Asylum seekers

I think we have to move away from the idea that countries are being abandoned and that all they need is a bit more money and it would be fine.

Asylum seekers are leaving countries where they feel persecuted or unsafe. There might not be war there, but it could be persecution of minorities, gay people perhaps. We could give as much money as we like to China but it won't stop them persecuting Uighurs.

In my opinion, we have to understand the difference between asylum seekers and economic migrants. There is a huge difference. I've been an economic migrant in 2 different countries, but I've never been an asylum seeker.

I just can't see how people can just expect to turn up in another country and expect to be able to live there. How many of you would expect to go to another country and expect to be housed, fed and find a job? Yes of course we thank our lucky stars it isn't any of us crossing the channel or leaving our families but wouldn't it be better if wealthy countries such as ours helped financially the countries that are being abandoned?

An outbreak of agreement here...

If only we had a functioning Home Office that would improve the chances of finding these people and deporting them if they are not allowed to be here.

Instead we have a Home Office which demonises families and wants people to think they are all being put up in 4* luxury. Did anyone hear that caller to James O'Brien this week who insisted asylum seekers were all given free cars?

I've seen the videos of boatloads arriving on shores of seaside towns and the migrants running up the beaches to disappear into the streets. Not noticed or registered. Who employs them? Provides accomodation etc? These ones won't qualify for benefits etc and will always just be unregistered. Not a great life hiding from authorities.

Exactly, I agree GG13. So for people who want to work under the radar, and people who want to employ them, the absence of an ID card is no barrier.

volver

Whoever you are, you have to prove you have a right to work here. Even if you were born here/have citizenship. ID cards have nothing to do with it. Although I believe that people are told it's easier for them because we don't have ID cards.

Not true though.

There are always ways to work under the radar cash is king, especially when it’s in your hand, no tax no NI no questions.

Whoever you are, you have to prove you have a right to work here. Even if you were born here/have citizenship. ID cards have nothing to do with it. Although I believe that people are told it's easier for them because we don't have ID cards.

Not true though.

Albanians come here because they know that , unlike in Germany or France, we don’t have ID cards so it’s easy to work under the radar. They also know the Home Office is so inefficient they can easily disappear during the years it takes for anyone to get their claims processed.

Re the Albanians: given that, according to the BBC news item, the vastly increased traffic of young Albanian men is triggered by social media, then surely the government should employ the same tactics to discourage them? A blizzard of posts, pictures and threads of how unpleasant life is likely to be for them and how potentially dangerous it is to be involved with these gangs might deter them. Of course this should go along with weeding them out on arrival and sending them back at the Albanian government's expense.
This could only be a benefit for genuine refugees.

nanna8

Hate to say it at this time but we were warned about criminals based in the Ukraine and some sort of Ukrainian mafia.

Ukraine has a long history of corruption, mafia, and far right fascist militia including the infamous Azov Battalion, but that doesn't mean that there are not genuine refugees who need asylum at this time.

However, the idea that they should be lined-up to join NATO or the EU is wide off the mark, IMO.

Those who keep ranting on about economic migrants may need reminding that both Braverman and Patel the worst Home Secretaries we have ever had, are children of economic migrants.

Hate to say it at this time but we were warned about criminals based in the Ukraine and some sort of Ukrainian mafia.

When we were on holiday in Montenegro a few years ago, the car hire company we rented our car from warned us not to go into Albania with the car. Apparently it was likely have parts stolen from it, or the whole car stolen. You can all make of that what you will. We didn’t go into Albania for that reason.
Recently we were on holiday in Corfu. You can see Albania from Corfu, it’s very near. There were boat excursions to Albania and then you get a coach to an important historical site, or you could just stay in the village where you arrived. We would have liked to have gone and visited the historical site (Roman I think but could have been Greek) but it was a bit late in the season and we couldn’t fit it in as not as many excursions were going. Another time maybe.

I see that the idiot who bombed the Dover immigrant centre and then blew himself up was motivated by right wing ideology.

Well, what a surprise.

Anyone but the hard of thinking will have worked that out.

To the above.
I’ve seen actual photos of the fields, it’s mind blowing, and that’s not a pun.
They were shown to me by a friend who had his business shut down by Albanians.

Annaram
They’ve got a lot of this as well.

www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/albania-seventh-globally-for-cannabis-cultivation-and-distribution/

There's a line in one of the James Plays when a father is trying to get his son to come home from Italy.

The son says that ordinary men in Italy have angels painted on the walls of their houses, but being rich in Scotland just means you have a few more wet sheep.

Thinking of that always makes me laugh.

Some Albanians who have arrived in England say there is nothing in Albania except sheep. So many Albanian children have come to England that their schools are closing due to lack of pupils. Those left say their favourite subject is English as they will need it in England. Some Albanians say that Albania will be empty of people as they will all be in England.

Oh yes, I’m with you. This bill is a disgrace.

Government has only itself to blame for not creating a safe and efficient means by which asylum seekers can claim asylum from abroad. Many asylum seekers are educated and skilled - just the kind of people the UK needs for economic growth. Let them work rather than detaining them. Let's grow up and not waste time vilifying refugees like Braverman does. Sunak should sack her.

Minimum wage in Germany is 12 euros per hour and France just under that. So why risk the channel crossing?

I'm sure there are lots of charming Albanians and lots of other charming people in the world, but Albania is not at war they are economic migrants or worse engaging in criminal activity when they get here most are not claiming asylum they just disappear off the boats,they have paid the smuggling gangs vast amounts of money to arrive on a dinghy why not book a plane ticket if they are genuine or catch the ferry. You can go on holiday to Albanian its quite safe there.

I suspect there are different reasons as to why they want to come here. The biggest pull appears to be the very low level of wages in Albania, apparently the minimum wage in the UK is ten times more than that in Albania. Perhaps they don’t take into account that the cost of living is probably ten times higher too. Some obviously get pulled into the criminal gangs and that is a serious problem for us all. Some may be trafficked. Some may intend to go home when they’ve made their ‘fortune’ and others may not. Whatever their motives there is now an industry set up to get them here, according to the BBC news report last night. What to do about it? Well obviously the immigration/asylum process needs to be vastly improved. Is that going to happen? Well I’m not holding my breath, so the consequences will continue to be felt by us all, and Gransnetters can continue to fall out about it.

That's harsh Maudi. I'm sure there are lots of charming Albanian people here who have come through legitimate channels and for good reasons.
I was wondering this morning why they want to come to the UK. The hourly rate in Germany and France is not much less than here so why bother trying to come here?

Nobody is advocating letting them all in.

Either you are not understanding that, or you are wilfully misrepresenting the situation.

Either way....