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

Blinko

We do of course. Whether that will be taken into account when people turn up on our shores in dinghies is another matter...

They shouldn't have to be in dinghies - the UK should be helping them now.

FarNorth the U.K. is flying people out on Military flights at the moment, they are issuing visas at the Military end of the Airport. As are US and Allied Forces.

Thank you "*GrannyGravy*. I confess to being very ill-informed.

FarNorth

Thank you "*GrannyGravy*. I confess to being very ill-informed.

No problem, there is a lot of misinformation around at the moment.

Whitewavemark2

I wonder if women and children ought to be given priority?

Having read about the attitudes of some men I think I certainly want to give priority to women and girls.

Ilovecheese whilst I agree that priority should be given to women and children, unfortunately where the Taliban have now taken control the women and children are forbidden to leave their homes.

It will only be those who are able to get to military airfields or over the borders who have a chance of escaping.

We along with the USA just never learn, it is always a last minute cut and run, look at Vietnam, Cambodia as examples. Of course we should offer a safe place for anyone wanting to leave we have enough room and any decent government could improve our nhs, schools etc.

GillT57

Newatthis

Who would say no to this? My concern is where will we put them. Our schools are full, council housing availability is at an all time low, the NHS is on its knees and there are huge staff shortages with those who are dealing with immigration. We cannot compare ourselves to other countries as far a numbers are concerned as we are a small island with a high population, so to say that we should take the same number as Canada, which is a huge county, is unrealistic.

All of this, the shortage of social housing, state education provision, NHS, border control etc., every bloody area with a shortage is down to political decisions, to austerity and as such, is unnecessary and trotted out time after time, of course we can take people, of course we can house them, feed them educate them. We are giving sanctuary to 3m Hong Kong Chinese, free permits to however many Indian citizens want it so we can certainly find room for a few thousand Afghan refugees. This crowded island nonsense really irritates me. If we as a country were bothered enough about Afghan people to bomb their country, then we must give them refuge. The money not spent on arms will go a long way towards it for a start.

We bombed Taliban targets, we helped build schools and educate the children, brought some semblance of a normal life to them, within their culture. We helped train and equip a massive Afghan army, to take charge and defend their country, how do they repay their own people, give in and celebrate with the taliban. Women and children first. Three million Hong Kong have BNO passports issued in 1997, ahead of us handing HK back to China. Work visas are for two years for Indian Nationals who want to come for work along with a Graduate Route. So not just handing them out willy nilly.

Tweet by Rory Stewart.

Well done Angela Merkel - Canada and Germany showing leadership - again - but there are many more who need assistance …now is the time to create a responsible international structure to share burdens and fulfil our obligations to the most vulnerable
Quote Tweet
Reuters
@Reuters
· 3h
Germany must evacuate 10,000 people from Afghanistan, Merkel tells party reut.rs/3CLiOuB

Of course we should! And if we don’t then Priti Patel whose family must have emigrated here at some point in its history should hang her head in shame!

Of course we have a responsibility - no question in my mind.

Lincslass, I am fully aware of the reasons for the HK Chinese and the Indian visas, perhaps my use of the term wily nily was careless though. My point is that we are able to find space, we have space, and we should give sanctuary. I am also aware of what was achieved, which somehow makes it all the worse, when a glimpse of safe, healthy, educated life has been experienced and is then snatched away. As for the Afghan government and the army, neither are worthy of the name. Absolutely shameful cowardice.

No i don't, we cannot feed and house the world but we absolutely should help those Afghans that aided our Military.

But if we only help those that aided the military that would pretty much exclude women and children, the very ones who need protecting the most.

Terrifying situation for those poor people. We should evacuate as many as possible along with other countries.

I thoroughly agree that we should help these people who are in desperate need.
We should also question though why 20 years of training their own army did not work and why did the army let the Taleban walk in.
It was also questioned or stated in the Times this morning that the Taliban went to Madrasa schools in Pakistan are given money and military equipment by them,.Pakistan hid Osama Bin Laden for years. Yet we are giving Millions in Foreign aid to Pakistan each year. Do they need it? Perhaps the money with hindsight should have been used to train a better Afghan army and we should question why a lot gave up without a fight not thinking of the plight of the rest of their countrymen and especially their women and girls. Lessons to be learned from this yet another Vietnam.

I am heartened to see that almost everyone things YES, we should take them.

I think that this is one of very few political threads where we are almost in total agreement.

Yes, of course we should! What a mess this is. I feel so sorry for the women and children.

GillT57

Lincslass, I am fully aware of the reasons for the HK Chinese and the Indian visas, perhaps my use of the term wily nily was careless though. My point is that we are able to find space, we have space, and we should give sanctuary. I am also aware of what was achieved, which somehow makes it all the worse, when a glimpse of safe, healthy, educated life has been experienced and is then snatched away. As for the Afghan government and the army, neither are worthy of the name. Absolutely shameful cowardice.

Yes, I agree, it is such a terrible disaster, we must do what we can. My worry is that it will be men who escape leaving the women and children to pay the price.

Yes

Yes most definitely.

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!

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

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.