Flight to Rwanda

[lbab1702]

I’d love to get a flight to Rwanda. Beautiful country and people ( I’ve been there before) but I don’t understand why refugees to the U.K. should go there.

NHS, free education, accommodation, free phones, free legal advice is a lot more than just £40.85pw. Which, when I think about it is free education, free accommodation, free phone, free legal advice and £40.85 more than I get. So the rest of us don't all get that.

@LetitiaLeghorn Without meaning to state the obvious, I’m sure they would rather pay for their phones, their accommodation, their education and healthcare and be in their home country with their families rather than have gone through whatever they’ve gone through.

Also, I get a salary from my job. They don’t have that option. I have safety. I’m not persecuted, tortured or imprisoned for my religious or political beliefs. My home/school/town hasn’t been destroyed by Russian bombs. I’m not being threatened into enforced labour, or denied an education by religious extremists. I’m not being forced to fight against my neighbours in a civil war.

But yeah, free phone.

And unless you went to private school, you would have had access to free education until 16/18, and depending on your age, far far cheaper tuition fees than today.

Free accommodation definitely not though, unless living with parents. But the current extortionate house prices can’t be pinned on asylum seekers (who are unable to rent or buy).

(Almost) free legal advice - up to £100,000 with some insurers through home insurance for a few extra pounds a month.

Can’t help you with the free phone though!

We don't get the accommodation, but as discussed upthread it's hardly the heights of luxury. We don't get the free phones, but then we're looking at a cost of £10 at most. We do get free legal advice if we qualify, which we undoubtedly would on an income of £40.85 a week.

So what it comes down to is £40.85, a £10 phone and accommodation which I suspect you would pay money not to have to use. Not exactly the stuff of dreams, is it?

Not if you don't speak French, but (possibly as a result of British colonialism) you do speak English and have family here who can help you. As many others have said, you basically don't want any asylum seekers to come here, as there are no safe and legal routes to come here.
Stopping small boats is SO simple: just set up a centre in Calais/(insert name of European country through which migrants travel to the UK) and agree to accept asylum claims there.
And anyway, several other European countries take more migrants/asylum seekers than the UK both per capita and in total.

I don’t see anything about free phones?
40 quid a week is hardly a huge amount.
As for not stopping elsewhere, myriad reasons, and not one to do with our lousy benefits system which is significantly lower than most of Europe.

twitter.com/pippacrerar/status/1537001895365120000?s=21&t=boLb8jPUTAwZ3W1GaY_TAw

you do speak English

Out of interest what proportion do?

Maybe some would. But in my experience most of the asylum seekers I taught were actually economics migrants that wanted to be here. They could have gone through legitimate channels but they chose instead to claim asylum and took the free services they were entitled to. I actually think, as I've said before, there were many amongst them that wanted to and were motivated to achieve and will make a great contribution to British life.
But that's not what I was challenged over. I said that they receive more than £40.85 cash. And then I was told they only got what we all got and I pointed out I don't get anything free apart from NHS treatment - and, thinking about it, actually I have paid towards that so it's not really free.
You obviously taught in an area where all the asylum seekers were fleeing for their lives. But I have taught in different establishments and that has most definitely not been the case.
And for the record, you might be sniffy about it, maybe you have money to splash round, but I'd love the govt to give me a free phone and sim card.

They have had access to education in their own country. When they come here, they are entitled to all sorts of free education in FE and financial assistance when they become refugees to move into HE. I didn't get that. If I want to access FE and HE, I have to pay as do most people.

Who is blaming asylum seekers for raised housing prices? 🤔

If I have to pay extra on my home insurance, it's not free, is it? And actually, the advice you receive through that is quite limited.

But in my experience most of the asylum seekers I taught were actually economics migrants that wanted to be here.

They weren't granted asylum status then?

First of all, asylum seekers receive more than £40.85. I think you agree with that.

I agree that I get NHS treatment but I pay towards that so not totally free .As an adult I have never received free accommodation. We're talking about adults coming here who already received education in their own country. They're then entitled to free FE courses and HE (after refugee status granted.) I received free tertiary education because it was a long time ago. But I can't get free voc or non voc curses at all now. I don't get free legal services and I have next to no money. And I wouldn't moan over a £10 phone and sim which you seem to think is a bit below you. I should think there are quite a lot of people who'd be grateful to have a free phone, especially in the present climate.

Most asylum seekers I taught were actually economic migrants and actually they did think being here was pretty great. If not, they'd have gone elsewhere. I have my own home and a car. But I can assure you my life isn't the stuff of dreams either.

I know people dont like to hear this, but are the people that are coming properly vetted when they arrive, I doubt it ? How many that dont wish us well are slipping into the country amongst the genuine refugees.

It ins't that I don't like to hear it, it is just racist bollocks.

Not many, as evidenced by the fact we actually have pretty low levels of terrorist atrocities and when they do happen it is usually people who were born in the UK.

There is serious concern about right-wing terrorism brewing currently.

TBH, if you look at occasions like 911, if someone wants to do something, they will. You can't seal your borders to the extent a determined terrorist will not get through.

It's the excuse the Home Office used for not waiving visas for Ukrainian refugees.

And the Skripal poisoning suspects came in on a tourist visa.

@LetitiaLeghorn Can you please link to the free education that you can access as a refugee (or as an asylum seeker, being clear on the differences)? As a refugee you have to pay for higher Ed/most further Ed that I know of.

Is this advice for asylum seekers out of date?

“As an asylum seeker can I go to further education (FE)?
Yes, as someone claiming asylum you are allowed to study.

However, your course will not be free and you will need to find alternative funding for your course unless:

It is over 6 months since you submitted your asylum claim to the Home Office and no decision has been made.”

“As an asylum seeker, can I go to university?
Yes. The important thing to remember is that as an asylum seeker you are allowed to go to university (unless you have 'no study' immigration bail conditions - please see here for more details). However, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you will be charged tuition fees at an ‘international/overseas’ rate and will not be eligible for student finance (the loans from the government that other students can apply for).”

https://www.reuk.org/fefaq-asylum

From UCAS

”Asylum seekers are not usually eligible for either the ‘home’ rate of tuition fees or student finance.”

No help here either for refugees:

“Fees and access to higher education for these thousands of British-citizens-to-be is a considerable area that needs addressing. Notably, to access student loans, those with Indefinite Leave to Remain have to wait three years, and those with Limited or Discretionary Leave to Remain or on the BNO visa route, have to wait seven years. Displaced people’s circumstances will differ and the routes for refugees from Ukraine are still becoming clear. Under the current policies, these fee barriers will mean some children who joined a UK school at 11 or 12 years old will be all but prevented from accessing higher education. There will be examples of this already from previous movements of displaced people coming to the UK, but without a coordinated response, we run the risk of the number being much higher and creating a portion of the UK population isolated from higher education which would have significant negative intergenerational effects.”

https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2022/03/16/higher-education-now-must-bring-policy-on-refugees-in-from-the-fringes/

Tourist visa - quite. If someone wants to do serious harm, an organisation can get them in.

We can not be 100% safe. We could be a happier country with a functioning government.

If the government gave a shit about people potentially doing us harm, they would a) stop cutting police and other investigatory services and b) process the asylum claimants currently waiting much quicker.

The government do not give a shit about British people. They are just using this issue to distract the stupid portion of the electorate. Don't fall for it.

Lewis Goodall from Calais

twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1537842907427774465?t=gduDJ3Zpb5c49QAzvHeovA&s=19

Spent the day back in northern France talking to those in the camps. What’s striking, is how similar the mood is to November, just after the catastrophe on the Channel. Fear yes, of the seas and now Rwanda- yet total resolution to make it across, all the same. This is why (🧵)

Oh heck, what depressing reading. From those who are classed as a block of economic migrants.
If you're parents and family had been murdered like some of them on that thread....
Economic my arse
Some, yes. But really sad stories from others

Thanks @DuncinToffee for that link, it is a tough but important read.

No words for this. No printable ones, anyway.

“Heartbreaking exclusive by

@SkyNews
, Asylum seekers violently restrained, bundled into vans, phones taken off them, one with hands & feet bound, another dragged to the plane by the hair.

In any civilised society, the Home Secretary would be handing in her resig@SkyNews

mobile.twitter.com/BestForBritain/status/1537123718593380354

(pasting the link as the site is refusing to link)

(This is referring to the original flight earlier this week. Don’t want to worry anyone that there’s another one happening now.)

These 'migrants' have travelled through how many safe countries to get here?

Omg florida, read the bloody thread or Google it.

The people coming here via the channel are all escaping wars and torture in France are they? Hmmm, I think not.

I think the UK needs to bite the bullet and leave the ECHR. I can't see what's wrong with starting a new life in Rwanda. If I was fleeing war and torture, I genuinely would not complain.