Asylum seekers

The French are doing nothing, because there is no law that stops a group of people getting into a boat and sailing west.

As far as Albanians are concerned, I agree that many of them don't have a rightful claim to asylum, which is why it would be beneficial if their claims could be processed more quickly.

The UK really needs to co-operate more with France on cracking down on the people trafficking gangs. Unfortunately, the National Crime Agency, which deals with the issue, has half the budget its predecessor agencies had.

I think that many,of those coming with children, the Afghans in particular are in desperate need a safe place. It is a fact however that some of those coming are from Albania, mainly young men, which is a safe country these days and emerging hopefully from the tyrant dictator Enver Hoxha's rule. Albania is predicted to be one of the next hot spots for tourism which will hopefully bring in more revenue to that previously inhospitable country. With all that in mind, and given many Albanian young men get sucked into criminal gangs already established here, it is perhaps understandable why they should be repatriated back to Albania, I believe I read that they are needed there to rebuild the country, given many of their population have already left for greener pastures.

One thing I learnt from having my DNA analysed, how many of my ancestors came to England from other parts of Europe and stayed, so in many ways I understand those desires. However, different days and our country is small and certainly in the south east overcrowded with an inadequate housing stock that doesn't meet the needs of the population.

Katie59

“Why can’t they get on a plane and arrive here legally”

Because they cannot get an entry visa, foreign nationals are vetted very carefully before they are given a visa.

Some of them are prevented from leaving their country of origin too or have to leave quickly. Most Eritreans aren't allowed passports or travel documents.

“Why can’t they get on a plane and arrive here legally”

Because they cannot get an entry visa, foreign nationals are vetted very carefully before they are given a visa.

However there is always a however isnt there?
😂
Nothing is clear and straightforward with most gov. policy it seems to me.
No doubt I'm at fault.

Just had a look online. The Home Office decided that the weekly allowance for asylum seekers was to be increased from £39.63 to £40.85 from January this year. However (there’s also a ‘however’ isn’t there?) it isn’t clear to me whether that means the people who are in hotels who are obviously getting their accommodation and meals provided.

Calendargirl you may be right, I was only repeating what I’d heard before. Actually the allowance I heard was £39 something, so I just put £40. Happy to be corrected if wrong though.

I really do not understand it........Everywhere we look we see companies, stores, restaurants, services etc saying that theyare cutting back ontheir hours, etc due to lack of staff.

With these immigrants, most of them young adults - we have an ideal source of labour - of only government had the will and intention of getting them processed speeddilhy and into work for their own sakes as well as for the community.

Immigrants' accommodation can be as efficiently system built as the wartime prefabs some of which I understsnd are still habitable.

However we must not create ghettos. The sooner immigrants are in the community and at school or college the better.

What is entirely bad and unacceptable is the utter inefficiency of the government in their lack of provision for short term or long term accommodation of immigtants.

It's not possible these politicians are as stupid as they seem. One must conclude they have some reason for their lack of foresight.

Which of us here would like to briefly sum up the ethos of the Conservative Party?

PS. They're not asylum seekers. I was answering Baggs' question.

Baggs

How does it work in other countries? Surely our Home Office could learn from countries where seeking asylum is simpler, if such exist.

Interesting statistic from this year's census: (from the Guardian) one on six people living in the England and Wales was born outside the UK. I wonder how that compares with other European countries.

The people who were born outside the UK include the King's father, the prime minister's parents, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt's wife, Kemi Badenoch's parents, Suella Braverman's parents, Nadhim Zahawi, James Cleverly's mother, most of the players in the Premier League.

Sweden and Switzerland have approximately a quarter of the population born outside their countries. Germany has nearly one in five.

I've posted this before, the gap between asylum applications and processing. It is noticeable that the gap widens after the tory introduction of austerity post 2010. The Home Office suffered cuts, just as did other government departments. That the processing time has become much much longer after cuts to the department isn't exactly a surprise, is it?

Clearly one strand of the solution must be to put more money into the Home Office for the recruitment and training of more staff to process applications faster. But with vicious 'austerity2' just around the corner this isn't going to happen, is it?

The Home Office is notorious for incompetence and delay. Look at the Windrush scandal and how glacially slowly that has been sorted out. It needs a competent Minister in charge with a clear strategy for sorting it out, not a racist ideologue determined to stoke hatred and division.

The UK takes the fewest of all EU countries, and is NOT overpopulated, at all. Its services are being deliberately run down- that is why schools are over subscribed and you can't get a GP appointment, or are on a waiting list.

Calendargirl

On a regional news programme the other night, an immigration lawyer maintained the allowance given to asylum seekers was £8 a week, not £40 maddyone.

(Not saying she was right and you wrong, just repeating what was said).

From what I understand the allowance varies.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/02/migrant-centre-attacker-planned-to-obliterate-muslim-children-in-final-tweet

On a regional news programme the other night, an immigration lawyer maintained the allowance given to asylum seekers was £8 a week, not £40 maddyone.

(Not saying she was right and you wrong, just repeating what was said).

I remember visiting someone in one of those prefabs when I was a child. It was quite a nice little one storey house in London, light and bright and convenient for shops etc.

paddyanne54 I do agree that those who have transferable skills along with good English (spoken and written) should be allowed to work.

I think if you're desperate enough to get in a wee boat ,often with children then you take priority .
Sofa surfers,not something we hear much in my neck of the wood have a roof over their heads ,The homeless problem will never be solved,though there were nights during the pandemic when there were less than 10 people sleeping in Glasgow streets ,many went back out when the weather was less harsh ,mainly because they weren't allowed to use drugs or have a dog in the hostels .
Whether they come from war torn countries or places where they wold be persecuted for their religion or sexuality is immaterial .They must be allowed to work ,many have skills we desperately need and bored people will be happy to work and pay their way ,

Summerlove

It’s almost like the system is set up to fail, or promote trafficking

Makes you wonder doesnt it?

As maddyone said it's a very hard problem to find a solution to.

I would like to know where these desperate people are going to live. A hotel is only a temporary fix

It can take upwards of 1 1/2 years to get a judgement on whether or not they can stay, they are being supported (and only an inhumane society would want them not to be) by the U.K. Government.

We have a social housing crisis in the U.K. , rents can be astronomical, and some properties are sub standard.

It is an enormous mountain to climb, housing stock cannot be magicked out of the air. Should the Government be looking at pre-fab style homes (similar to post war) or even invest in the modern day modular buildings.

Who should have preference, asylum seekers, those who are sofa surfing , those living on the streets?

If anyone has a solution I suggest you write to your MP and the Immigration minister they may be grateful for an idea?

Has everyone been sleeping through the passage of the Nationality and Borders Bill 2022?
Wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve missed what these revised measures say because there have been so many political shenanigans taking place.
I believe this Bill undermines international human rights.

From what I can gather (others can correct me), the French have offered to set up processing centres in France where asylum seekers can be evaluated before they attempt to leave. Of course, we'd have to fund such an arrangement.

Wouldn't this take some of the pressure off our under-staffed, under-funded department? Not to mention lessening the numbers 'invading' our shores?

The government have declined the offer.

How does it work in other countries? Surely our Home Office could learn from countries where seeking asylum is simpler, if such exist.

Interesting statistic from this year's census: (from the Guardian) one on six people living in the England and Wales was born outside the UK. I wonder how that compares with other European countries.