Cannot believe this bigotry

Ana, thanks for the correction. As you know, English is not my language, and 6 years out of the UK are taking their toll!

Totally agree about housing and infrastructure- but space is not the problem, but the political will. It's a choice. Germany and France have a very fast aging population, immigration well done could be the boost they require. We need active and productive youngsters to pay taxes (oh and our pensions too ;) DH and myself are on UK pensions only btw).

Exactly, rosequartz, or certainly a 'lack of compassion'.

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mariann I'm on FB but I have not seen this on my page, it wouldn't come up automatically unless you look for it.

The trouble is with this sort of bigotry out in the social media, that pragmatism, worrying about the practicalities, is in danger of being thought of as a form of bigotry.

I'm sure you mean 'uninhabitable', granjura, but even so, where's the money going to come from to build housing/provide schools/ensure medical treatment for all? The UK's infrastructure is creaking and cracking a the seams already.

Not sure where you live- but very few places in the UK are overcrowded actually. From East Leicestershire where I lived, we could drive all the way to the sea on the East Coast, and apart from by-passing Peterborough, not pass any towns and mile upon mile of countryside. Huge swaves are empty all over the UK. Again not being flippant- but the UK is not over-populated- just some parts, and very little is inhabitable (unlike my country covered with moutains and lakes).

Anyway,you don't need me to tell you that.You must know,if you live in the same world as me.

The woods and parks,because of overpopulation,will be the privilege of the few.Freedom will be gone,education and healthcare will depend on how much money you can pay.Its almost like it now,you have to be careful not to offend someone,even when you didn't know you were offending.

Same question, please? Our grndchildren will never be able to do what I did as a kid, go out to the woods with a flask of water and a pocket knife to built a hut - but this has little to do with immigration.

Mamark, what are these simple things you fear your grandchildren will not do?

The only way to solve the problem properly is to make their own countries a better place to live.That won't be done,especially as half the young men are leaving to escape conscription.I feel for them,of course I do.BUT,we can't accommodate them all,a few thousand could be the straw that breaks the camels back.Also,there has got to be a reason the governments are not doing anything to sort out their country.Yes it's fear with me,fear my grandchildren will not be able to do the simple things we now take for granted.Not racism,not bigotry.

Thank you Gill, you put it much better than I could. I feel dreadfully sorry for all of them, but I don't see that bringing them here, then putting whole families in one room B &B accommodation is going to help all that much. More help where they started from, and saving them the traumas of travelling across continents seems a much better idea to me. I do get a bit tired of it always being "the Big Bad West's" fault for everything. If we don' t take action we are condemned for indifference and if we do we are interfering. Damned if we do, and damned if we don't.

Re population density. One of the problems is that the UK may be well down the list, but this is because Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not densely populated. England is. At the start of 2014 it was, with 413 people per square kilometre, second only to Malta in the EU, and the trend is upwards. Some people are understandably worried about this. It's no comfort to know that there were only 68 people per square km in Scotland, 135 in NI and 149 in Wales.

The Syrians are refugees (those whose life is in danger)not immigrants.
The EU law on refugees is that of the United Nations put in place after WW2
that anyone whose life is in danger can flee to an EU country and get a safe haven. This law was put in place after Switzerland and Great Britain
refused entry to thousands of Jews who were sent back to Germany where e they were deported and were killed

If only a hundred are coming, then let them in, make them welcome.
This Facebook is sickening I'm glad I'm not on it. I'm sure I'm happier for not having to read such filth.

GillT57. Spot on. Very well put. Some people seem to forget, the government has NO money of its own, it's all OUR money and I think I have a say in how it's spent.

I understand where they are coming from, if an immigrant family were given a house next door to me I would be ok as I am out much of the time and if they kept themselves to themselves. However I can imagine the families who have been on the waiting list for years and are bypassed by immigrants, yes they will be indignant, We should really be putting our people first. But on the whole I don't really care much what happens, I don't wish them any harm and I don't like to think what their lives will be like in the winter if they don't find a home.

Good post Gill, a lot of it is fear of losing housing and services.

I joined facebook only because my son posted all photos of my grandsons on it. Eventually it proved a really good way to keep in touch with friends and family far afield - I still find it mind-blowing that I can post a message to a cousin in Curacao and within seconds, her reply appears !! Also, I have found former work colleagues and others have found me and it is lovely to be in touch again and meet up. It is interesting to see what friends and family are up to and let them know what I am doing. Lately, I have warned everyone not to post while they are on holiday because I read that if you are away and have told everyone via facebook and a break in occurs, then insurers may not pay out. HOWEVER - I really, really dislike any political comment which is posted. There are plenty of other forms for that - Gransnet for example ! - and I shall be pleased if a Dislike button is introduced. Facebook for me is jolly and friendly and not for unpleasantness and controversy.

I think you have hit the nail on the head blinko, it is not necessarily bigotry, but fear that makes people uneasy. This in no way excuses the disgusting statements about letting them die at sea/why arent they fighting instead of running/they are all ISIS coming here to impose Sharia Law, etc., etc. These ignorant comments are inexcusable and malicious and one of the worst perpetrators of this vile propaganda is Brtitain First a neo nazi organisation which is campaigning against taking any refugees. But, getting away from these people, others are rightly concerned about housing, schooling etc. This isnt due to lack of compassion for the poor souls fleeing from Syria, it is questioning how the horrendously overstretched housing will stretch even further, it is questioning where the people will work, who will pay for the much needed medical care and trauma counselling that is needed? Local authorities are stretched beyond belief due to central government cutting the amounts year after year, and it would be interesting to know just how we would all react if we were told for example, that our children were going to be taught in classes of 40+ to accommodate the migrant children, that our hip replacements were being shleved indefinately as the local NHS trust couldnt afford them, our elderly parents would no longer have day centres/subsidised meals/care as the local authority had been given the responsibility of taking care of 200 families? I know this may seem extreme, and I consider myself a compassionate person, but I think it is a little unfair when anyone who dares to question just how this is all to be paid for is deemed to be a bigot.

I have Herefordshire ancestors, but after watching last night's tv perhaps I shouldn't own up to that.

Sorry, as you were, back to the main point.

The countries with the most dense populations in the world are 1. Macau (48,000 per square mile), 2. Monaco (43,000 psqm, 3. Hong Kong (16,444 psqm) 4. Gibraltar, 5. Bahrain, 6. Malta, 7. Bermuda ........ 14. Mauritius, ..... 19. Netherlands, 20. Belgium, 21 Japan............

Britain is 53rd place (660 per square mile) in population density. Just below us is Germany at 56, then Italy at 62 and Switzerland at 68.

There doesn't appear to be much of a correlation between population density and wealth, although some countries, such as Hong Kong and Singapore are very densely populated and very wealthy.

Some people seem to overlook the widely held view that our and the US's actions in the Middle East have contributed significantly to the political, economic, social and military turmoil that exists in the countries from which these people are fleeing. How such countries are to be made "safe to live in" goodness only knows - and even if it is possible it will take a very long time, whereas these people need help now.

I am new to posting on this site. What worries me about the migrant situation is that Britain is only a small island. We are short of affordable housing now, if we have thousands of immigrants coming, where are we going to put them all? I live in a village, I am sure any migrant family would be welcomed here, but there are no houses for the village youngsters as it is. What council housing there is has a six year waiting list, and is mainly flats and bungalows for the elderly. And as for work, the majority commute to the nearest towns.
Why are the neighbouring Arab countries not doing more to help? Surely the answer must be to make their respective home countries safe to live in, and I just wish the politicians would stop blethering about "quota's" and put some serious thought to doing just that.

the law does say Welshmen rosewuartz but I have read Welshperson, best avoid Hereford too , if you do go there and see someone with a longbow - run

Cheltenham has some very poor areas. I know it well and occasionally work there. Darling daughter is currently teaching in a very deprived area of Cheltenham, she is resigning at half term as she finds it too difficult with lack of support and cooperation.
As she teaches science I doubt she'll have problems finding another

anniebach
I haven't been to Chester for years. I will leave DH at home if I go again!
(Is it only men?)

That is so shocking, jingls. I think I posted on another thread about pregnant women in Syria being shot as they queued for bread.