Asylum seekers

Maudi

The EU must be a terrible place if people are terrified of applying for asylum there (who knew) and have to pay vast sums of money to illegal smuggling gangs to cross the chanel in a dinghy to come to the UK.

Some people are very naive.

Some people don’t do any fact checking, and have no compassion for the plight of others. Other people try much harder to understand, do fact check and have empathy.

I have a friend who lives in a sea side town in south west England. She phoned me yesterday in a state. She said a hotel in the town had been given.ovet to 'refugees'. She said she is afraid to go out, terrified her house will get burgled and she doesn't want to live near 'those sort of people'. Oh dear. No compassion there.

The UK must be a terrible place if fewer migrants want to come here than want to go to the US, Germany, France , Sweden etc..
Logic?

Kate1949

I have a friend who lives in a sea side town in south west England. She phoned me yesterday in a state. She said a hotel in the town had been given.ovet to 'refugees'. She said she is afraid to go out, terrified her house will get burgled and she doesn't want to live near 'those sort of people'. Oh dear. No compassion there.

Ilfracombe?

Katie59

growstuff

Nobody's saying that an ID card would have to be carried around at all times, but it could prove useful to people who don't have the sorts of ID people usually use for picking up post, proving age, etc.

Not much point having an ID if you leave it at home.

Well, yes there is.

I have only ever used ID for specific purposes (picking up post, applying for jobs, benefits, rented accommodation, opening a savings account, registering with a GP, etc). I have ID (although it's sometimes a faff getting together what's needed), but some people don't. It would be useful for people to apply for an ID card if they wanted one - I would probably get one anyway because it would be easier than having to find two or three pieces of ID when needed.

People such as black males in London, who are often stopped by the police, might find them useful to show who they are.

The government is apparently introducing Voter Cards, which will be a form of ID, before next year's elections:

The Elections Bill makes provision for an “Electoral Identity Document” to be provided free of charge, to ensure that all electors have access to an accepted form of identification – this will be a free Voter Card, issued by local authorities.

Detailed information on how the Voter Card policy will be implemented will be set out in secondary legislation in due course. The government’s current intentions are set out below.

Information on the card
The information on the Voter Card will be kept to a minimum – it will show the elector’s name and photograph, the local authority that issued the card, and a card number. This is the essential information required for the voting process, and in taking this approach we have deliberately sought to ensure inclusivity (though more information, such as the elector’s address and date of birth, will necessarily be required to apply for and receive a card).

The elector’s date of birth has been intentionally excluded for Great Britain. The government does not intend for this card to be used for demonstrating proof of age. This is consistent with the fact we have always been clear that this policy will not introduce a national identity card by the back door; the Voter Card is solely for the purpose of supporting the democratic process.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-identification-at-polling-stations-and-the-new-voter-card/protecting-the-integrity-of-our-elections-voter-identification-at-polling-stations-and-the-new-voter-card

There is very little election fraud in the UK so we have to ask why is the government so keen to spend a huge amount of money on a Voter Card.

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/electoral-fraud-data

i wonder what kind of ID will be required to be produced in order to apply for the voter card...

Katie59

growstuff

Nobody's saying that an ID card would have to be carried around at all times, but it could prove useful to people who don't have the sorts of ID people usually use for picking up post, proving age, etc.

Not much point having an ID if you leave it at home.

That point rather did occur to me. All these tales of relatives in other countries who never take their ID card around with them does rather invoke that question.

What is the point of an ID card if no-one wants to see it and you can leave it at home? It's just more expense and bureaucracy....for what

I had to smile at my friend mentioned above. She is always telling me how dreadful it is for refugees and asylum seekers and how sorry she is for them. The minute they house some in her area she is writing to her MP and councillor to get them moved.
Is this what they call nimbyism?

Jackiest

There is very little election fraud in the UK so we have to ask why is the government so keen to spend a huge amount of money on a Voter Card.

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/electoral-fraud-data

There were 6 cases of voter fraud in the last election out of 32m votes cast.

The government aren't paying for it, it's up to local councils to deliver these free ID cards, which will be quite expensive for areas with elderly populations who've given up driving and let their passports lapse, and poor areas where people neither drive nor travel abroad. There are approximately 2m such people.

I read yesterday that in parts of Kent there aren’t enough school places now for Y7 and Y9 local children as migrants need them and the local kids can’t get their first choice schools and some are being bussed by their council to schools 20 miles away. Their families are furious.

Where did you read that UG?

varian

Where did you read that UG?

Probably the Daily Express.

Urmston, Kent isn’t the only place where children struggle to get their first choice and have to travel.
Austerity, cuts, 12 years of Tory misrule are factors but let’s not politics get in the way of demonising asylum seekers.

I’m beginning to suspect that this government is deliberately stirring up antagonism towards refugees and asylum seekers in order to gain support for draconian legislation that was passed earlier this year.
www.stylist.co.uk/news/clause-9-explained-nationality-and-borders-bill/608857

hallgreenmiss

I’m beginning to suspect that this government is deliberately stirring up antagonism towards refugees and asylum seekers in order to gain support for draconian legislation that was passed earlier this year.
www.stylist.co.uk/news/clause-9-explained-nationality-and-borders-bill/608857

That is probably true

Kent does bear the greatest load simply because this is where the small boats and previously the lorries arrive from the continent. As far as I know Kent have taken responsibility fir all the under 18s ( and their families) as well as the majority of the rest. This means there is a great shortage of school places in certain areas.
If the rest of the country took their share it would improve the conditions of these people, the majority of whom have lost everything because the cost of keeping so many people by one council is crippling and while in no way condoning it, results in the scandal of Manston.

HousePlantQueen

varian

Where did you read that UG?

Probably the Daily Express.

It’s headlining in many local Kent Newspapers and Kentonline

GrannyGravy13

HousePlantQueen

varian

Where did you read that UG?

Probably the Daily Express.

It’s headlining in many local Kent Newspapers and Kentonline

I am sure there is a shortage of school places, housing, GP appts etc., in those towns which are housing refugees and asylum seekers, but only a fool would believe that taking a few asylum seekers and refugees out of their miserable hotel rooms will magic up good quality housing, education and health care for everyone else. 40,000 people are waiting to be processed (I hate that word), if they all suddenly left, went back to where they came from, do you seriously believe that the people living on the Kent coast would then have decent affordable housing? A new school? Maybe even one of the 40 new hospitals? Give me a break

Urmstongran

I read yesterday that in parts of Kent there aren’t enough school places now for Y7 and Y9 local children as migrants need them and the local kids can’t get their first choice schools and some are being bussed by their council to schools 20 miles away. Their families are furious.

I would be furious too - with the government failing to process the cases so that the people granted asylum (70% of these cases are valid) can move on.

maddyone

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'm late to this thread, but wanted to add ...
About 25 years ago a bunch of friends and I had a weekend in Blackpool. Mini bus in the car park had the hubcaps stolen.. And how many catalytic converters have been stolen from cars in driveways (I used to live in London, it was a regular occurrence). Not just an Albanian problem.

I had a 5 day break in Albania in 2019, organised by a Bulgarian friend who likes to offer trips off the beaten track. We had 2 days in Tirana, the Capital, with a local guide. So much history! But, he said, there's a lot of corruption in local government. The other 3 days we were in Durres, a seaside resort (with a Roman amphitheatre). Fabulous hotel, average food, lots of history again. Trip to Berat, Ottoman and Byzantine attractions. Saw a few beggars, although we certainly weren't on a tourist area, children in tattered clothes, I believe money is very tight for the average person. And earthquakes - a week before we arrived, and a very severe one not long after, buildings reduced to rubble. Indeed, the Roman amphitheatre at Durres was only found when there was an earthquake and parts were brought to the surface. It could really do with a tourist influx - the beach we were on was lovely. Unfortunately stray dogs are a problem, and are taken and poisoned. I witnessed someone going to pick up a stone to throw at a passing dog - my instinctive scream on seeing that stopped them.

Pretty country, Government corruption, few jobs, little in the way of money for "fun"; our guide (in his mid-50's) told us neither of his parents could read or write; 1945 Census says over 81% of the Country were illiterate.

Interesting LondonMzFitz

Thanks LondonMzFitz for your first hand experience. Greece has a large community of Albanian workers, keeping tourism and agriculture well staffed. Many Albanian families have settled, some work 7 days a week,long hours throughout the season, returning to Albania for the winter.

There were quite a lot of Albanian people in southern Italy pre-pandemic. I haven't been back since but they were working in the fields/olive groves and apparently construction sites.