Too sad to talk about really

jingle - it was William Hague, wasn't it? Or perhaps he's resigned, can't remember. We certainly do need someone at that meeting, election or not. As I think others have said, had we and our mates not destabilised the whole area in the first place, this would not be happening. I'm not sure that throwing money at the refugee problem will help in the long term. These poor people need somewhere to make a permanent home with a stable government, jobs and housing. Perhaps the EU will have to look at helping them set up a new state, a bit like Israel after the war. The EU can't accept all the migrants who would want to get out of these war torn places.

There have been some shocking pictures on the TV news. Apparently in the latest disaster on Sunday, hundreds of people were locked in the hold of the ship and trapped there when the ship sunk. One reporter said that the traffickers are now putting them in any old vessel, seaworthy or not, giving them the telephone number of the Italian coastguard and telling them to call that number when the ship gets into difficulties. Such wicked people, it's hard to believe.

Oh, yes, when, Phillip Hammond. He seems quite a good bloke, if pedantic. I wouldn't fancy his job at the moment. What did he say?

There's a heartbreaking picture of a poor little soul who drowned in one of the leaking death traps being carried ashore, another catastrophe off the Island of Rhodes this time. If the EU has been set up for the member states to work together, why is it largely being left to Italy, Greece and Malta to deal with these disasters surely there should be some concerted effort given the magnitude of what is happening on an almost daily basis, particularly now the weather is warmer and more vessels are setting for Southern Europe.

Awful pictures in The Times today of Coptic Christians being led to their death in on the shores of the Mediterranean in Libya, no wonder so many of them want to escape such oppression and barbarity. In the meantime, African economic migrants who seek to try and find work in South Africa are being met with increasing hostility there from the indigenous people.

Ah yes, found video of it when. Thank you.

How on earth are they going to "target these criminal gangs"? In Libya? Be good if they could but... ?

Hammond

jing big X

I gather the Italians have rounded up some traffickers, but it will be a drop in the ocean.

I can't stand the people who talk as if the refugees are on some sort of jolly. Can't they see how bad conditions must be in these countries for families to walk hundreds of miles with only a probably deadly sea crossing at the end of it?

Not Too Old - your idea of a new state just occurred to me too. The trouble is, where? The world is so overcrowded.
And they seem to be such a naive crowd.

Farage today.

www.politics.co.uk/news/2015/04/22/refugee-crisis-only-take-in-christians-insists-nigel-farage

It will be interesting to see him justify this to Evan Davies tonight.

This is what happens when immigrants are demonised.

www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2015/04/22/comment-the-death-which-shows-the-human-cost-of-farage-s-hea

I always wonder whether the republic of Ireland can take some refugees.
Not sure about jobs though.

I agree with Nigel Farage we should only take the Christians, they are being persecuted.

Rome (CNN)Muslims who were among migrants trying to get from Libya to Italy in a boat this week threw 12 fellow passengers overboard -- killing them -- because the 12 were Christians, Italian police said Thursday.

Italian authorities have arrested 15 people on suspicion of murdering the Christians at sea, police in Palermo, Sicily, said.

ISIS are killing people because they are Christians.

I dont think that christians should have preferential treatment[I say that as a christian]
I sometimes think that they should be at the back of the queue,as we believe we are going to heaven. Others need to have their earthly lives saved before us in my opinion.
<I realise that this may be contoversial, but thought I should say it>
Different I suppose if we were the only ones being persecuted.

So how do you choose - for example 6 toddlers, half christened and the other half not - you say no to the ones not christened? Blimey what a way to carry on as my Mother would say!!!

According to soontobe, the ones who are christened should go to the back of the queue!

I wasnt counting children.
I meant adults who have made the decision for themselves.

But yes, if you are an adult who thinks you are going to heaven, then you may consider that others' lives are more important.
I dont suppose that this scenario happens very often.

Shouldn't that apply to other religions too? Don't Muslims for example believe that they are going to paradise when they die?

I cannot help wondering how much publicity there is in the countries from which people are fleeing about the dangers of the trip. An aunt of a lad who died has just described how her nephew, whom she described as an economic migrant, was seduced by photos and reports of the riches in the west - he was relatively comfortably off in his own country.

I know that there are some who are so desperate because of persecution and physical danger and they will risk anything to get away.

I dont know exactly what muslims believe Ana. It is up to them what they choose to do.

Oh let's not bring religion into it or confuse "Christian" charity with simple humanity. Organisations such as Medecins sans Frontieres, Red Cross /Red Crescent, SCF, Christian Aid etc do not take religion into account when delivering aid, food, medical treatment or rescuing boat people, so why cloud the issue, magpie123?

To see us discussing religious division as an issue in this humanitarian problem saddens me. These are people in need, whatever their beliefs.

Quoting soon re Christians. "I sometimes think that they should be at the back of the queue,as we believe we are going to heaven".

Bugger that!

Sorry! That was flippant on a very sad thread.

But honestly......!