Why are the UK responsible for the stuck lorry drivers?

[Gleps]

This might be a really silly question and I might be missing something obvious but I’d like to understand why the uk are responsible for all of the European lorry drivers who are stuck at Dover?

When this all started, it was down to us to get all the Brits living in places like Wuhan home. So why when the situation is reversed is it now our responsibility again?

I'd have said something like

UK labs are at the forefront of the world and so we are at the cutting edge of identifying new strains

Viruses mutate, that is what viruses do and hence we are working hard to keep an eye on what's going on

A new stain has been discovered. While it is showing more in the UK, it's likely that is because we are looking. (I think that's true?!)

There have been variants identified in South Africa (and? Maybe others) as well.

These new strains seem to be more easily transmitted. We are working hard to find out xyz.

As such we feel it's prudent to do tier 4 etc etc

We have shared info with WHO (they did say this) and will be discussing with our European and other partners to understand what this means.....

I mean off the top of my head.

Stormzy that's a very glib response?

Loads of people are still trapped here. Thousands. Motorways blocked. They're, well. It's shit. Food? Bogs? Home for Xmas?

I don't get how you are like. Ok fab. This is happening now to actual people.

I'm gonna check the BBC.

France24 has a rolling thing at the bottom saying UK gives huge concessions, possible deal on hours...

Interesting.

Always get your info from a range of sources is my advice to everyone.

BBC, and EU commission say deal announcement Thurs morning.

So sounds like something has been agreed.

Covid aside. Thank fuck for that.

Stormzy that's a very glib response?

What's glib about that, once the issue is sorted with the lorry drivers there will be no further border issues as we will have a deal.

Because we Brexit at the end of the year which is still a couple of weeks off.

And also because a trade deal is totally separate from covid.

And we don't even know what the deal is yet.

Oh well that's fine then doesn't help all the haulers trapped here right now.

What are you on about?
Anyway, I'm off now to the land of nod.

It’s a complex issue. The queues have been building up for a couple of weeks because of Brexit stockpiling. IKEA, car manufacturers and toy stores were ALREADY reporting stock issues as a result. Hundreds were already in miles of gridlock.

Then the issue was made far worse by France closing the border under a panic about the new strain. It’s as much our fault to be honest. We kept it quiet for too long then just announced it in a panic so of course people reacted in a panic.

If you have ever criticised China for keeping quiet and not shutting borders you need to realise we just did that albeit on a smaller scale and that’s serious. France quickly negotiated a solution and they have a right to protect their citizens.

Ask yourself honestly if you’d want us to do the same if the strain was in France?

Had Boris shown leadership instead of fumbling there would have been no panic. Had the Brexit stockpiling queues not already existed the problem wouldn’t have escalated so quickly.

So I think we do have a responsibility to the drivers. Yes.

I really feel for those poor drivers stuck and not getting to be home for Christmas and pretty irresponsible for the itv news to say this will effect food supplies getting to the stores here ( cue panic buying)... but it's heartwarming to see people getting together to bring food supplies and drinks to the stranded drivers including those from the sheikh community in gravesend. At the end of the day they are human no matter where they come from and we can all empathise with them wanting to be home for Christmas.

Our government is responsible for getting British nationals home (assuming they haven't put themselves in danger by ignoring travel advice.)

Foreign lorry drivers stuck at Dover are our guests and basic humanity says we don't let them starve or freeze. They are stuck here while doing an important job.So we offer assistance until they can leave. It's just good manners.

This country isn’t doing anywhere near enough to look after those people, so someone somewhere must agree it’s not our responsibility.

Ask australia the same question. They also don't seem care much out their nationals stuck overseas for months.

I'm assuming because they are stranded on British soil then it's the right thing to help out with food, toilets etc

I haven't read this whole thread. This isn't a comment to anyone in particular.
But I just have to say that I feel so so so sorry for those poor souls, the lorry drivers. I can't stop thinking about them. An utterly terrible situation for them. It's made me think more about how grateful we should be to them for the work they do to keep our shops stocked with food etc. We probably take it for granted too much normally... We owe them, and they deserve better

Ask australia the same question. They also don't seem care much out their nationals stuck overseas for months

If they were there delivering goods to aus or sent by the government to work then sure, if there for other reasons why would they.

Basic decency!
We have a responsibility to provide for their basic needs: food, shelter, sanitation and security (along which we seem to have failed in). Their individuals consular services have their normal responsibilities to their citizens,partly that is enduring that the country they are in treats them aproprietly but that doesn't mean we leave people stranded. The spirit of Christmas is strong in you OP!

@justanotherneighinparadise

It’s certainly an interesting question. Macron closed the border to his own civilians and yet we are at fault? I hadn’t really thought of it like that.

I think it's Macrons fault too, I do however believe that we need to look after all the lorry drivers stuck in this mess. Funny how the french seem to have no control to stop illigal migrants coming to UK, but they manage to stop everyone including their own people and other EU citizens from returning home. It seems a typical French thing, they block mototrways with lorrys as protest, they only do what they want in their own interest, yet expect us to do what is in their interest too. They feel to me like stroppy teenagers, very self absorbed politically.

I couldn't agree more.

What are the French doing? Do they not care about the Europeans stranded here? It would appear not.

What are the French doing?

What should they be doing? Presumably urgent talks are going on behind the scenes to get this resolved. Until it is, surely it's up to the UK Govt to look after these people? We are not just talking about getting them out the UK, we are talking about basic human rights - food, sanitary provisions, shelter, warmth....

I'm sure you'll all be delighted to hear that France has sent over 26 Pom piers and 10,000 COVID tests to Dover.

Joyeux Noel

twitter.com/franceintheuk/status/1342013748404506627?s=21

What are the French doing?

Opening the border to travellers with a negative test, as per infection control and common sense.

[quote usuallydormant]I'm sure you'll all be delighted to hear that France has sent over 26 Pom piers and 10,000 COVID tests to Dover.

Joyeux Noel

twitter.com/franceintheuk/status/1342013748404506627?s=21[/quote]
Brill. How odd the British couldn't, erm, do the same.

Oh I wondered if a Pom pier was a temporary ferry boarding device until I realised it was autocorrect mangling French.
French firemen a much better option, IMO, able to administer tests while being easy on the eye.

In France, firefighters are also paramedics

I wish we would test everyone coming into the UK, we wouldn’t be in this mess if we had, we still have people coming here from all over the world, well at least this new strain will scare the shit everyone and they won’t be coming here for a long time.