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

(348 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Mon 16-Aug-21 07:10:02

Other countries are doing so.

I think that yes we do have a moral duty.

madmum38 Tue 17-Aug-21 19:56:49

Yes agree that we do need to take them in.
One thing that does bother me though, there is a picture of over 500 men on a US plane being taken to safety but I think it said 43 women and children, may have been less but aren’t the women of the men that helped as interpreters etc in danger because of family ties and should also be being bought out of there?

Alegrias1 Tue 17-Aug-21 19:45:23

Maybe my definition of "heartless" differs from other people. Here are some quotes from this thread.

We can justify it by not letting in the people coming over the channel by boat from France-they do not need to do this as they will be homed by France & Spain if they stay where they are. (Homed? They are not stray cats.)

I am obviously in the minority but No. These people need to fight for their own country.

We should take our fair share but send the dinghy people back to France.

Lincslass Tue 17-Aug-21 19:36:28

Jabberwok

I don't think anyone on here is being heartless or misguided and each and everyone of us is entitled to ask what ever questions we like and give opinions without being sniped at, whether you consider it pathetic or not Alegrias1 .

Well said.

love0c Tue 17-Aug-21 19:20:35

America are trying to get out 9,000 a day. That is a huge lot of people! The number of Afghan men leaving is alarming. What if they had stayed and fought the Taliban? We will never know but it was an option and they have chosen not to try it.

coastalgran Tue 17-Aug-21 19:02:12

All I can say is that Biden and his congressmen and women must have very very thick skins, no moral compass, no compassion and be the most self-centred nation I can think of at the moment.

f77ms Tue 17-Aug-21 18:59:09

Yes, absolutely we should.

Joyfulnanna Tue 17-Aug-21 17:44:13

I think the afghan govt were naive to think that US and UK would fight their war with the taliban forever. 20 years of assistance and unimaginable sums of money expended to help these people, we failed as we didn't empower them. It is clear that helping others doesn't really have any long term benefits if they don't help themselves. I like the afghan people and I would like to help but culturally, many would probably not thrive here or integrate. Our cities are overpopulated and we have such a housing crisis, it's unfair to put more pressure on all our services. There must be another way..

Doodles202 Tue 17-Aug-21 17:27:31

Yes. Particularly women and girls.

Jabberwok Tue 17-Aug-21 17:18:51

Oh yes, we should certainly help the vulnerable people who helped us over the years as I think we will. Lets hope that this is the last time the West interferes in another country trying to impose our values on people who perhaps simply don't want them. A bit like Missionaries who insisted that the local people wore western clothes and worshipped a particular God, then really wondered why these same people could be less than friendly!

mrsgreenfingers56 Tue 17-Aug-21 17:16:14

Yes, we should. I only thought yet again this morning, I have a home, food, clean water, a shower, not frightened of anyone coming and taking me away and I live in safety in the U.K. My hearts goes out to these people and the young girls and women have particularly worried me.

oodles Tue 17-Aug-21 17:10:30

yes we should

kjmpde Tue 17-Aug-21 16:58:46

I think we need to look after those poor souls we have left in a very vulnerable position. i would also like to say that as somebody that never votes Tory, I was impressed by how human the defence secretary was. His emotion appeared very genuine and not the unhuman, hard line babble that we usually get from politicians. It appears that he regrets the decision to withdraw.

Jabberwok Tue 17-Aug-21 16:58:07

I don't think anyone on here is being heartless or misguided and each and everyone of us is entitled to ask what ever questions we like and give opinions without being sniped at, whether you consider it pathetic or not Alegrias1 .

Alegrias1 Tue 17-Aug-21 16:49:41

I give up.

Better to be thought agressive when it comes to our responsibilities, than heartless and misguided, I'd say.

Mauddib Tue 17-Aug-21 16:42:30

Only up to a point. This country cannot keep taking in other countries refugees. We cant even house our own. We need to be careful how many are brought in and who we are bringing in. In the past we have refugees coming in and they can be murders, thieves, and terrorists etc. This country is getting worse for muggings and killings and its due to getting over crowded. We cannot keep taking people from all these other countries it destabilises the world cultures and nationalities. We may have a duty to help the ones that have been helping us and the Americans and other forces set up the countries infrastucture. But we need to be careful and not bring in just anyone.
It seems to be human nature to kill each other. Heaven knows why we keep killing each other. This whole world has just gone down the road of destroying itself. The Americans are always interfering with other countries and look where it gets us.

Gwyneth Tue 17-Aug-21 16:40:18

Please do not make assumptions about what was simply a genuine question Alegrias Are you always so aggressive?

love0c Tue 17-Aug-21 16:25:17

Yes the UK appear to be prioritising Afghans who have worked for and helped us during the years of fighting. This is the correct thing to do. It had been on my mind and has kept me awake. I am sure a lot of people have been the same. Unfortunately there is no easy answer. I feel there will be a lot of bloodshed to follow.

Alegrias1 Tue 17-Aug-21 16:23:09

Questions are allowed, I would say encouraged if they add to the understanding of the situation.

Just been listening to someone on Radio Scotland explaining how complex the Afghan situation is, and how the west have never understood it.

Making this all about how many refugees we take is pathetic, in my opinion. And opinions are allowed.

Gwyneth Tue 17-Aug-21 16:16:32

No just a question if that’s allowed Alegrias?

Alegrias1 Tue 17-Aug-21 16:03:29

How many Afghans are America taking?

Is it a competition?

Nannashirlz Tue 17-Aug-21 16:02:06

Yes we should definitely help as much has we can. Definitely for the woman and children. as for the ones who helped our forces well they were given safe passage anyway because they helped us. But at the time some didn’t want to leave. But I’m also angry that my son and his wife did many tours over there. Many getting killed and hurt some more badly than others. I worried so much if my son was coming home But how it affected him and his friends afterwards for what for nothing.

Gwyneth Tue 17-Aug-21 15:58:34

How many Afghans are America taking? There seems to be a lot of criticism re the UK as usual on here. But at least the UK are trying their best to get interpreters and others away from the country. It was also encouraging to see a female Afghan journalist interviewing a Taliban leader on the mid day news today.

BridgetW Tue 17-Aug-21 15:56:32

Yes. Yes. Yes!
Without doubt we have a moral obligation to those who worked and supported UK services (I read that Afghan citizens who were teaching for the British Council are in grave danger so it goes beyond interpreters and their families). And shouldn't we also being willing to take in the women of Afghan because we know what will happen to them?

millynm4 Tue 17-Aug-21 15:52:47

yes of course we should, however, I would limit it to women and girls and would happily take a couple into my home

GoldenAge Tue 17-Aug-21 15:46:51

Yes yes yes