AIBU to think the reason why many Asylum seekers come to UK is...

[SmallBoats]

a direct result of our imperialist past? People come to the UK in many instances because they are English speakers. English is widely spoken due to the massive British empire which used to exist. The British empire milked its territories, greatly increased its wealth despite causing massive human suffering in the process. The direct result of this is that English became a widely spoken language worldwide. It therefore isn't surprising many people seeking refuge from war torn countries try to get to the UK as they already speak English.

loooool god are there still people who really believe this is the case?

France and Spain had pretty big empires at one point too so it would be good to see the stats compared to those two countries as well. Personally I think it's because they are able to disappear more easily over here and work cash in hand, no questions asked.

I remember the Labour Government proposing ID cards at one point (there were lots of protests from civil liberties groups) and I am sure that I remember there being a voluntary scheme for a while? Being a callow youth at the time I only thought about it in terms of being able to prove my age for ID purposes, not about the freedom and privacy angles.

The argument against ID cards has rather lost ground with almost everyone now voluntarily tracking their own every move via smartphones…

However I do feel a bit uneasy with the new ‘Government One ID’ system that often seems to be used for mortgage checks etc. It seems like an ID system by stealth.

But perhaps there would be huge advantages in terms of cutting down on crime and perhaps even people trafficking etc?

This is pretty much it.

And the easily accessible health service.

Christ, imagine being this wilfully dense.

It’s mostly ease and ability of trafficker to sell it in, people cross to Italy due to geography, people then try to move on to France too.

Not sure if Italy have ID cards but it won’t make a dent in numbers either way

You know you don't have to believe everything you read in the Daily Mail or watch on GB News.

Sadly i think a lot come here because they are misinformed.

To someone from a poor country, a minimum wage of around £10/h sounds like unimaginable wealth opportunity.

They are not informed about:

• the qualifications required to get work in the UK
• the vast cost of living here, particularly food & energy costs. Bear in mind in lots of hot countries there's no such thing in the family budget as central heating!!

Add in that we have a reputation for being a free, democratic place & it makes the UK sound like an easy place to be successful.

Not sure what the answer is really.

From the 20th Century onwards, the strength of the United States of America is why the English language grew further and became even more widely spread than it had been under the British Empire.

Look at how dominant American culture is across the world which modern technology like Netflix facilitates. No wonder English is so popular.

In short, it's not all about us. 🤷‍♂️

Never mind reading it in the paper. I live in a seaside town where they land on the beach and yes,are housed in 4 star hotels.

ID cards won't make a difference, and government IT projects are generally dire. Also, criminals will be several steps ahead.

People on this forum seem so happy to welcome the world to the UK – whatever their reasons for coming here. Forget about the massive strain our services are under for a minute and think about the countries these people are leaving. Don't poorer countries need their healthcare workers, their fit and healthy young people who could help lift up their standards of living?

Re healthcare workers, I think it is utterly unethical for rich countries to be stripping poorer countries of their qualified healthcare workers. We are taking them away from the countries that trained them and need them, while we have plenty of people who can do those jobs (and be paid properly for them).

You are absolutely right that it’s one of the main factors. Where you’re wrong is in assuming that we have a lot of asylum seekers and grant them refugee status. Our numbers are actually very, very low compared with other countries.

English language yes, and the global influence of the US means that a person on a country whose native language is not English can benefit hugely (in their own country as well as in an English speaking country) by learning English.
I dont think the majority of migrants/asylum speakers are coming from former colonies with the intention of saying "I'll settle in the country which exploited my ancestral lands and subjected my ancestors, that will jolly well show them".

Yes, I suspect that at least having some understanding of English is a major draw. I'm betting a lot of them really would like to go to America, but they can't get there so UK is at least achievable. I don't think anyone even knows what the benefits are, let alone comes for them, and if they arrive illegally they can't claim any anyway - contrary to popular belief, various pps.

I've volunteered at a drop in for asylum seekers they walk from across London to get clothes, some vouchers and some food once a month. They are definitely not getting 5 star hotels, dental treatment etc, they are lucky if they have someone's sofa to stay on.

Also known as “We are here, because you were there”.

They are informed, but the kind of work they will be doing is not something where qualifications are required. Have you been to a car wash recently? Also, it’s often seen as a stepping stone.

As for living costs, HMOs are mostly used, dozens of people to a three bedroom semi.

There are about half a million Albanians living in Italy plus prob same number again of Albanians who are now Italian citizens or are children of Albanians and born in Italy.

Most Albanians speak basic Italian at least and many are quite fluent because they listen to Italian pop music and Italian children's cartoons (subtitled, not dubbed) are a mainstay of TV so children grow up with a grasp of Italian. Even in the isolationist communist period, lots of Albanians listened illegally to Italian radio.

There was then a political crisis and thousands fled to Italy who responded by sending military ships to block boats, ramming/accidentally hitting one depending on who you believe, with 84 people including children dying.

There is quite a good piece in the weekend's FT about how well integrated the Albanians are now even to the extent that a chunk of them voted for anti-immigrationist Meloni...

Anyway in short, not very many Albanians came to the UK even last year relative to those who went to Italy where the linguistic ties are stronger.

Totally agree.

I know a GP surgery who had agreed to take refugees (Ukrainian, Afghan and Syrian). They receive a premium for seeing people who may have suffered trauma which the average patient will not have. We carried out a survey to see how many appointments in a year these patients had with a healthcare professional. The average, from Google and NHS data is that the average UK resident sees a healthcare professional seven times in a year. It was, pre COVID four times.
For the refugees, it was around 15 contacts. One had 48 contacts. Their house had been bombed twice and several family members killed on from of them. We ran the figures for our indigenous frequent fliers - between 48 and 70 contacts in a year.

Partly it is language, but I think people are really naïve about the underground economy. Loads of restaurants, take-aways, cab-offices, beauticians, shops, farms, pubs, and factories have got people working "off the books" for cash in hand. Plenty of business owners are quite happy to turn a blind eye to whose getting paid illegally as long as it keeps costs down and doesn't get traced back up to them. This doesn't include the amount of illegal work done by people in the drugs and sex trade.

orangegato · Today 09:09
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You serious, people that come here are clued up on imperialist history? Or is it for the soft arse policies and freebies maybe”

Which freebies would those be?

They don't. We are 5th in Europe for number of refugees.

It's hard to argue with stupid but no one gets 5 star hotel accommodation when they come to this country. Please please read up so you can let go some of your prejudices.

…and who took the English Language to the Americas ? The place was a British Colony