The U.K. 2022

Aveline, who are these 'so many people'. Are you talking about refugees who are fleeing war and terror? If so, look at the figures and you'll see that far more go to other countries than come here. The people who come here do so because either they have family/friends who live here already or because they can speak English. If you were running for your life and knew you had to settle somewhere else wouldn't you prefer to be in a country where you already knew some people and/or could speak the language.

20,000 this year risking everything to arrive here by 'rubber taxi'.

I don’t think ‘oh, it is better than a war zone / famine ridden country’ is quite the aspiration I have for any country.

Aveline

20,000 this year risking everything to arrive here by 'rubber taxi'.

Wow Aveline- will they replace the doctors, nurses, carers, etc, we desperately need now. Or the agricultural workers, hospitality staff? I don't think so. Some of them might, one day, in the very distant future, but not NOW!

Rubber taxi - are you of the Farage school of racist nonsense!

Aveline why do you think those people risk everything including their children's lives? They are desperate. I don't think you can equate them with people who would choose to come and live/work here when they can go anywhere else in the world. If this was such a wonderful place to live why haven't the foreign nationals who we 'encouraged' to leave after Brexit come back now that they'd be welcome again. They're not stupid. They don't want to come back to this country which only wants them now because it's desperate and, if it ever came to pass that it wasn't desperate, would make live unbearable for them again until they left.

The UK is going to hell in a handcart and the world is looking on in disbelief and/or amusement as we spiral downwards whilst the government looks on and does nothing.

Adeline it’s a relief to see it’s clear I’m not the only poster who sees the racism and total absence of either compassion or understanding about the desperate souls in rubber boats

I wish this country could encourage our hone grown medics and those who returned to other parts of Europe where pay and conditions are better and they’re welcomed

Having just driven back through the vast expanses of France, I’m puzzled about why they want to come here, when they’re desperate. Is France less welcoming than the UK?

Mollygo

Having just driven back through the vast expanses of France, I’m puzzled about why they want to come here, when they’re desperate. Is France less welcoming than the UK?

Firstly, most of "them" don't want to come to the UK.

Secondly, many of them speak some English and/or have family already in the UK.

Sorry, just seen vampirequeen's post and have duplicated it.

Mollygo

Having just driven back through the vast expanses of France, I’m puzzled about why they want to come here, when they’re desperate. Is France less welcoming than the UK?

As of mid-2021 there were 135,912 refugees plus 85,000 waiting a decision. in the UK.

So less (than half of France’s 455,000 (combined) at the same date.

It took 30 seconds to find that out from the UNHCR. I guess bigotry is easier than even a smidgeon of research though.

growstuff

Sorry, just seen vampirequeen's post and have duplicated it.

It's like groundhog day, isn't it?

Someone comments about too many people coming to the UK in dinghies and why don't they go somewhere else, lots of other people explain about families and speaking English and that other European countries take far more than the UK does and that the UK isn't 'full', (I expect we'll get on to 'safe routes' soon). It all goes quiet for a bit, then off we go again on a different thread... Same people usually...??

Are you suggesting that we don't challenge people who make racist/disparaging comments about refugees and asylum seekers?

That's not what I understood from maizie's post. I think her point was that it doesn't matter how many times it's explained, people keep coming out with the same old same old.

So your happy that so far this year 20,000 have fled France to come to Blighty.

What an odd turn this post has taken.
That’s not what I understood by Maizie’s post either and I agree growstuff and what she says has been confirmed.

Maudi I would be happier if the 20,000 were able to come by an easier legitimate route and not have to risk their lives in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Maudi

So your happy that so far this year 20,000 have fled France to come to Blighty.

They haven’t ‘fled France’ as you put it Maudi, have they? They have fled their own countries and travelled through many countries, including France to reach the UK, their chosen destination.

I wasn’t complaining about how many people are coming here, I was commenting on the post by vampire queen about the UK going to Hell in a handcart and how bad it is here, that people who were here, wouldn’t come back.
I wouldn’t have called vampire queen a bigot for saying that.
I thought she had done her research for what she put in her post. Should I have disbelieved her information?

Mollygo

I wasn’t complaining about how many people are coming here, I was commenting on the post by vampire queen about the UK going to Hell in a handcart and how bad it is here, that people who were here, wouldn’t come back.
I wouldn’t have called vampire queen a bigot for saying that.
I thought she had done her research for what she put in her post. Should I have disbelieved her information?

Point taken Mollygo. I think the answer to your question is that EU citizens have a choice. They still have roots elsewhere in safe countries. Those coming to the UK as refugees don't have safe home countries.

Sorry, Mollygo, I thought you were saying all refugees should stop when they reached France.

Remember the partition of Pakistan and India, and when Cyprus was invaded by Turkey (read Victoria Hislop's 'The Sunrise')? People often came to the UK because of Imperial Rule- same for those from the West Indies.

Now the UK is seen as a multicultural society, and most young people around the world speak English, and already have relatives and friends in the UK.

Fleurpepper

Remember the partition of Pakistan and India, and when Cyprus was invaded by Turkey (read Victoria Hislop's 'The Sunrise')? People often came to the UK because of Imperial Rule- same for those from the West Indies.

Now the UK is seen as a multicultural society, and most young people around the world speak English, and already have relatives and friends in the UK.

This. It seems a given that those posters who suggest ‘those people’ on,h want to done to the uk for benefits, appear ignorant of our imperial past and it’s continued influence.

And yes to the comments from everyone challenging the ill-informed/bigoted/unpleasant comments suggesting ‘those people ‘ should stay in France when they have good reason to choose the uk.

The greedy fat bozo we named PM doesn't and never has given half a fig for anything or anyone other than himself and his "old man" (euphemism here). Conservatives ruin the joint every time they're in! Will we not learn?!?! Heath? 3day week /strikes /power cuts/20%inflation. Thatcher? Mass redundancies/miner's strikes/greed is good mentality destroyed all UK industries/sold off all assets/ black Monday 16% bank rate/bust!! Johnson? Cut/cut/cut/NHS/police/social care/wages/corporation tax(that's lowest in Europe and pays for so much of our services) then fat greasy mitts in the till!! When WILL we learn? NHS is far too important to be a party football it should be taken OUT of the political arena and managed by a cross party consultation board with ringfenced funding.good idea?

Europe is extremely racist in comparison to UK! Were the least racist country I'd say probably in the world! Although
manys 'experience is different generally we have laws in place to tackle racism etc far more than anywhere else-but we can always and should always be improving.
Using the "I speak English" reason for settling here is a non runner - half the entire planet speaks English!!! but we can't have everyone here. I'm from immigrants in 1800s on Ma side and from 1930s on Pa side so I can talk! But Irish were shipped in in millions to help build Britain and Jews were fleeing for their lives literally! They didn't hide their I.D. by destroying papers/passports/phones like many of today's immigrants do-why do they do that?

Iam64

Adeline it’s a relief to see it’s clear I’m not the only poster who sees the racism and total absence of either compassion or understanding about the desperate souls in rubber boats

I wish this country could encourage our hone grown medics and those who returned to other parts of Europe where pay and conditions are better and they’re welcomed

Those in rubber boats as you put it are not refugees fleeing they're paying passengers! They appear to have the impression from somewhere (Netflix/films/TV/our own publicity) that UK is LONDON in a nutshell- were our own worst enemy! We depict UK as a land of plenty/riches/glamour/success and fail to also show the sink estates /non existent housing /groaning health system/homeless already living on streets everywhere in UK. Many have come here and been shocked at their fates, thinking they would be given a home a job money etc etc immediately because that's what the publicity says! Disillusioned they've stuck here! Spent all their money or put themselves in hock to traffickers to get here only to discover were not like Mary Poppinsville AT ALL! This needs serious tackling by serious minds, not unqualified bigheads er.. I mean politicians

Spot on Gabrielle. Unfortunately.