"Go Home" billboards

The Tories are back-peddling this morning, claiming they will be the party of the poor and dispossessed on a radio interview I heard earlier (was in a shop so don't know which station it was).

If I put myself in the shoes of those people who are desperate to reach a country that will tolerate them getting on their feet so they can support their families, I would do the same and more. I would be terrified, arriving from countries like Afghanistan, to be greeted with posters 'inviting' me to go back home. In many cases, what home? The one the Taliban stole from me? The one that prevented me bringing ID so I had to get here illegally? The one that treats many of its 'citizens' so inhumanely that the risk of being here illegally are insignificant in comparison with what they face there?

AKA It makes no difference which group of people it is about, it still sounds very threatening.
As you rightly say. There are people who find this country is not for them, the streets are not lined with gold, and they may appreciate help to be repatriated.
But driving that van around the town is not going to make anyone feel comfortable or safe. That is supposing they can read English well enough to understand it.
How would you know you are not going to be thrown into prison and beaten. It possible happens a lot in some of the countries this group of people come from. It's another reason why they feel the need to leave.

I also suspect that most of this group in this country are employed and get paid cash in hand. You could still be under the minimum wage and possibly earn more in the black economy than you could in your home country.
This is a difficult issue, the immigration situation in the UK does need controlling, we are a very small island, but this sort of tactic will do no good at all.
But everyone should think about this!
What lengths would you go to to make better provision for your family?
You are living in great poverty in your home country with no chance of improving this as your country's economy is dead!

But isn't that the point Nellie this is only about illegal immigrants not asylum seekers. Illegal immigrants are in hiding anyway. I don't see how deedaa's son's girlfriend could have had a national insurance number if she was illegal. More likely she did have a work permit which entitled her to a N.I. number but then over-stayed her time.
We have limited resources. I welcome asylum seekers and others seeking a better life. But this is aimed at those who have entered illegally and not applied to asylum. I agree the wording on the placards is somewhat abrupt but to say it's 'uncivilised' is a bit too much.
What I do think is praiseworthy is the help that is offered with travel documents, advice, etc. There are people who find this country is not for them, the streets are not lined with gold, and they may appreciate help to be repatriated.

Good point nelliemoser. Very true.

I think that is so scary its more likely to frighten people into going into hiding than come out to talk to the authorities. I do object to that .

I'm really struggling with this Mishap. Is it the bit that says 'Go home or be arrested'?

Yes aka I do think that this approach is uncivilized and impolite.

That's sad, Deeda and you were brave and right to shelter her.

I spent some time sheltering my son's Ukrainian girlfriend who was here illegally. She had a job and was paying tax and national insurance and claiming nothing from the state so I couldn't see she was that much of a problem. She went home when the authorities became too pressing, which meant that their relationship finally broke down.

That's good Nonu.

I guess you don't have to be an actual asylum seeker to be a would-be immigrant. Perhaps just wanting to get away from regimes with few opportunities?

I know we can't support everybody who wants to come here. But I don't think we should be putting stuff like that on our streets.

It's not British. And I mean that seriously.

I think there is no-one more polite than British Immigration, they always call folk Sir or Madam , which is more than can be said for many countries

But there's a difference between asylum seekers and illegal immigrants is there not?

Do you consider this approach to be uncivilised and impolite then Mishap? Not very British perhaps?

Tell you what , going through immigration in the US of A bearing in mind there already has been an ESTA filled in, is a tough experience !!!!

Many people are waiting for th eir applications to be processed. There are huge back-logs in some parts.

The billboards are clumsy and crude.

It sounds cut and dried, but many people come here to escape poverty and misery in their own countries. We do of course require immigration control but I would like to hope that we might enforce this in a civilized and good-mannered way whenever possible.

I was thinking that perhaps there may be people out there who just want to go back home and didn't know how to go about it.

Such as finding them in the first place, presumably...

There are better ways Nonu.

Don't see what the fuss is about.

If they are here illegally ???

It is a strange way of going about things and seems a cruel way of conveying the message that there are immigration controls. Quite inhuman in its wording. Definitely don't like it.

I saw something about this earlier today and I thought it was a joke!

Don't like it at all.