Er… this isn’t scare-mongering.
The BBC did a radio documentary earlier this week about life in migrant hotels.
Migrants were cooking in the bathrooms because they didn’t like the quality of the free meals provided at the hotel, not because they were required to.
People living and working at the hotels were interviewed, including some of the children.
It was telling that many people had been sold a lie by people smugglers- they had been told that when they got to the UK they would be entitled to everything free- a home, benefits, childcare, healthcare. No wonder they were willing to pay large sums of money.
A man with a family who had fled Iraq said that many many people living at the hotel were not fleeing persecution but were there for a better life.
One woman was there because she had Cancer and came because she knew the NHS would treat her.
People there had babies on purpose,
conceived in the UK, because they knew it would be hard to deport them and they would go to the front of the queue for housing, benefits etc.
The taxis were mentioned too. A security guard said that taxis were provided and that there was no reason most of the residents could not use public transport but they felt they were entitled so would insist “taxi!
taxi! taxi!”.
The security guard also mentioned how people felt that they were entitled to have their rooms cleaned for them
rather than cleaning up after themselves.
It was the children I felt sorry for.
This isn’t scaremongering. This wasn’t right-wing journalism with an agenda-
this was the BBC.
Unfortunately, we have reached a stage where to raise legitimate concerns is met with accusations of racism and support for Reform UK.
My concern is this- if the country can afford to put up new arrivals in hotels with good,
taxis, healthcare etc, then why do I, in my job (public sector) deal with British citizens, some of whom have served in the armed forces, who are literally street homeless and told that their local authorities don’t have housing for them.
My position is NOT that asylum seekers shouldn’t have all the lovely things and entitlements that they are given, but that homeless British citizens should have them AS WELL.
That is my question.
If we can afford these things for migrants, surely we can afford these things for homeless British citizens?
If not, why not?