Were you offended?

No I haven't read it Petra, I expect they are getting the same abuse in most countries, they would here

In absolute terms, the largest numbers of non-nationals living in the EU Member States on 1 January 2014 were found in Germany (7.0 million persons), the United Kingdom (5.0 million), Italy (4.9 million), Spain (4.7 million) and France (4.2 million). Non-nationals in these five Member States collectively represented 76 % of the total number of non-nationals living in all of the EU Member States, while the same five Member States had a 63 % share of the EU’s population.

In relative terms, the EU Member State with the highest share of non-nationals was Luxembourg, as non-nationals accounted for 45 % of the total population. A high proportion of non-nationals (10 % or more of the resident population) was also observed in Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, Ireland, Belgium and Spain.

Asylum statistics for EU countries

Let's try again

Why do all these unfortunate people want to come to the UK? Can anyone answer me that. What's wrong with seeking asylum in France, a much larger country than the UK, than risking your life getting into England?!

Benefits I assume nigglynellie.

I do think if the phrase of a swarm of people is not spoken, it is no loss to the English language.

People have higher priority than the english language.

And that is all people, everywhere.

People are not insects.

I doubt many people want to be called a bee, or a cockroach, even if there are a few who dont mind.

I thought we'd moved on from discussing whether the phrase 'a swarm of people' is acceptable or not.

Why do you keep bringing it up yet again, soontobe (and I thought you were 'leaving it' anyway...)

Silly me! I should have been able to work that out for myself! Trouble is that we are an overcrowded island with facilities at breaking point and not the paradise as portrayed by the smugglers who have robbed and duped these poor people who will sadly discover this when they finally reach these shores. This situation now seems to be about how awful D.C. is, how awful this country is not to open its borders to anyone and everyone en masse, regardless of who or what they are, no checks of course in case of human rights violations. But nobody seems to raise a voice against the wicked cruel people who are behind all this misery, affecting both the migrants, the traveling public, including freight and the good people of Kent, whose lives and businesses are being trashed. Unbelievable!

I did leave.
I have been out for a few hours.

I am really refering to Elegran's posts about insects.

The rules on gransnet are very loose.
There is nothing saying that you cant refer to a post several hours or even days ago.

There are not even rules[as far as I know] saying that anyone has to read any posts that anyone has written, before writing something, even if a thread has majorly changed during that time.

I agree with your post nigglynellie.
I wonder what they have been told. And by whom.
And how much it has all been embellished.

Soontobe. "I wonder what they have been told. And by whom"
They have been told by friends/relatives who are already here. How? By a thing called a telephone.

I should think very little is to do with benefits nigglynellie. Surely if that was the case they would all be trying to come here which is far from the truth.

The highest number of positive asylum decisions (first instance and final decisions) in 2014 was recorded in Germany (48 thousand), followed by Sweden (33 thousand), France and Italy (both 21 thousand), the United Kingdom (14 thousand) and the Netherlands (13 thousand). Altogether, these six Member States accounted for 81 % of the total number of positive decisions issued in the EU-28. *
*This article here

My guess would be that they go to the countries where they can speak the language and/or where they already have family.

This article is also useful and shows that many of the people coming here have little choice.

In-depth interviews with asylum seekers and refugees revealed that:
-Over two thirds did not choose to come to the UK.
-Most only discovered they were going to the UK after leaving their country of origin.
-The primary objective for all those interviewed was reaching a place of safety.
-Around three quarters had no knowledge of welfare benefits and support before coming to the UK – most had no expectation they would be given financial support.
-90% were working in their country of origin and very few were aware they would not be allowed to work when they arrived in the UK.

Jumping to conclusions has never been the best way of finding out the facts.

Well, who knows?! I just feel so sorry for everyone caught up in this nightmare. As for relatives persuading family members to come to Britain, poor souls as it may not be all it's cracked up to be including the awful weather!! They may well wish they had never come here like the situation in Germany as judging from other media outlets there seems to be a lot of tolerance fatigue brewing.

Couldn't "tolerance fatigue" only "brew" if some tolerance had been shown in the first place nigglynellie?

Around three quarters had no knowledge of welfare benefits and support before coming to the UK – most had no expectation they would be given financial support

But that doesnt tie in with petra's post about the telephone.

-Over two thirds did not choose to come to the UK

In which case, perhaps they leave when they get here.

Assylum is different to migrants.

Gracesgran's post is about assylum seekers not migrants who want a better life. And are likely to be looking for money. And will have heard of our benefit system.
Not sure how much they will get. Off to google.

fullfact.org/immigration/welfare_benefits-44747

After three months, migrants are eligible for Job Seekers Allowance, if they have passed a test.

fullfact.org/factcheck/immigration/migrants_calais-46882

"Asylum seekers are people whose claims for refugee status haven’t been decided yet. While they’re waiting, they aren’t eligible for ordinary benefits.

Instead, asylum seekers can apply for government support if they are, or are likely to become, “destitute”. This can be accommodation, a subsistence allowance, or both.

As the National Audit Office put it, the accommodation provided is “typically a flat or shared house in which the asylum seeker is provided with bedding and basic kitchen equipment as well as basic furniture and access to cooking and washing facilities”, usually outside London and the South East.

Cash support to asylum seekers is limited to £36.95 per week for a single person aged 18 or over.

It’s only after being recognised as a refugee that a person claiming humanitarian protection can claim benefits along the same lines as British citizens."

I do not believe people want to come to this country to receive benefits , Daily Mail speak in my opinion. How come they are here to live off benefits and at the same time take British jobs off British workers

If I lived in Syria and was being bombed by America and the UK I would want out too

Agreed, Anniebach.

The number of non-nationals living in EU member states is different from asylum seekers and refugee, whether economic or not. In my family I have three EU non-nationals and 2 non EU non-nationals living in the UK. They are all working hard and not living off the state.