To think history will judge the U.K. over ukraine

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

I am so ashamed at how the U.K. is the only country in Europe effectively closing its doors to Ukrainian refugees. These are mostly women and children fleeing a country that has collapsed in the space of 2 weeks. A maternity hospital was bombed yesterday.

The rest of Europe is opening its arms and helping in every way it can but the U.K. had pretty much slammed the door, made it as difficult as possible to come. The U.K. signed the refugee convention in the 50’s that said that people fleeing war don’t need tons of paperwork and yet that’s exactly what they are asking people for.

I feel so embarrassed when everyone else is helping that we are doing nothing- we are an outlier in Europe.

I hate what this country has become under this disgusting government. I see so many posts on social media or brits wanting to do more.

Don't need to wait for history. The UK government is being judged internationally and by a large chunk of the UK population already.

It’s awful.

It's like the Russians want something for the millions they've donated to the Tory party...

@araiwa yes quite! 10% of the U.K. economy also made up of Russian money apparently too. It’s disgusting how corrupt it is

Toryskovites. It makes me laugh that they portrayed Corbin as one and yet it's that party that have been funded, wined and dined by them!

It's awful, embarrassing and wrong. Yet somehow Johnson's approval rating has gone up. Mainly because people are thick.

Everyone needs to do their bit. But I think it should be related to population density across Europe. The UK is one of the most densely populated countries in the EU. If you count just England it is the most densely packed country in the EU second only to Malta.

Historically The UK has always welcomed immigrants with open arms clearly. That is something to be proud of.

I would like some forests and green spaces for my childrens future also. I guess it is a balance.

@AmbushedByCake

Don't need to wait for history. The UK government is being judged internationally and by a large chunk of the UK population already.

^this

It’s really really shameful. I’m embarrassed to be British when I see scenes of Ukrainian families in Calais who have been told to travel to Brussels or Paris to get a visa. Why do they need a visa?

Agree. Is beyond shame!

@Nutellaonall

Everyone needs to do their bit. But I think it should be related to population density across Europe. The UK is one of the most densely populated countries in the EU. If you count just England it is the most densely packed country in the EU second only to Malta.

Historically The UK has always welcomed immigrants with open arms clearly. That is something to be proud of.

I would like some forests and green spaces for my childrens future also. I guess it is a balance.

Didn’t seem an issue when the government was issuing golden visas to those who’d buy up massive mansions that they barely in

@Nutellaonall The UK has built on around 5% of its land. We are hardly “full”.

Can someone provide some verifiable figures as to the number of Ukrainian refugees the UK has accepted compared to all the other Westetn European countries.
Thanks in advance.

History will judge the current UK government on many things. Awful as the response has been, Ukraine will be well down the list. After all, this government by inaction at various times in 2020 caused at least 20,000 avoidable deaths here in the UK.

It s not just the government that is to blame. Dont be so quick to forget what Farage and his acolytes were promising if you voted for Brexit.
You as in the majority of the population that voted Brexit got what you asked for: you get to decides who you open your borders to.
The government is following what the majority wanted.

Disclaimer: I am French and moved out of the UK after nearly 20yrs there to remain in Europe.

If it wasnt so sad I would laughing now. But it is tragic in every ways 🙏🏻

@Nutellaonall

Everyone needs to do their bit. But I think it should be related to population density across Europe. The UK is one of the most densely populated countries in the EU. If you count just England it is the most densely packed country in the EU second only to Malta.

Historically The UK has always welcomed immigrants with open arms clearly. That is something to be proud of.

I would like some forests and green spaces for my childrens future also. I guess it is a balance.

The UK has not historically welcome immigrants with open arms. Windrush scandal? And the racism that followed many of these migrants when they arrived here?

And besides these are not migrants, they are refuguees. History demonstrates we don't always welcome them with open arms either...eg in the 1930s (before ww2 and the Holocaust) as a country we did not do a great deal to help Jews fleeing persecution in nazi Germany

Controlling immigration is a different matter to helping refugees

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-60555472

Unfortunately I think history will judge NATO, the western democracies very badly indeed.
We said after Hitler, never again.
The endless endless rope we've given to Putin, entertaining him on the world's stage, giving him credibility.

He's done so much prior to Syria but at that point ,he crossed lines.

This monster is on all our shoulders.

@Papertyger

Unfortunately I think history will judge NATO, the western democracies very badly indeed. We said after Hitler, never again. The endless endless rope we've given to Putin, entertaining him on the world's stage, giving him credibility.

He's done so much prior to Syria but at that point ,he crossed lines.

This monster is on all our shoulders.

Nuclear capability though makes it much harder to get directly involved.

They are, as ever, thinking of their voting base and chances at the next election - over and above people’s lives. This government were voted in by the “Get Brexit Done” chanting fan base which is essentially anti-immigration. PP is doing what she thinks their voters want. And of course there is a large dose of smoke and mirror tactics and downright lies involved - that how this govt operates. They are disgusting.

The irony is, many of the Brexiteers have suddenly changed their tune. As an elderly man told me the other day, “Well I didn’t want them here before, but now I see them on the news well, aren’t they lovely people! Just like us really.”

Aaaarrrrggghhh!

I thought our appalling representatives crowing exit from Berlaymont was the most ashamed I would feel for my country, in my lifetime but I was wrong.
It is utterly shameful & I have never been so embarrassed to be British.

I don’t think so at all. In fact I currently think the opposite. The U.K. has provided more practical help to Ukraine that many other European countries eg. Germany. They sent 5000 helmets apparently and then loads of stuff covered in mould in dusty old boxes.
I think they are helping more now.
Back in January when U.K. was making countless flights to Ukraine Germany would not allow them to fly over their airspace. They had to fly round.
U.K. has been training troops in Ukraine for 6 years.
I agree re. Refugees and on that we are slow but we are a further away country with fewer population ties and I bet we catch up rapidly in the next few days/ weeks.
EU have the Schengen zone so people can move freely once inside that. We are not part of that and never have been.

@Yants UN figures here
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/08/where-in-europe-are-ukraines-refugees-going

But it’s not just the figures, it’s the ideology behind the process too that’s made me so angry and ashamed

I am embarrassed to be British. We should be doing our bit to help, if it was the other way around we would want people to help us!

I would like some forests and green spaces for my childrens future also. I guess it is a balance

This such a silly comment. Losing all forests and green spaces is not even close to being on the agenda.

I agree OP, it is shameful. Our government is embarrassing. Last night on QT Nadhim Zahawi tried to peddle Johnson's favourite lie line that the UK is leading the response to the invasion and that is why the UK is extra special and has to be extra careful in vetting refugees in case we accidentally let in toddler terrorists.

He was swiftly slapped down by Helle Thorning-Schmidt who reminded him of reality. Some of the tabloids are in a right tizz about it.