Nigel Farage - do you agree with him?

I think I agree with some of what he says but how can you put a figure on how many can come?... are some more in danger/peril than others? We cannot take everybody.

Most Syrians do not want to migrate. I think we should make exceptions for those with family connections in this country, or possible, initially give limited visas, say 5 years, with the potential for renewal only if the situation is still unsafe.

I think he is wrong in that he only wants to take in refugees who are Christian - aren't Muslim refugees in just as much danger and also in need of help?

I think Flickety's idea of giving them limited visas is a good one.

Ah, I didn't read that. Still it doesn't make any difference to my thoughts on the subject, they were not religion specific.

Gosh he is a chancer!

However I do think all countries that are not suffering from famine and civil wars need to work together to provide safe havens for genuine refugees. I think selection of refugee by religion is inappropriate! Most refugees want to stay in their own homelands & to return as soon as they can safely do so.

I think economic migration needs strategic management and agreement across the EEC. No point in one country's citizens benefiting if another group suffer as a result if that is what is happening.

Though of course no angry press or MP seems to ever mention the Australian /Kiwi/ white South African migrants that, if they were from anywhere else, would be 'flooding' areas of London & the SE!

I don't understand your last sentence, pen. Could you elaborate, please?

Quite right penstemmon - I don't need elaboration!

I think Farage has to have a hidden agenda just not got a clue what it might be.

Has he become the official British spokesperson on who should or should not be allowed into the country .

In theory, I do. But we all know that many 'undesireables' will hijack the refugee status.

My request for elaboration is genuine.

Farage is a piece of work. Take the refugees but only the Christians! Give me a break.
How do you know that most Syrians would not like to come here Flicketyb? If I was freezing my extremities off in a refugee camp near the Syrian border, I'd be glad to be given refuge almost anywhere.

I expect they'd rather go home though. Or have a home to go to, even. Refuge in a foreign country would not be my first choice but I'd certainly accept it if offered. But what kind of a choice is being blasted out of your home, freezing your extremities off in a refugee camp, and being shipped to a foreign country rather a long way away?

I saw something earlier today about countries surrounding war zones needing more support to support refugees. That makes the most sense to me, if it's possible and practical.

Direct question time: Are there a lot of immigrants from Oz, NZ and SA in London and the SE? if so, why? And, by the way, how many is a lot in this instance? Are the numbers balanced by Brits emigrating to those places?

Ok,bags. The answer is, yes there are. The reason is simple: work.

Of course I don't agree with any "Christians only" thing.

Refugee camps are no permanent answer. It's just not fair on the neighbouring countries.

I agree with penstemon' s post. Countries not in need themselves need to work together to provide a safe haven. God only knows how long it will be for though.

I haven't come across all these Oz, NZ, and white SA migrants. Even the polish Ocado drivers seem to have gone home. Only get the mostly lazy Brits now.

I honestly don't think that as a country we can do any more than we are already doing...... sending a great deal of money to help the refugees hospitals, camps etc.There is always a 'we must do something!' attitude to everything, which can be good, but needs thought. These people are Syrians and don't want to leave their country for a strange one.Sending money and practical aid is the right thing to do.

Plus I don't agree for one moment with anything that Nigel Farage comes out with.

I can only comment for my own family and circle. I am South African born but have had a British passpost since 1980 (when you automatically became eligible if you married a British person). My husband is British (Scottish) and his family of parents and six kids immigrated to South Africa in the 1960s when he was 10.

He wanted to come back here in 2000 so I came back with him, so I suppose I am an immigrant (although I have never really thought about it). Since then both our children have come here too.

Of the 8 people from my husband's family who originally went to live in SA, 4 are still there. One is in the US, 2 are here and 1 is no longer with us.

My best friend in SA is English and she immigrated there in the 1960s with her British husband and they have never left.

I was still dragging my suitcase (I kid you not) to our first lodgings when husband nudged me and said "There's a job in that agency window for you" and I have worked full time since then. So has husband (although we didn't come for work, we came for an adventure).

I would dearly love to go back to South Africa, but the crime levels put me off.

I think too that young "colonials" want to "see the world" (just like young Brits do) and are allowed to work here for a while with limitations. You don't get them applying for permanent jobs because they cannot stay indefinitely.
There is no job shortage in Australia. There is a shortage of well paid work in NZ - many go to Australia where they can work and, if they want to, settle.
London is a magnet. In MK, only 40 miles north of London, I don't think I ever encountered any Aussies or Kiwis temping.
Farage is just stirring up the Tories and pretty successful he is too.

During the days of apartheid Grannyknot were you not "put off" and tempted to emigrate?

Riverwalk that is a very big question.

Firstly, I'll quote John Lennon "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". Secondly, growing up as a young adult from an Afrikaner background, I never ever considered leaving my country (and there was no option for me to do so anyway). As a young mother, I became involved in a modest way in anti-apartheid activism, and believe me, my generation of all races thought we could - and fought to - change things from within. So no, we didn't consider emigrating then either.

My extended family of uncles and aunts were mostly academics (my mother dropped out of studying when she got married) and were way more progressive politically than my working class immigrant in-laws.

The harsh reality is that violent crime in South Africa is now endemic. "Put off" is my euphemism for being scared.

In the (very) old days when I was at college Earls Court was known as Kangaroo Valley and you hardly heard an English accent in the pubs. The majority of Aussies were just passing through and I can't remember anyone complaining about them.
My mother worked in a Lyuons Corner House in the 60's and made friends with a couple of Aussie girls who were travelling round Europe. They worked at Lyons for about 6 months before going home but their friendship with my mother lasted for the rest of their lives.
I can't believe that I am agreeing with Farage, but there is a difference between refugees and economic migrants