So-called ‘migrant crisis’

* intention not I mention.

It's a crisis alright for those poor souls in those boats

So poor they pay thousands of pounds to set sail, from a country, France, which doesn't persecute or hound them, where they are safe and already have asylum?

I think they are stupid. If they have had to flee awful horrors, why set sail (at night) to creep into another country illegally when they could already sleep peacefully in their French beds at night? Why make life more difficult for yourself? They chose to do this.

Just what is the draw of the UK, a few miles across the channel?

A few boats of immigrants hoping to get into the UK illegally and not using the normal and proper channels is NOT a crisis either. Let us keep things in proportion.

I don't think people quite realise these factors are at play. If they did, it might quell many concerns (or prejudices).

Stupid is stupid is stupid.

Those are excuses. I speak some French and Italian. I do not however claim any right to live in those countries at their taxpayers expense.

I also have relatives in Europe. If i decide to live their I would not want my life to be made difficult and frightening because I crept in at the dead of night, illegally.

I have every sympathy for those who flee their homelands because of horrors, wars, and persecution.

I am glad those people found a safe haven in France and it would be a good end to the story for them to build new lives in safety.

What stops them from entering the UK legally and via the normal channels? Paying a fortune to sail the channel at night and creep in illegally, given the climate in which we live, is stupid, dangerous (given they have fled danger already and are now can live safely in a civilized western country) and unlikely to make them many friends.

Muslims and black people don't have the best of times in France

oldbatty we can see your liberal, left-wing all-embracing attitude, but really ....???

Where did you pluck that gem from? Unbelievable.

Muslims and black people have settled in France quite happily and thrive and have done for decades.

Some are fairly militant too and far from being a crushed and persecuted minority. The Islamic reaction to Charlie Hebdo probably didn't win those involved many friends - in France or the rest of the world. Should we be sympathising?

Prejudice in any form is vile but you make villains of those with common sense who see illegal immigration as a bad, not good thing, for any country.

"Let migrants sort out their own country instead of inflicting themselves on our economy." Count yourself very lucky that you are not in the situation of these people, risking their lives to cross the sea in perilous conditions. And so what if they have paid significant sums of money? I expect there are well educated and comfortably off Gransnetters who, if they were in a similar situation, would sell their homes and realise any other assets they may have in order to flee from war and the consequent collapse of social order and vital amenities.

If I were in such a situation, I expect I would choose a country where I had relatives or contacts, which has a reasonable standard of living and whose language I was familiar with. Isn't that why Australia, US, Canada and New Zealand are popular destinations for British people?

Isn't that why Australia, US, Canada and New Zealand are popular destinations for British people?

Yes, like tends to find like but those who leave our shores/emigrate, are allowed into other countries only because they can support themselves financially, have jobs to go to and intend to contribute. They also apply through the proper channels, legally, and if all is not in order and they create any sort of problem they are told permission to enter is not granted.

The two sorts of immigration are not alike at all.

The people creeping in to the UK at the dead of night, under cover and then hiding out or saying 'we are here, without papers, deal with it" are not known to us and do pose a threat, whether you will admit it or not and their access to the UK or any place in the world is not a given right.

We do not wish to import danger or threat, or a constant stream of unknowns, mostly young men, do we?

This is why we have immigration procedures, is it not?

I agree half a dozen people in a rubber dinghy is not a crisis when we have thousands of homeless sleeping rough, food banks, domestic violence and all sorts of other problems. We may be a “wealthy country “ on paper but that wealth is in the hands of a few based on expensive property and hedge fund selling debts, not making anything. Illegal immigration is nothing new, people have been entering the UK in the back of lorries for decades, that’s becoming more difficult, so now the sea route is preferred -we have no idea how many are here under the radar. We don’t have ID cards like in many other countries so it’s easier to work illegally. “Taking control of borders” is a joke, we should be working together with other countries to solve this world wide problem, not just assuming we can pull up a drawbridge or build a wall and illegal immigration will go away.

My family were immigrants from Eastern Europe into the UK in the 60´s. We worked, paid taxes, kept some of our customs from home, made friends with other people from our home country, which helped to cope the homesickness . Eventually, when the political situation changed some of us went back home, those that were already settled stayed in the UK. I shall remain eternally thankful to the many kind-hearted British (Scottish!) people, who made our transition into our new home possible. Scotland is forever in my heart.

Of course we have a duty to rehome refugees. No one chooses to uproot themselves from their country without good reason. You have to be really desperate. The Middle East is a mess, I wouldn’t want to live or bring up a family there.

This is not just ‘liberal, left-wing, all embracing’ as some of our posters seem to think but common humanity. We are no better than that racist, semi-literate moron Trump if we adopt this attitude. The channel is our Wall and if we condemn those trying to scale it in search of a better life then what kind of human beings are we?

France is a safe country - if they want to come to UK why not apply to do so legally?

But they would have to travel through several safe countries to get to France- why should France, Italy, Greece, Germany or wherever deal with all the problems? It’s a global issue - all countries should work together surely?

That still doesn't answer the question of why -once they are in a safe country they do not apply to come to UK legally

*Many, from Sudan and similar areas, have not stopped at the first safe country. I wonder why?
*Their way of life is often incompatible with ours, their treatment of women is, in the main, highly questionable and undesirable.
They have no I mention of integrating, they like grouping together in enclaves, their own foods, own morals and own 'manors'*

Do you have direct , personal experience of this please?

Day 6 I am not left wing .

oldbatty in answer to your question - yes!

I come from a city which then had a large black population which was only to be found in certain areas. There were places that you wouldn't go to at night. They had their own clubs to which whites had no entry. They sat outside on their front steps in groups smoking weed and dealing drugs
I could cite an article in the Guardian on 25th May 2015 re the Libyan army cadets brought to Cambridge to be trained by the British Army (with no forewarning to the local population) in order to provide better security back in their home country.
I could cite the number (albeit proportionally small) of athletes from certain countries, who 'disappear' when competing here.
I make no apologies. If we need people with certain qualifications we can advertise but they must have a proven good standard of written and spoken English, verifiable qualifications and abide by our laws andour way of living in social environments.

So much for the spirit of Christmas and the remembrance of the story of Jesus's birth and his commitment to love and kindness for everyone.

* 15th May 2015.

Jane10, my question was to Gabriella but thanks for responding.

I have worked with people from the Sudan and I do not recognise the description given at all.

I could provide details if anybody is interested.

Just as a matter of interest some of " our ways of living" by some people, is in my opinion absolutely vile.

Dont ALL emigrants group together with their own peoples,to give them security and a feeling of home. Or are the huge numbers of EX PATS who take over whole areas in other countries with English breakfasts ,union jacks etc etc a figment of my imagination?
In Spain a few years ago anyone who had wandered into the area by mistake would have thought they were in the "sarth of Engerlund " that was the accent that was heard ( apart from the barstaff who were talked down to if they didn't understand what was being said ) so surely we cant complain about refugees sticking together.I do know there are large contingents of Chinese,Italian and Scots all over the world who do the same .

I agree that some people, citizens of the UK, do not meet acceptable standards of living BUT that is not a reason to add to that number.
I get a bit ticked off when posters cite people who are worse off or have poor health or other problems such as homelessness etc, as a reason to be glad that you're not in their situation. That doesn't mean that the point is less valid.
Asking what I'd do in their situation is a stupid question and does nothing to address the crux of the matter.
No, I would not have a stranger living in my home. No, I am not politically correct. Yes, I am against immigration as it now stands. Yes, I voted for Brexit and I'm all for lazy Brits to get off their butts and take the jobs that we don't want others to take. Tighten up the benefits system and make having a valid, verified full-time job and a certain amount of cash to fall back on, a condition of being allowed to live here.

paddyann

Lol.
Why don't they stay in their 'home' country if they need to cluster together in order to feel at home?

I think the difference paddyann is that those people are in those countries legally and they bring economic benefit to the area. We used to have a place in Spain and yet some ex pats would only use English bars and pubs but many used local shops, attempted to learn the language and interacted with local people.

I have no family in UK - all my immediate family live in Australia. If I wanted to join them I would first have to get family to sponsor me and then have to supply a substantial bond to ensure I would not be a drain on the Australian tax payer.

I have no problem with those coming to UK legally, as someone said previously if they want to come to UK why not do so by applying when they reach a safe country?

I have no family in UK - all my immediate family live in Australia. If I wanted to join them I would first have to get family to sponsor me and then have to supply a substantial bond to ensure I would not be a drain on the Australian tax payer.
And take out very expensive private medical insurance too.