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.

This. And they also know it’s near on impossible for them to be sent back. So much red tape and legislation protecting “rights”. And yet we are constantly told the UK is largely a failing, ignorant, bigoted society. It’s laughable.

What absolute bullshit. As Englsih is so widely spoken then it would be spoken in every country they pass through to get to the UK.

They come to the UK fo rthe free houses, benefits and healthcare.

"Many more eastern European, middle eastern and even far eastern Asylum Seekers than from ex-British colonies like the Indian sub-continent."

Most EE countries are in EU (i guess it depends on if one counts Balcan or goes by different geographical split) so not really eligible to claim asylum in UK. It would be incredibly hard to get one so I am surprised you have big need for Bulgarian or even French interpreters for Asylum cases. (as in eu french, other places use French )

No sorry, you're wrong. I didn't say Britain has the monopoly on imperialism, but modern day America exists because of our imperialism. I don't think that should be overlooked.
I also think you're very wrong that American imperialism was dominant through the 20th century. Basic modern history tells us otherwise.

I wonder how the staff who were sacked from said hotels feel about the minimizing, the gaslighting and the whitewashing

I think the French ones we get asked for are for people from ex-French colonies. There are just as many of them (and Spanish, Dutch & Portuguese) as there are British around the world.

There's also cultural differences here, not necessarily trauma related. I can't speak for Afghan and Syrian refugees, but in Ukraine (and in many other countries indeed) it is quite normal to see a medical professional for colds, allergies, rashes and other routine things like that. Especially with children.

Agree, it always cracks me up when I see SM media posts where some ageing bloke spits out that immigrants get free cars from the council (true story, I did ask him to point out where I can apply for this wonderful scheme, and got the standard "look it up" response). What they don't realise is that the more drivel like that they post online, the more this misinformation spreads around the world. Then a refugee gets here, is put up in a dodgy B&B/decommissioned boat and given £25 a week prepaid card to sort themselves out with necessities.

You've misunderstood what the poster was saying. The point is that speaking English is a legacy of the Empire. Not that asylum seekers think 'oh I know all about the UK and really want to go there because they were such great colonists'. I mean, that's hardly likely, is it.🤔

And now the very staff who were sacked from said hotels face losing their rights to free prescriptions and legal aid as well as benefits if they are deemed not to be looking hard enough for work.
Sacked by the state then threatened by the state like this.

Bullied by the state,

I wonder why approval rates vary so much, and ours seems comparatively very high

yep... I came here... paid 30k a year to study medicine, then worked day and night for the NHS, paid half my income in tax and spent ridiculous amounts of my parents' money (earned outside the uk) for "benefits" and "white women" - good to know what I have been working for for over two decades.

honestly, get a grip.

As a percentage of the population, the UK has fewer immigrants than many countries including Germany, France, the US, Canada, Belgium, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Belgium. I'm really not sure why people think we have a lot of immigrants.

@jane1956 and my wonderful medic friend who fled north africa as a child, and works for the Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations.... or countless asylum seekers I have met who have fled horrific unimaginable tortures to come here and are now contributing after a period of initial support - they are all after benefits and "white women", are they? I mean is it all white women... even the elderly? the Ukrainians, are they after white women too?

They come because they are promised the world by smugglers and pay for it handsomely. Many are not educated enough to think objectively.
Friends and families in the UK aren't honest about the reality as they are ashamed and already owe so much money back in their home countries.
The gangs that traffic and exploit and the countries whose corupt bureaucracy enable them ,should be the UK government's target not individuals.
I mean a Vietnamese immigrant didn't just wake up one day and set off for the UK on a lilo. The logistics and bribery along the way must be colossal.

You've never met an asylum seeker in your life have you?

What would solve the problem would be to adopt the Spanish system. No housing, treatment or benefits unless you pay in or have paid in for a certain amount of time.

They manage a system where its not able to be widely abused, and they don't have the immigrant problem the UK does.

You need a card at the health centre that is linked to your social security account. If you aren't eligible, you don't get treated.

I don't know how benefits work but that is also linked to your social security number. No pay in - no benefits. Simple.

But that was wrong wasn’t it? We are berated constantly for “colonialism”. Why is is ok in reverse? How many should come here before we too can be classed as “colonised”? Everywhere has historically been “colonised”? The stronger move in and the ones who lose suffer and/or integrate into the new culture/society.

Also we take fewer asylum seekers than any other country? Is that right? I assume that in proportion to land mass, current dense population already in situ and infrastructure? Given that we are a tiny country in comparison to France, Germany, Spain etc. If so fair enough, we should do more. And by the same token we need to weed out those who are pretending they have to flee, and as much as this is denied, we know that’s a significant number. Now what about the illegal migrants? We don’t know do we because they just turn up, jump out of their boats and disappear. We don’t know how many or who is here. At this point I have to believe that anyone who doesn’t have a problem with this and still believes them to all be coming in genuine fear for their lives is lying, stupid or total narcs in love with the idea of saving the world, well making sure everyone else does anyway because as we all know it’s the working classes who carry this burden and have to live in areas where the demographic is unrecognisable within a matter of years due to the influx. The middle classes in their 4 bedroom semis in Beaconsfield simply are not affected in the way working classes on estates and in high rises are. Stop forcing them to live with your magnanimity when you’re largely unaffected practically speaking.

couldn't have said it better myself. did you read the article a few months back about how Albanian drug trafficking gangs are using tiktok to sell "life in the UK" as being a walk in the park and the journey here as "very easy"... then young kids (men usually) pay huge sums of money to get here and are forced to become dealers.

LimeOrangeLemon · Today 13:47

As a percentage of the population, the UK has fewer immigrants than many countries including Germany, France, the US, Canada, Belgium, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Belgium. I'm really not sure why people think we have a lot of immigrants.

have you compared the size of UK to Canada Germany et al?????

Converse- thats not quite true about uk providing pens pencils etc- they dont at secondary.
and at neither primary or secondary do they really have text books.

we provide the stuff for cookery and school have small charge for d&t.

other countries generally have smaller classes and with sen more at sen schools.

some EU countries are still quite racist so maybe tricky getting a job.

English is taught as a second language in most countries all over the world, not just in what was previously part of the British Empire. A lot of refugees and asylum-seekers are arriving from countries with no colonial links at all.

They often believe we are a kind and tolerant country rather than one with many mean spirited, racist people who blame a small number of refugees for all their problems. Our facebook pages are full of people believing it is asylum seekers who have destroyed the NHS and pushed rents beyond peoples means. I live in a town where 93% of people were born in the UK but apparently it is overrun with foreigners

Having been involved in asylum seeker communities in the late 90’s/early 2000’s in London, the general consensus was that it was easier to stay in the UK and get citizenship compared to other EU countries. A British passport was seen as very valuable and gave the idea of protection and freedom. Of course most of them immediately went back for long trips to their countries of origin as soon as they got one!

I don’t think that view has changed much.

I don’t see what bloody colonialism has to got to do with it. Asylum seekers then and now would have been a few generations on from that so hardly directly affected but of course, we must continue self flagellating for something that happened long before any of us even existed.

I didn’t think Germany, which has the highest number of asylum seekers in Europe, colonised Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey and I doubt the vast majority of them speak German. Similarly with Sweden.

I would partly put the dominance of English globally down to the influence of the USA in terms of culture (films, music) and politics, not just UK colonial history. English is now taught to schoolkids as a second/foreign language around the world, not just ex British Empire.
It's undoubtedly a pull factor to have some knowledge of the language of the country you're going to, it must make you feel like you've got a head start. Of course, in reality many of these immigrants have a poor command of English but it's something to build on. Language is only one factor though.