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:
MarshaBradyo · 26/02/2022 22:03

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

We'd probably stay out.

We're rural and DH is really resourceful so I like to think we'd be as okay as we can be.

I have Australian citizenship but as their borders are pretty much shut I don't fancy my chances Grin

The borders aren’t shut anymore though?
HariboMaroon · 26/02/2022 22:05

I would stay in Coventry, nowhere else to go. Surely we would all be fucked? I mean England’s hardly massive.

littledrummergirl · 26/02/2022 22:06

This is my home. My children were born in the UK, my husband and I were, our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great great grandparents and probably further back were born here.
I would stay put. If my dc were young then I would want them out of harms way but as young adults they would choose what is best for them.
I would probably be cleaning in a hospital or providing food in a canteen although my dc said I'm so bossy I'd be organising who goes where.

ofwarren · 26/02/2022 22:06

@MadameHeisenberg

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

Why would he kill us if he invades us?
Surely we just become part of the new USSR?

I'd stay where I am, nowhere near any major cities.

KloppsTeeth · 26/02/2022 22:07

Canada, dual nationals. However, I think I would stay and fight because If it is that bad, it will be everywhere and there will be people who can’t flee that will need people to stay and fight with them.
Leroy Jenkins!!!!!!!!!!!

AffIt · 26/02/2022 22:07

Nowhere.

I'm an experienced professional that speaks good French and Spanish / Latinoamericano, so I might hope that one of those countries might take me in, but they wouldn't have any obligation.

My big worry is my cats, and what would happen to them. I would rather have a stash of anaesthetic in the house and quietly put them to sleep, rather than try to take them out of a war zone. I would never abandon them.

Jaxhog · 26/02/2022 22:07

Canada - I have dual nationality. Who's going to invade Canada!

RedToothBrush · 26/02/2022 22:09

I figure moving would probably give me more problems than it solved.

I'm not sure I'd stay in a major city though for various reasons.

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 22:10

@Jaxhog

Canada - I have dual nationality. Who's going to invade Canada!
Hate to burst your bubble, but Canada is also in nato. So would be a target.
OP posts:
Tilltheend99 · 26/02/2022 22:10

@wheretogoif

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.

Well they could have left 8 years ago when Russia occupied Crimea but why should they have to? Why should anybody have to leave their homeland because of an invading force. The people of Ukraine did what they could and have actually been very well prepared considering the disparity between the two armies.
Lennybenny · 26/02/2022 22:10

These types of posts on mumsnet are just getting ridiculous.
War? Really. Why? Would your ds join up? What's going to happen? The poor people...

Poor people everywhere, its this type of post that starts people panic buying "just in case"...

Timeturnerplease · 26/02/2022 22:13

My sister lives in the arse end of nowhere….so I guess deepest rural Lincolnshire.

Autumndays123 · 26/02/2022 22:14

To those planning to flee to the EU - would the Russian army not have to pass through most of those areas to get to us? Why would they just target the UK and nowhere else? Do you really think Putin is sitting around rubbing his hands excitedly thinking about invading the UK? Nope. If it gets so bad we have to evacuate then most of the world will either also be targeted, or will be part of the problem

AlJalilia · 26/02/2022 22:14

For those talking of going to Australia, it will probably take 2 years to process your visa, so you'd better start applying now.

KaptainKaveman · 26/02/2022 22:14

I guess I don't really care what happens to me but I would want my dc to live and prosper.

BeyondPurpleTulips · 26/02/2022 22:15

I'd stay put. The area I live in is so shitty that I doubt I'd notice if it was invaded. And so inconspicuous that I doubt any invading troops would think to come here!

wingscrow · 26/02/2022 22:16

What a silly thread...

table4chairs · 26/02/2022 22:17

DH and I were chatting about this hypothetical situation earlier.

It depends on what's feasible really. If our car tank were full then we'd be able to drive approx. 420 miles. Where to though I don't know 🤷‍♀️

We're not too far from and airport but they maybe bombed before we ever made it out?

Never got to a final answer lol.

GreenNewDealNow · 26/02/2022 22:18

The right thing to do would be to stay and join the resistance to defend our country surely?

Pedallleur · 26/02/2022 22:18

What makes you think you would be taken in? We would be refugees and may find borders closed to us. Or be held in camps.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 26/02/2022 22:19

I'm in North Cornwall. I was idly musing this morning that it's a good place to be.

Then I remembered that Devonport at Plymouth is the largest naval base in Western Europe, and also the only place for the Royal navy to refuel and repair nuclear subs.

On the plus side, if the shit hits the fan, I probably won't have much time to worry about it...

Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase · 26/02/2022 22:21

I would stay put and fight.

waterproofed · 26/02/2022 22:22

Worry not, OP.

In the current crisis, we have all the Russian money invested right here on the ground in real estate, fine art, and countless other things. They are hardly going to bomb their own assets.

Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 22:23

@Lennybenny

These types of posts on mumsnet are just getting ridiculous. War? Really. Why? Would your ds join up? What's going to happen? The poor people...

Poor people everywhere, its this type of post that starts people panic buying "just in case"...

It's good for us to think about others a bit. I think we've been shielded from these things and a lot of people have never consisted this kind of stuff in any detail because we think it just won't happen.

Well, it might.

Regardless of whether it does, maybe it will make us look at refugees in a different light too. Maybe people will have a bit more compassion, once they've actually thought the situation through for their own lives and what it means.

I'm generalising of course and I'm sure there are compassionate people and people who have considered these things, but a lot of people just don't.

OP posts:
Original poster
wheretogoif · 26/02/2022 22:23

@Pedallleur

What makes you think you would be taken in? We would be refugees and may find borders closed to us. Or be held in camps.
You could try and get out before and get in as a tourist, rather than seeking asylum.
OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread