Does Briton have a moral duty to take in as many Afghan refugees as possible?

MaggsMcG

We should take our fair share but send the dinghy people back to France. I read an article on Internet that 90% of the people in Afghanistan want Shari Law. So maybe they will be happy. The rest of the world can help the 10% that don't.

It isn’t quite so simple as it seems (what is!)

The law in Afghanistan has been so corrupt over decades with war lords grabbing land, property etc with no recourse for the population.

Sharia law strictly applied - scores well with the population compared to other attempts at law enforcement. Everyone knows where they are if it is applied fairly.

The way the Taliban enforce it is misogynistic and brutal, but it doesn’t have to be so extreme, although in western terms even applied with a light touch it still seems extreme. That is why the population support sharia law, in the hope and expectation that the land grabbers and corruption etc will be dealt with.

I have no idea if they are right in this hope.

You would have to be made of stone to not feel the utmost pity and compassion ...but. What is to happen if hundreds, maybe thousands of people arrive? We have overloaded infrastructure in every direction. When it was proposed that this country take in Syrian children a year or so ago, of course it was a natural impulse. Marcus Brigstock was enthusiastically bellowing on a radio discussion programme 'Let's give them good meals, a roof over their heads and schooling' - and the audience was right behind him. However, as we do not have enough foster carers or school places already, and the mental health services - which these poor traumatised children would surely need - are woefully inadequate with long waiting lists, what might the outcome be of accepting them, or indeed the current wave of suffering people? Likely a holding centre with no proper on going provision, in a strange country with a totally different climate, language, culture - how will that help? Just how can we accept migrants when we cannot cope with their needs? I wish I had a clever answer to this.

PippaZ

Of course. I want no weasle words on this from our current government.

Aparently they have now agreed to take the Afghan Chevening scholars who were promised places earlier this year. Well done those who campaigned on this.

You do realise it was the mandarins at the FO that said they couldn’t come. Boris stepped in and turned it round. Whatever he does it won’t be right in some peoples eyes.

Yes, of course we must take as many as possible. I am particularly grieved for the women and girls. For their safety, they will have to return to trying to make themselves as invisible as possible.

Afghans who have worked for the Western forces are in a particularly bad situation. They have to present their paperwork to qualify for evacuation. However, if the Taliban turn up at their doors, the discovery of that paperwork is likely to result in their immediate execution. I can't imagine why these people weren't evacuated at a much earlier stage, as it must have been obvious that they would be in very grave danger if and when the Taliban returned.

So sad for these poor people. We must help them as much as possible. I think Britain and the US have betrayed them and left them in the lurch. Of course, had there been oil there, the Us would certainly stir be there, also our Armed Forces are wondering why so much was sacrificed to come back to square one.

Apparently a lot of the Afghan military were affiliated to various different war lords, who in turn were pro Taliban and it was these that Mike Pompeo talked to when brokering an exit strategy from Afghanistan, so when the fighting began, tbese soldiers loyalty was not to the Afghan government, but to the tribe they came from, and it was this tribe they absconded to. This is only what I've read, so?! As is said , it's much more complicated than it seemed.

We should take our fair share but send the dinghy people back to France. I read an article on Internet that 90% of the people in Afghanistan want Shari Law. So maybe they will be happy. The rest of the world can help the 10% that don't.

Yes we should help those that have worked with British forces, their lives will be at risk. Prioritise the women and children.

Yes

The picture on the front of the Daily Mirror today shows a plane full of Afghans apparently headed for the US. Unfortunately there seems to be very few women and children among them

Yes, definitely and I hope other countries will take refugees as well. It’s just horrific what is happening

Mapleleaf - you made this point very well:

"..... being told by the government and news reporters that our NHS is struggling, our housing situation is dire, our schools are getting full, our social care is in bad shape, etc, ...."

Our "government" have deliberately cut funds over the past 10 years, and deliberately ignored the recommendations from "Operation Cygnus" in 2016 about crisis planning, including pandemics. They told so many lies in 2020, and are currently pretending we are "full" - but it is their fault directly that no council house or social housing projects go ahead. They waste money on inducements to other parties to enable them to form governments. they sell our industries off to the highest bidders, and house refugees in unfit accommodation, alongside plans to try and deport them to other parts of the world.

Johnson had a "plan to fix social care" that would be implemented forthwith, in 2020, he lied, there was no plan, and now he uses the pandemic as his shield against all criticism. I dread to think what schemes they might cook up for not helping and taking in the Afghan people that supported our military, and civilian agencies.

It really has to be wondered why, when so much time and money was spent training the Afghan military to protect their people and support a government who was supposedly forward thinking and wanting their population to live a safe and decent life with access to education (especially girls and women who were never really valued as equal citizens) and all that we take for granted here, this very same military and government rolled over backwards to let the Taliban take control so easily. In my view, this has been planned for for a very long time and I suspect many of the Afghan military and government were in support of the Taliban. Either that, or they were very weak willed and disorganised to fight back efficiently on their own. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

Shirlb

Where are they going to live? This country can’t cope with the people already here wasn’t that the reason for brexit?

There's always one. Well there's a few but lets hope common sense prevails.

Plenty room here, of course we have a moral obligation.

Yes, I think so. I can’t imagine how terrified they must feel, we never experience anything like it thank goodness and we have to show compassion and support them.

Where are they going to live? This country can’t cope with the people already here wasn’t that the reason for brexit?

This one's a no-brainer isn't it - a simple YES will do.

Let's just hope this government gets its act together.

Yes we should, absolutely. I couldn't watch the news lastnight it was so upsetting.
To me it is another holocaust and the whole world must reach out to these people.

Tobias doesn't want any excuses as to why we can't take as many as Germany or Canada!

I feel we should take as many women and children as possible, but quotas can't be competitive with other countries which are massive compared to ours. We are a small overcrowded country, nothing like the size of Germany let alone Canada.

Our hearts go out to them, but what about Haiti? What about Syria? The UK can't save the world whatever we wish.

I agree with Newatthis. A desperate situation, and all countries who were involved should be doing all they can to help, but capacity must be considered and therefore numbers spread out fairly. We are forever being told by the government and news reporters that our NHS is struggling, our housing situation is dire, our schools are getting full, our social care is in bad shape, etc, etc, an Island that is bursting, if they are to believed. Successive governments have contributed to these difficulties, not only this one. No easy answers, I'm afraid.

Yes. Anything else is inhuman.

Please can we rescue the girls and women first. The men can slug it out for themselves. I am horrified that we have left these women in such awful danger.

Yes, certainly take in those who have been working with the British military and diplomats, and take their immediate family too. Those who worked with the US should go there.
However the idea that we can just take any Afghani is not practical as there is a real risk of taking in a militant.
The withdrawal plans are so chaotic, visas should have already been issued to those with a realistic claim to come here, but I understand that is not the case. There has to be time to carry out proper investigation of whether the immigrant poses a real risk to our security.

I think we have no choice. What a horrific situation those poor people are in.

Tobias Ellwood is on BBC News atm saying he feels the PM should have already addressed parliament wrt how many refugees we are going to take. PM is addressing parliament tomorrow and will announce how many we will take and Tobias doesn't want any excuses as to why we can't take as many as Germany or Canada!