More immigrants crossing the Channel

silence ...

he could be my son or my grandson- as said on the thread I posted- the only difference is where he was born, give or take a few years.

R I P young man

I’ve just read that a 16-year old Sudanese boy has drowned trying to cross the Channel. A young life lost, after managing to get that far.

It’s about time the UK stepped up its commitment to help refugees. France takes four times the number we do, Germany ten times.

Craftycat that's right, I remember mum telling me about it.
She said it was a solemn occasion taken very seriously.

I vaguely remember details being in the london gazette

silverlining, post war, people had to apply for naturalisation in london and swear an oath, they then became British citizens
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/naturalisation-british-citizenship/

It would be interesting to know what the eu has to say to the Greek government now that we know they are towing boat migrants back to the edge of their territorial waters.
The Turkish navy are picking them up and towing them back to Turkey.
There is talk of the Greeks using covid as a reason.

Exactly Iam4.

The only difference between 'us' and those people on the boats is luck

I watched the Iraq Programme and also Exodus and one about the white helmets in Syria. All powerful and very moving.
It’s easy to condemn large groups of ‘others’ but harder if you see people as individuals .
I think of the heartbreaking photos of the body of the little boy who drowned on the beach, which shocked the world. He was but one small boy out of many who have been killed though their deaths have gone unremarked. These are people like us. How can anyone not feel compassion.

Some time ago there was a great (I thought) 3 part documentary about migration to Europe. Each told a different story.
Each journey was documented on mobile phones and some parts were deeply moving. I don't think it's still available but if anyone's interested there are clips here:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09dh6jn/episodes/guide

I wonder if anyone else caught it?
It was called Exodus.

Mr i has been watching Once Upon a Time Iraq and encouraging me to do so. I confess to having increasingly felt during this lock down time I want to watch stuff that distracts me and makes me laugh or even cry. But, not weep for the terrible world in Iraq, Syria or the Lebanon (to name just a few).
It sounds like an excellent documentary

westendgirl

I have been watching "Once upon a time in Iraq ", a brilliant documentary series.

I can recommend it to anyone who is wondering why people are so desperate to leave their country.

There are some good letters in the Times following the David Aaronovitch article.one reader writes " I have volunteered with young unaccompanied asylum seekers for the past five years and it has been a privilege. They learn English, go to college or university, get jobs, pay their way and are profoundly grateful for being given the right to live without fear. "
Look what happened in some of these countries . Those crossing the Channel are small in number, and do not deserve the war like vocabulary and stance from Ms Patel and co.

Thanks for sharing that! I will look it up

Thank you Ticking bird. I post things but often feel no one looks at them.
It was an incredible documentary series though, and as you say not an easy watch. It does open your eyes .
Everyone it is still accessible on catch up etc

I agree with westendgirl with regards to “Once Upon A Time In Iraq”. I think it should be compulsory viewing. A difficult watch for sure.

Thanks Biba.
I brought up the aspect of who should pay? And admit that I was stirring it a bit by hinting at Brexit as I wish we had never left the EU.
Also seeing the french point of view as we lived there so long.

what a weird reply - or rather non-reply. You say we should do it ourselves in the French won't help- so how is it demanding to ask how you think that can be done?

Sorry biba it was nothing to do with my being too busy, more that I tend not to answer the type of demanding posts that you always go in for on GN, and have done for years.
Whichever government is in power in the UK......I leave it up to them to decide how to handle it.The armchair experts on GN can either accept that, or thrash it out between themselves.

I don’t think anyone knows biba, except perhaps Boris’ friend Dom who probably has a(nother) cunning or Cumming plan.
The French coast is impossible to police, there’s just too much of it whatever money might be thrown at it. It will be another mess. That’s my view for all it’s worth.

Whether we pay the French to better police the beaches or we do things all by ourselves.

somehow you got all busy and forgot to reply- the French will probably say no to continuing to police 'our border' on their soil- and I amust say I can't blame them. Recent comments by some MPs, Farage and Priti Patel - have truly inflammed the siutation. Johnson and co refusing to implement the Deal they have negotiated, agreed to and signed up for - making it even worse.

So - how will we do things all by ourselves - could you provide the methodology and strategy plan- anyone. In view of the true facts an earlier post by Maizie highlighted. Thanks.

Greta I think in my mums time ( post war) it was automatic or maybe she requested it, i don't know, but she always had a British passport. I am sure this mess will sort out but understand how cross you must be.

silverlining48, When I married a Brit I considered applying for British citizenship but I discovered that some countries do not accept dual citizenship. Sweden was one of those countries. They do now accept it but it is extremely expensive to apply for British citizenship and very time consuming. I no longer see the point and I have lost my initial enthusiasm...

There is no physical proof of settled status. MPs rejected Lords amendment which would have ensured citizens have physical proof ot their settled status.
There is a lot of discussions about this issue online. This from:
www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-eu-citizens-settled-status-application-fees-a9300156.html

”The process of applying for settled status has been heavily criticised. Many of society’s most vulnerable have struggled to navigate the application process, while reports have circulated of third parties charging application fees even though the government scrapped the initial £65 fee.
As an EU citizen, even if you make it through the quagmire of the application process and are granted settled status, then you have to contend with the fact that the government does not give you physical proof of your new status. No card, document or even letter – only online verification through the digital database.”

And this is the verification that clearly states in bold : ”not proof of your status”.

MaisieD and Iam64 and others.
Thank you for adding truth and reason to this depressing thread.

Do you have a British passport Greta? On marriage my mum got British nationality and when enquiring at Immigration recently was told that if a person has a British passport then they are British. Of course things may have altered over the years but you have been here a long time and do deserve better treatment.

I’m disgusted and completely confused. How on earth can you be told your application has been successful and then say it’s not proof of your legal settled status? Do you have to get a further document?
Definitely get in touch with your MP and ask for clarification.