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Original poster

Do you think the EU should be funding proper boats to bring migrants to Europe safely?

126 replies

Ubik1 · 20/04/2015 19:31

Been Reading the coverage. Sad

I think that morally we should help these people come to Europe safely where their application fur asylum can be processed properly.

We should fund boats that are seaworthy and take them to designated centres. Each country should take a proportion of migrants .

Surely that's the moral thing to do?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ubik1 · 20/04/2015 20:45

Hmmm

I don't think 170,000 a year for the whole of Europe is too many people.

OP posts:
ICanTotallyDance · 20/04/2015 20:47

expatinScotland I'm not an expert and I'm not sure how everything works. Perhaps the UNHCR? There is a genuine obligation to help refugees, most of Europe ratified the Refugee Convention.

Everyone on this thread might be interested in this article which was posted about 20 minutes ago with news about the agreement coming out of Luxembourg.

ICanTotallyDance · 20/04/2015 20:52

BaronessEllaSunday I was suggesting that all those who made it to Europe would be taken back to the African processing centres.

This was just a suggestion though, I understand that there is likely a better way of doing it.

The new plan seems to include fingerprinting all migrants. So I suppose this would prevent people from applying multiple times if they were refused at first?

Original poster
Ubik1 · 20/04/2015 20:58

Well at least the EU is trying to do something. At least they will step up rescue patrols.

And a 'pilot' voluntary resettlement scheme sounds good although certainly our government has appetite for settling people in the UK due to UKIP influence.

But really there's no short term solution

OP posts:
caroldecker · 20/04/2015 21:14

Most of these people are not Libiyans or fleeing violence, they want a chance of a significantly better life and know that the poorest in Europe do better than all but the very richest in Africa.
The solution is to remove trade barriers with Africa into the EU and remove farming subsidies in the EU, which would significantly enrich them and make us better off as well.

SolomanDaisy · 21/04/2015 08:01

I think there actually are processing centres in Africa, in the Spanish enclaves. I agree 170,000 a year is nothing, there are 25 countries in the EU. Less than 10,000 a year each is nothing in immigration terms. It's a horrible situation, I don't think there's any alternative to increased rescue patrols, we can't just let people drown.

meditrina · 21/04/2015 08:14

Hong Kong had to deal with an influx of Vietnamese boat people, some genuine refugees, but increasing numbers of illegal immigrant. Arrivals rate hit about 100,000 per year at peak in early 80s and there were horrible mass drownings.

They used camps. It took 30 years to deal with the people interned there. The US willing to take many of the early arrivals. Even when their policy changed, large numbers kept arriving either not knowing that, or just hoping the decision would reverse.

850Pro · 21/04/2015 10:08

We should turn everyone of these boats around, at the point of a gun if need be, sooner or later they will learn theirs no point in trying.

SolomanDaisy · 21/04/2015 20:07

The compassionate face of Europe there. Maybe spend a few minutes being thankful you had the enormous good luck to be born when and where you were and wonder what you'd be doing to try and help your family if you were a refugee?

26Point2Miles · 21/04/2015 20:50

I just wonder who would pay for it all..... And where everyone would go?

SolomanDaisy · 21/04/2015 21:24

Pay for what? Where would who go?

26Point2Miles · 21/04/2015 21:34

Pay for the whole thing..... The boats/crew/people to process them/accomadation/food/etc etc. Who pays?

And where would they go? Which country? How do you decide who goes where?

ThursdayLast · 21/04/2015 21:40

And how do you stop the 10,000 designated to Romania or Poland or Latvia or wherever from upping sticks and moving again?
Who will decide which refugees got to which EU country?

RosesareSublime · 21/04/2015 22:04

There is confusion over where the people on the boats are actually coming from, we imagine its Syria and Libya but apparently on radio said not so, its Somalia and deeper into Africa.

Some pass through many peaceful countries on route to Europe.

The Australian PM has said he stopped boats by literally stopping boats and they have had no drownings now for 18 months. They turn the boats back, and immediately stop the smugglers.

Its an awful catch 22 situation like the Kidnappings and ISIS ransoms, do we pay the ransoms and encourage them to capture more people? Or not.

Awful. My instinct is to say turn the boats round and try and stop it that way.

Then work on other ways to get genuine refugees from war torn places in.

SansaUndercover · 21/04/2015 22:51

I do think it is weird to say someone cannot claim asylum, but their country is too dangerous for them to be deported home. Either it's safe for them to be there, or it's not.

I agree, the really moral thing to do would be to try and improve the countries where these people live, so that not so many want to leave. Whatever we do about migration, it is only treating the symptoms, not the cause.

I am totally in favour of increased rescue patrols- clearly not having a rescue operation isn't discouraging people- it is just causing more deaths. I also think each EU country should take a share- so that Italy is not bearing the brunt of all the immigrants.

All of that said though- I don't think opening borders to everyone is the whole solution- what happens then to those left behind, unable to travel? I think a better, longer term answer is to find ways to help African countries, to fund investment and improve the standard of living in those countries.

26Point2Miles · 21/04/2015 22:58

Europe cannot take the whole of Africa and other asylum seekers.... There's no room for another continent squeezed into ours

MoreBeta · 21/04/2015 23:00

The boats should be destroyed before he even set off. Not with people on them of course. There are pirates and people trafficers purchasing boats for crossings and these could be spotted in port.

Is some get through they should be intercepted and towed back to the nearest African port before he even get into European waters. I takes money but so does rescuing people. It would each everyone that it is pointless and the flow would stop.

stilllovingmysleep · 21/04/2015 23:05

Why do you think 'it's not practical' for all of them to come? Why do you feel 'there's no space'? Is there an issue of Space in Europe and if so where is the evidence for that? Have you ever felt that way for Western Europeans or Americans or Australians or South Africans settling in the UK?

Of course these things are not easy. But drowning of so many people is unacceptable however you look at it.

I say this as someone who moved to the UK from another country years ago and was always made to feel welcome.

stilllovingmysleep · 21/04/2015 23:06

I am shocked by expressions such as 'the flow would stop'. Pure racism. Not covered up, either.

Flowerfae · 21/04/2015 23:08

am split on this,

A big part of me think we should be more like Australia, if they got turned back, not as many would attempt to get to the EU because I think the EU, especially UK is seen as an ultimate goal to get to, if people stopped at the first safe country then fine, but often this is not the case.

BUT, If the west hadn't got involved with other countries politics, there wouldn't be half the mess there is.

We can't take everyone and we shouldn't take anyone without correct background/criminal checks. Something does need to be done though to help these people, just wish there was a way of something being done in their countries to help them so they didn't get to that level of desperation in order to get to Europe.

stilllovingmysleep · 21/04/2015 23:11

People do not come only because of despair you know. They also come because they desire a better life.

Flowerfae · 21/04/2015 23:11

grammar was terrible there sorry :)

Flowerfae · 21/04/2015 23:14

I don't think they would choose to go via traffickers though, there are other safer ways.

MoreBeta · 21/04/2015 23:42

stillloving- most are economic migrants with no skills. Europe simply cannot take everyone that wants to come. No not racist at all really just a practical fact.

I am sorry people die but they really should not get on the boats and we would prevent deaths by stopping the flow.

If you go to any of these countries you would realise it really is about pure economic migration in the vast majority of cases.

RedCheckedTablecloth · 21/04/2015 23:43

It would only take one person with a highly infectious disease on one boat to completely disable the healthcare system of a small island. How could you quarantine an entire island?

Should we take responsibility for the locals who are put at risk? Whether that is through reasons of public health or economy where no one is allowed to leave or visit for business or leisure.

What to do? I am not sure.

If I lived on a small island that was the first port of call I would probably have a clear opinion.