Refugees

Oh ! I see jane has done a better answer

My thoughts exactly ALANaV.

Bottom to top.

4allweknow, I think the fence you're referring to is actually on the border between Greece (not Germany) and Turkey.

I think it would be a good idea for there to be a bit more effort put into trying to spread refugees (from wherever) around the country a bit more - we have room in parts of Scotland, and are in need of young people to balance the population a bit better. Also, I think that there should be more emphasis on getting them to learn English, including the women, of course, and how to live in Britain rather than just dumping them and letting them get on with it. It used to be the case that immigrants to the USA had English classes arranged for them. Has anyone read The Education of Hyman Kaplan by Leonard Q Ross?

AlanaV your post shocked me. I’ll just pick one bit out “ In other countries (such as France) schools insist that children wishing to join the education system from other countries must be taught the language before they can join the school. This often involves (for English speakers) private lessons paid for by the parents. Quite right too ! ”. What should pay with ? Fleeing a war torn country with the clothes they stand up in ?
Don’t believe what you’re saying about French schools either.

Plus yes it’s more work forteachers, (so our government should prioritise increasing staffing levels in schools rather than coming up with nonsensical initiatives like teaching Latin.). BUT young children learn a new language incredibly fast so if they sit in a classroom safe and warm and are bewildered for a while that’s got to be better than staying where they were.

100% bottom to top.
Though where I live on the south coast, there's an awful lot of silent
( and not-so-silent ) top to bottomers.

Thank you JaneJudge! Another new interesting road to explore x

Well do you do anything about the situation other than virtue signalling ? Words are cheap.

Brilliant piece of writing. Definitely Bottom to Top for me. 3nanny6, I think France and Germany are getting involved with rescuing refugees too.

Wheniwasyourage that’s a good point about getting them to learn English including the women.
When I was working in Liverpool I found the children learned quite quickly and the men learned out of necessity so they could work. I helped at a group for Muslim immigrant families mainly working with young mothers, because even after a few years in the UK, they still mostly talked to each other in their native language at home and didn’t work do had no need or incentive to learn English. Once offered the opportunity, most were keen to learn, though some of the older women didn’t see any need. When I think, those ‘older women would be the age I am now.

The Taliban have stopped afghans from leaving the country???

Yes, Mollygo, I think it's important that it should be expected (not compulsory - there might be reasons for traumatised people to want to avoid lessons for a while) that all immigrant families should learn English. In some cultures it might be thought that women are not going to be going out of the house enough for it to be necessary, but as we know, that shouldn't be the case if people are living here and taking part in society. I have a friend who has been involved with going into a Syrian family's home and teaching the whole family English. The mother is now confident enough to go out and meet other people, with my friend's support, and will no doubt be able to find work before long, as her husband has already done.

Children, particularly little ones, are like sponges and will soak up language very quickly. One of my DGC was one of only 5 native English speakers in P1, but the others caught up very quickly, and now they are in P5 and all speaking English perfectly well. Some of them are teaching their parents too.

nanna8

Well do you do anything about the situation other than virtue signalling ? Words are cheap.

Absolutely. Hands up: who intends giving up a spare room in their home for an immigrant? If not, what do you intend to do instead?

Maybe the rules have changed in France, re speaking French for school age children. My 3 were 6 years old and down when we came here and lived in deepest rural France where the village schools were being shut down because of lack of pupils.
They welcomed my lot open armed , even the baby was snatched into Maternelle (she was 2 though) the influx of 3
saved the day for them and the schools are now thriving as
the rural population has increased , slightly.

nanna8

Well do you do anything about the situation other than virtue signalling ? Words are cheap.

To whom is this addressed ?
Are you implying that you cannot help or care unless you take in a refugee family ?
I am Donating to the local collection point asking for items
I would cheerfully help with teaching English.

ALANaV, i'm also glad you don't have to solve this 'problem'.
by the way, batches refer to manufactured items on a production line, to identify the date, time, place of production.
human people are not produced in this manner.

I have applied to volunteer at an immigration centre. My friend already does it and asked if I would too. I have experience supporting families in crisis anyway. Just because people don't post what they do, doesn't mean they aren't doing anything.

I’m really annoyed now. What do you mean by virtue signalling Nanna8 ??? Please explain.

Whitewavemark2

The Taliban have stopped afghans from leaving the country???

I believe that the head of the Taliban has accused the U.K. and US of taking Afghani Doctors, Teachers, Engineers etc which will prevent the Country from being able to move forward

They want to prevent the brightest from leaving in order to be able to keep hospitals, schools open and rebuild.

For the first time I can see the Talibans point, if only they could be trusted not to go on a torture and beheading rampage, along with their barbaric treatment of and attitude towards women.

Giving up a spare room in your house to a refugee. I thought it would be easy.
My experience; get advice from someone about how it affects your house insurance.
Be relaxed about water and fuel bills. People from hit countries find even our summers chilly enough to need the heating on.
Find out what help is available for them and how you can help them to access it.
Some have nothing, neither sufficient clothing, nor money e.g. for bus fares or for buying food, especially the sort of food they are used to. (You may enjoy a whole new repertoire of unfamiliar dishes or you may just learn to cope with your house smelling of different foods).
If you have only room for one refugee, be prepared for them to ask you to house ‘just one extra’. It may be a friend or family member or just someone they met as a refugee. It’s hard to say no, but the number can grow.
Anyone else got anything that will help with doing this?

When I lived in Derby the women were not allowed to go out of their homes alone and certainly not allowed to learn English.
They live here almost as prisoners.

pinkquartz

When I lived in Derby the women were not allowed to go out of their homes alone and certainly not allowed to learn English.
They live here almost as prisoners.

But hopefully their daughters will be able to go out and have a life.

this is a very informative thread over on our junior wing ! MN:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/AMA/4326405-I-have-hosted-many-Afghan-refugees-in-my-spare-room-and-will-continue-to-offer-it-AMA?msgid=110148583

Some years ago I was a lawyer who came across asylum seekers when the first arrived here, usually in the police station after they had emerged from the back of a lorry. I used to wonder how they would settle and cope here, in such a strange environment compared to the places they had come from. When I met them they tended to be dirty and bedraggled, and disorientated from the experience.
As it was a small city where I worked I came across quite o few of them later once they had indeed settled in. Some were doctors or had degrees that turned out to be transferable and useful. I never met one who regretted coming here or who was not making a contribution. I'm sure that those we take in this time will also benefit our society immensely.

I have no problem taking our fair share of refugees. My issue is looking at the photos and the news pictures there is an awful lot of young men and a few older men, but we don't see the girls, women, young children and elderly. They are the ones that are in danger. I worry that some of these young men are here to cause trouble and further the terrorists causes.

Most people would like to think they are a bottom up person. And humans do have the capacity for compassion and working for the common good. But we see that there is also war, violence and inequality in the world. There is inequality in our own society though we are very privileged compared to many parts of the world. At the moment there is Afghanistan and we see young, modern, urban people in a dire situation who could come here and contribute to our society. But what about the uneducated people in the countryside in Afghanistan who may share the culture of the Taliban in many ways. What of people in the Yemen, people in the Horn of Africa, people in the Sahel, people in Bangladesh. There is war and desperation everywhere, The world is burning and drying up. Millions and millions of desperate people on the move. There will be increasing pressure on more privileged areas of the world such as Europe, if we remain viable or relatively viable. What then? Will you still be a bottom up person? Are you really one now? I don’t think there are easy answers.