite of ignorant and insensitive, it makes people open their eyes about what they might do in similar circumstances. Of course its theoretical and some of the wishes would never happen because of the practicalities of getting out but it open's peoples eyes.

MajorCarolDanvers · 27/02/2022 10:57

As a Scot I do wonder why so many think it's some kind of safe haven.

You know we have naval bases including a US nuclear submarine bases, RAF bases, nukes, nuclear power stations etc up here.

All targets.

Dinoteeth · 27/02/2022 11:01

@MajorCarolDanvers
Coming to Scotland makes little sense, the Highlands wouldn't have infrastructure to support people and then where do you go, you wouldn't be able to then get away, the big ferry terminals are in England

LynetteScavo · 27/02/2022 11:03

Deepest darkest Ireland to stay with relatives. I would end up with a drink problem.

QuentininQuarantino · 27/02/2022 11:10

Probably South America as I speak Spanish fluently, I’d hope that they’d allow us to claim asylum somewhere there as Dh is high skilled. how horrible to think about.

TammyOne · 27/02/2022 11:18

I think in the event of an imminent invasion we wouldn’t be able to fly anywhere! It would also seem unlikely anyone would be able to get the petrol to travel very far, borders woud be closed.
What do people think? They would motor over to the airport and get a Ryan Air to Dublin? In the middle of a war?
In actual fact, in most ways the UK is the best place to be. We are an island, we have a large and extremely well trained military and we haven’t been invaded in centuries!
The only thing than would give me a sense of dread about staying here would be that a LOT of people seem to have lost all their compassion, courage, sense of community and backbone in the last few years and I’m not sure I would want to see out my days with some of them..
But my family came here as refugees and I’m buggered if I’m running now, so UK it is.
In the meantime we need to try and help Ukraine in every way we can.

mumda · 27/02/2022 11:21

During the war (Bet you read that in Uncle Albert's voice), they sent children to live in the countryside.
I don't imagine it's possible for a whole island to flee anywhere.
Stay and fight.

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 27/02/2022 11:26

Why would I flee?

I’d fight. I’d sabotage their vehicles. I’d do everything I could to trick, delay and generally cause the enemy trouble. I’m not going anywhere.

Lolly49 · 27/02/2022 11:30

@Campervangirl

I'm heading to the front line if they have a use for an arsey, menopausal 50 something female. I'm serious, if the ordinary citizens of the Ukraine can stand up against the might of Russia we can too.
This
Mysterian · 27/02/2022 12:03

All those people who like to fight after closing time? I'm sure they'll be up for a fight against an invader.

JulesRimetStillGleaming · 27/02/2022 12:09

I wouldn't have a clue how to fight. I'd get picked off almost instantaneously. I doubt I'd delay a tank or an automatic weapon by a fraction of a second.

It's a sobering thought how many people will die in this conflict for what? The ravings of a megalomaniac.

JulesRimetStillGleaming · 27/02/2022 12:13

Here we go. Time to put your money where your mouth is. Liz Truss says we can go.

Ukraine conflict: Liz Truss backs people from UK who want to fight www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60544838

Gizacluethen · 27/02/2022 12:14

There's no where we could go.

I was thinking though today, I wonder if people will be more sympathetic towards Ukrainian asylum seekers than they have been towards others.

lightisnotwhite · 27/02/2022 12:17

Good point about being able to get anywhere.
Petrol stations near me are in the same place as the distribution problem last year. Empty or long queues. The price has gone up 2p since yesterday.
Some of would have no choice but to stay.

chairbumg · 27/02/2022 12:28

What do people think? They would motor over to the airport and get a Ryan Air to Dublin? In the middle of a war?

Yep, tons of people think in a vacuum. If I get petrol I can flee, except you will be stuck in a huge traffic jam.

alltheapples · 27/02/2022 12:30

lt, almost impossible to win a war against a population determined to fight. They can take cities by force, but they will have constant attack and sabotage.
The reality is if we were fighting volunteers are needed to prepare food and drinks for those fighting, take wounded to hospital, etc. I would probably volunteer in a support role. I would be out there with food and drink for everyone.

alltheapples · 27/02/2022 12:33

And in Ukraine petrol stations have either run out of petrol or are only giving it to bona fide soldiers.
In the UK we would not have enough ferries to evacuate people and any invader would quickly bomb the main airports.
You would have people trying to cross the channel in small fishing boats and dinghies.
But most would be stuck in Britain facing whatever the invaders meted out.

junglejane66 · 27/02/2022 12:44

Walton-on-the-Nase, nothing ever happens there and wars are not allowed, along with ball games and skate boarding

jenkel · 27/02/2022 12:49

Father in law lives in NZ, we don’t have visas or anything, but probably more chance of being able to stay there than anywhere else, dhs has job skills that would probably make it a bit easier for us to be able to stay too.

lightand · 27/02/2022 12:57

@chairbumg

What do people think? They would motor over to the airport and get a Ryan Air to Dublin? In the middle of a war?

Yep, tons of people think in a vacuum. If I get petrol I can flee, except you will be stuck in a huge traffic jam.

People who are serious about leaving would leave long before
Katya213 · 27/02/2022 12:58

@Whadda

Seriously, most of you saying Ireland can fuck right off.

You’d escape an invasion by seeking refuge in a country that you invaded?

I lived there for ten years, I’d rather stay in England and fight. ( I’m not English but they helped my family in its hour of need so I have loyalty to Britain.)
chairbumg · 27/02/2022 12:59

@lightand but how? How would they know where to go before trouble was on the horizon? Why would the countries accept them before there was a humanitarian crisis?

Swipe left for the next trending thread