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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:
Wafflesnsniffles · 26/02/2022 21:13

Staying put. If its bad enough that there is a reason to flee there is pretty much nowhere that will be safe. Certainly nowhere that Ive got any right to flee too.
At least here Ive got a chance of a roof and a front door.

HelpfulAlex · 26/02/2022 21:13

I think the world would be in dire straits if we were in that position. I doubt there would be very many safe places - no idea how we would get there, where ever there was…

flapjackfairy · 26/02/2022 21:13

I have a mental image of us all rushing to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and Scotland sinking a bit more into the sea and the UK jutting up several inches on the South coast of England as a result !

alltheapples · 26/02/2022 21:13

In theory, I would go out early. But I do not know where I could go. I have no right to live anywhere except in Britain. I guess I would go abroad as a tourist and then try and claim asylum.

BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 26/02/2022 21:15

I'd stay put and take my chances. I wouldn't last long being on the run anyway.

Boohooyouho · 26/02/2022 21:15

We are in London and have relatives in rural somerset so the kids would be shipped off there At the slightest sniff of trouble. Not sure it would make much difference but feel like somerset is less of a target than London

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 26/02/2022 21:15

My only connection is Poland which would already have fallen if Putin is knocking at the UKs door

If there's nukes involved I hope they land as close to me as possible. Hate the thought of bringing DS up in a post apocalyptic world. I remember Threads all to well.

HopefulProcrastinator · 26/02/2022 21:16

We would up sticks to my parents. We currently live in a city that's had previous strategic importance because of the docks. Given that the docks can still host sizeable ships I'm assuming we'd be a future target on the initial bomb/control list.

By comparison my parents live in the arse end of nowhere and their home has solid fuel heating and cooking. By the time any invaders care to check arse end of nowhere places of no strategic or supply importance we would be passed the fighting stage and into assimilation. As proud as I am to call myself Welsh that's secondary to my children's safety so I would play their game to survive. It wouldn't be fun, but far more fun than seeing my family destroyed.

Bienvenidos · 26/02/2022 21:17

I’m sticking it here. If the women of Ukraine can make Molotov cocktails, and the men stand single handed with a gun in front of a tank, then I can stay here too.

vixeyann · 26/02/2022 21:17

I wouldn't have anywhere to go and I don't think I would want to. We live rurally, I would take my chances. The thought of starting anew somewhere under those circumstances wouldn't hold any attraction for me.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 26/02/2022 21:17

Given how disgusted we (as a nation) are at the thought of opening our borders up to those in need, we (as a nation) would have a damn cheek showing up on any other countries doorstep claiming asylum.

Babyroobs · 26/02/2022 21:18

Two of my children grown up children were born in new Zealand, I would hope they might be able to go there.

Bumpsadaisie · 26/02/2022 21:18

It has really just hit me that we live on an island- no one can just roll their tanks over the border here.

We'd go to DHs two brothers in Australia if we could get there.

Coconuttts · 26/02/2022 21:18

Stay put. Christ. Don't give in or give up.

Moonmelodies · 26/02/2022 21:19

I'd stay put. Maybe Putin could fix the NHS and make the trains run on time.

MadameHeisenberg · 26/02/2022 21:19

Where I am - Switzerland. If this place gets invaded we know it’s the endgame for us all.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 26/02/2022 21:21

@Swear

Well we don't have the right to go anywhere. Because of Brexit.
even without Brexit there is the small matter of having to get across water, not so easy to flee somewhere.
MaggieMooh · 26/02/2022 21:22

Any invasion that reached UK shores would already have swept through mainland Europe. So we couldn’t escape to the east. I guess we’d have to go west, which means Ireland (although it wouldn’t be far enough to be safe).

twilightermummy · 26/02/2022 21:22

**illyawasthebest

If it gets to that stage, I 100% want to be dead.**

😂

Hellocatshome · 26/02/2022 21:22

It has really just hit me that we live on an island- no one can just roll their tanks over the border here.

Yes but if they did manage to get in we couldn't just walk/drive to safety so it has pros and cons.

Frankley · 26/02/2022 21:23

Years ago, if we got separated in a war or anything happening in the UK, my husband and l had picked on Dolgellau in Wales as the place we would head for to try and meet up. (We live miles away in England, would be difficult to get there if we had to walk but we liked it there and thought it would be a safe place)

GrouchyKiwi · 26/02/2022 21:23

Assuming we saw the signs early enough we'd go to NZ.

Otherwise, probably just stay where we are. Not at high risk of bombing/shelling, I think.

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 21:23

This thread has actually made me realise that it's pretty impossible for Russia to get all the way here.

They'd have to take the Ukraine..

Then, they'd have to encroach on a nato country, at which point nato would start war with Russia ( in that country ). This would take a while and we would be very very likely to win, unless Russia used nukes out of the blue, whilst fighting against nato. After they throw their first nuke, nato destroys them by pushing the red button and nuking them into oblivion.

So, my laywoman analysis would be- you're safer out of london. Which is where the Nuke would land.

I'm not sure if London would be the first nuke target for Russia though. I have no idea about where they'd nuke first. Maybe USA ? The result for them would be the same. ( ie: total destruction by nato ).

OP posts:
ddshocker · 26/02/2022 21:24

It has really just hit me that we live on an island- no one can just roll their tanks over the border here.

Air attacks...attacks from the sea...

Prescottdanni123 · 26/02/2022 21:26

We have nowhere to go. That is what makes the UK a fearsome opponent. When it comes to wars, we fight with everything we've got because we have nowhere to go if we get invaded. I suppose we could jump in the sea and swim to Europe, but as you say, there will be problems there too.

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