Channel crossings - what is the solution?

[Snog]

Clearly asylum seekers crossing the channel in inflatable boats is a very bad thing. What is the solution though?

I don't have the answer, but the lack of compassion shown by some posters here is upsetting.

Why on earth do you think it would be millions?

Why do you think it wouldn't?

It's not for me, it's for the Home office. the rules are for everyone, economic migrants on the boats want to jump the queue.

My opinion would be to target the grey economy then come here to work in. Once that's regulated, the draw of London's gold paved car washes will tarnish.

Why on earth do you think it would be millions?
Because at the moment those who arrive in Europe are the middle classes, with money to bribe traffickers or pay fares. If you open the doors the poor 'living' on the streets would come of which there are millions worldwide.

@Yusanaim

Why on earth do you think it would be millions? Because at the moment those who arrive in Europe are the middle classes, with money to bribe traffickers or pay fares. If you open the doors the poor 'living' on the streets would come of which there are millions worldwide.

Such a bogeyman you have built in your mind.

I don’t think it would be millions because how could they afford to get here anyway 😂 honestly, have a word with yourself.

We need a strong asylum process - and by strong I mean well staffed, well organised, and compassionate and fair. I don’t mean small minded thuggery and wave machines (I mean what kind of bullshit is that).

@Yusanaim

Why on earth do you think it would be millions? Because at the moment those who arrive in Europe are the middle classes, with money to bribe traffickers or pay fares. If you open the doors the poor 'living' on the streets would come of which there are millions worldwide.

How would they get here?

The answer is to improve lives in the country there fleeing and also to encourage everyone to have fewer children. But as there are religious differences, dictatorships etc fixing stuff in other countries in the short term is nigh on impossible.

@FlowerArranger

I don't have the answer, but the lack of compassion shown by some posters here is upsetting.

Respectfully, this isn't a helpful contribution. There is strife, misery and human degradation in countless places all over the world. The answers can't be easy because if they were, the problem would be fixed.

Compassion is just a word. Everyone basically agrees, there's no simple solution here. Hand wringing doesn't make you a kinder person unless you can meaningfully effect the change you want to see.

I don't mean this as an attack, I don't doubt your caring motivations. It just doesn't make you objectively better than someone openly admitting we can't fix it.

Respectfully, this isn't a helpful contribution

I think it’s important to have compassion (just a word is it), because what’s wrong with remembering that we are dealing with human beings who have thoughts and feelings not dissimilar to your own?

Those who advocate for taking the compassion out just want an excuse to be nasty and draconian.

My contribution may not be helpful, but some of the comments just seem somewhat tasteless, coming as they do just a couple of days after 27 people lost their lives in the most dreadful circumstances imaginable. Do people really think that these and other asylum seekers would risk their lives in this way unless they were desperate?

What is the difference to a desperate migrant between an uncaring person who doesn't want to help them, and a caring person they'll never meet who can't help them?

@MorrisZapp

What is the difference to a desperate migrant between an uncaring person who doesn't want to help them, and a caring person they'll never meet who can't help them?

Now you’re talking nonsense. If we had some compassion and common sense in the asylum process, things would be smoother.

Those who advocate for taking the compassion out just want an excuse to be nasty and draconian.

No, they are just being realistic. It's no way a run a country or even a household.

Would you invite every homeless person on the street of your town into your house? Would you pay off the rent/mortgage of your neighbours. Would you buy a trolley full of food for the food bank whenever you do your shopping? If not, why not? Where is your compassion?

Human beings who’ve committed no crime should have the right to choose where they want to live

I take it the democratic choices of the people already living there won’t count in this new utopia?

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Those who advocate for taking the compassion out just want an excuse to be nasty and draconian.

No, they are just being realistic. It's no way a run a country or even a household.

Would you invite every homeless person on the street of your town into your house? Would you pay off the rent/mortgage of your neighbours. Would you buy a trolley full of food for the food bank whenever you do your shopping? If not, why not? Where is your compassion?

I have plenty of compassion in my household and in my career.

It’s served me well. Those who struggle are the one dimensional people who think it’s “my way or the high way”.

I pay my taxes, I contribute to society. If I could afford to house the homeless then I fucking would. Instead I can only do my best and support those who could make that kind of difference. Instead of claiming it’s an impossible problem to solve and do fuck all.

Why on earth do you think it would be millions?

Of course it would be millions if there were an opportunity to live here for anyone. You might think it's a nasty, racist little country but you are pretty much one of the luckiest people on earth if you were born here and have a British passport.

Utterly naive post

@CendrillonSings

Human beings who’ve committed no crime should have the right to choose where they want to live

I take it the democratic choices of the people already living there won’t count in this new utopia?

What are you on about?

Do you want people to drown? Do you enjoy watching boats sink? Why not go down to Dover and watch with glee while people struggle here? Hell why not go and join the border force to push people back to their deaths?

No? You don’t want to? That’s a ridiculous idea is it? No more ridiculous than the nonsense you spout.

I pay my taxes, I contribute to society

That's not compassion though, is there.

ggly

People can claim asylum in whichever country they like. So they need to provide safe routes. And then when these people arrive, their claims are processed quickly and they are dealt with accordingly.

There are no safe routes to the UK and the asylum seeking system is so ridiculous that it takes years to get a claim through.

So the government stupidly shuts down all routes.

They’ve pulled a neat trick again, blaming gangs, making asylum seekers out to be leeches (the irony given that Priti Patel’s parents left Uganda to come here).

I can’t work out if it’s racism, snobbery or what.“

This. Provide legal, safe routes and these tragedies would end overnight.

Hell why not go and join the border force to push people back to their deaths?

Are Asylum Seekers being killed in France then?

Iggly

Lol with your ridiculous virtue-signalling. The citizens of a democracy get to choose how many people they let in to their country. You can hate that fact as much as you like, but that isn’t going to change in your lifetime.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

I pay my taxes, I contribute to society

That's not compassion though, is there.

😂

You can try hard to say I’m not compassionate.

I’m not like you. That’s enough for me. I care about other people and I know I do. Don’t try and drag me down to your level.

@CendrillonSings

Iggly

Lol with your ridiculous virtue-signalling. The citizens of a democracy get to choose how many people they let in to their country. You can hate that fact as much as you like, but that isn’t going to change in your lifetime.

🤷🏻‍♀️ If you say I’m virtue signalling then so be it.

If it’s virtue signalling to say hang on, people are dying, and we need a better way, then so be it.

What Angela Merkel did. Take the decision to let a LOT of people in. 1 million in Germany’s case - so about 700k in ours. Helps demographically - lots of young people coming in to support our ageing population (i.e. overall reduces pressure on services. Right thing to do morally. Changes dynamic of migration from something we resist to something we decide to welcome.

I’m not like you. That’s enough for me. I care about other people and I know I do. Don’t try and drag me down to your level.

You are not as compassionate as you would like to be and certainly not as compassionate as you want others to see you.

As for my level, I am realistic, cynical and there is nothing wrong with that. You can only hope to be on my level sometime.