Capsized boat in the channel - 30 to 50 on board

HousePlantQueen

Just a quick reminder again to the hard of thinking; the very people demonising 'economic migrants' ie Sunak, Patel, Braverman etc are all children born in the UK to parents who decided to move to another country to improve the lives and prospects for their families. *They were economic migrants*

Most of the people on the boat on Wednesday were Afghans, including women and children.

The 'blood' is on the hands of this government who have deliberately failed to do anything like this - so intent are they are building up hatred against these poor people.

Absolutely Franbern. I wasn't listening carefully and had the sound turned down a bit, but I thought I just heard the man from the RNLI call this "competitive migration". Whether he did or didn't that is exactly what our government has turned it into. My immediate thoughts went to the film "They shoot horses, don't they?"

Whitewavemark2

25Avalon

This is why this migration by small boats needs to be stopped. Not only are these migrants risking their lives in freezing cold waters but now local people can’t access A&E either. Emergency services are searching in awful conditions. There has to be a better way. We either stop it completely like Australia or we have a better system in place for migrants to legally apply. The traffickers who organise the boats have blood on their hands.

They need easy and identifiable routes.

They need to be able to check in to a centre at the French coast and then be taken to the U.K. by Ferry where their application for asylum is dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Once identified as a refugee they can then work and help fill all the vacant posts.

Those minority who are not deemed to be refugees should be sent back to their own country asap.

Simple - but not apparently for this government who appears to be unable to organise a piss-up in a brewery.

IF....our government really meant what they say about stopping the traffickers -then this is exactly what needs to be done as outlined by WW
The 'blood' is on the hands of this government who have deliberately failed to do anything like this - so intent are they are building up hatred against these poor people.

How many more are going to need to die in this and other dreadful ways, before the UK Government is actually forced to start obeying international law??

Just a quick reminder again to the hard of thinking; the very people demonising 'economic migrants' ie Sunak, Patel, Braverman etc are all children born in the UK to parents who decided to move to another country to improve the lives and prospects for their families. They were economic migrants

Did anyone listen to this year’s Reith Lectures The Four Freedoms? Particularly relevant might be the Freedom from Want and the Freedom from Fear.

Have a listen. Very powerful.

And Bang goes the they were all economic migrants theory, there were 12 unaccompanied children on the boat, and it says that women and children are amongst those still fighting for their lives in hospital. Surely some compassion is called for.
news.sky.com/story/teen-among-four-people-who-died-in-channel-tragedy-and-at-least-12-unaccompanied-children-rescued-12768723

VioletSky

It's genuinely depressing around here at the moment

There always seems to be at least one tragedy before Christmas.

Or perhaps it's because everything is felt more keenly in the season of goodwill.

We must never forget the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster.

Please support the RNLI. They are all brave volunteers.

GrannyGravy13

I am an old school Conservative, my heart breaks at what is happening in the U.K. at the moment.

Do you listen to The Rest is Politics podcast? That’s pretty much where Rory Stewart is at the moment.

GrannyGravy it is very depressing. It will change - I'm very fond of "this too shall pass" to keep me going.

I am an old school Conservative, my heart breaks at what is happening in the U.K. at the moment.

It's genuinely depressing around here at the moment

volver

God's not going to help them out. God didn't help them much in their home countries, did he?

I presume they'll get their reward in Heaven.

Let's hope it's worth it.

On another thread today somebody said it was the first time that posts on GN had made her weep. This thread’s the same.

It seems to me there are 2 things going on here.

There are people who cannot conceive that they or their families could ever be in such a situation. They can’t conceive that they might have been born into a situation which is untenable for them, where their very existence is threatened daily. Where they can’t live the life they want. Not flat screen TVs and “the latest iPhone”, just daily life, unthreatened and with the prospect of an education and a job for themselves and their families. “I’d just stay in Qatar” indeed. Anyone who cites the Australian model for stopping migrants arriving by sea has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. People went mad because of that policy. People took their own lives. I for one would not want to live in a country that looks at that model now and thinks, “oh, that’s a good idea”.

Then there are those that are so worried about their tax and where its going. There’s the so-called significant amount “given” to France recently. £8million. A day’s cost for hotel accommodation. That’s not significant, its negligible. As for £2bn a year on hotel accommodation? That’s less than a quarter of the money that was wasted on useless PPE during the pandemic. It’s about 3% of the money given to Dido Harding’s team for a test and trace system that didn’t work. Then there’s the people who think an extra 40,000 people a year are crippling the NHS and the education system, and it's them who are stopping British people accessing services. It’s 12 years of Tory government that are stopping people accessing services.

This is GN Cliché, I know – but there are some days I do despair.

God's not going to help them out. God didn't help them much in their home countries, did he?

Exactly

They can be rescued with God all things are possible

MaizieD

25Avalon

This is why this migration by small boats needs to be stopped. Not only are these migrants risking their lives in freezing cold waters but now local people can’t access A&E either. Emergency services are searching in awful conditions. There has to be a better way. We either stop it completely like Australia or we have a better system in place for migrants to legally apply. The traffickers who organise the boats have blood on their hands.

All we need to do is to stop demonising these poor people, provide a safe route and process their asylum applications promptly and effectively once they get here. Tories are playing with these people's lives by using them as a political strategy.

We will never stop them trying to get here.

Exactly.

I'm horrified at (thankfully) a few comments on this thread that lack any empathy let alone grace

Those poor people, try to just think fir a moment, would you risk such a crossing if you felt safe and welcome?

These are human beings, someone's children, someone's grandchildren

Honestly die a little inside reading far too many awful comments lately by people who would cry "bully!" If I told them what their comments actually show the rest of us about them

I’ve thought of people in this country who couldn’t raise £50 or £500 yet alone £5,000. How do you know families clubbed together?

If I wanted to get to my brother in Australia and made it safely to Qatar I wouldn’t risk my life to get there by putting to sea in an unseaworthy vessel, especially not as the Australians would turn me away for doing so.

Coming to this late so apologies if someone has mentioned this but the government imo are going about this the wrong way in that they seem to be trying to target the gangs responsible when they should be removing the need for people to use these gangs. Which is probably far too compassionate and sensible for them.

25Avalon

growstuff

25Avalon

They had £5000 each and were in a safe country ie France.

How do you know?

The ones who speak English told the fishermen who picked them up they had paid £5,000 for the trip.It was reported on Sky News. 40 in an inflatable at £5,000 each. It’s big money for the traffickers.

Aha! So they didn't have £5000 on them at the time. Have you thought that their families and friends might have clubbed together to find the £5000?

25Avalon

growstuff

25Avalon

Refugees are forced to flee to save their lives. A migrant chooses to move. These are migrants not refugees.

How do you know?

What are they fleeing from when they are in a safe country?

How do you even know where they're from or anything about their background?

25Avalon

growstuff

25Avalon

Refugees are forced to flee to save their lives. A migrant chooses to move. These are migrants not refugees.

How do you know?

What are they fleeing from when they are in a safe country?

Let’s put it another way 25Avalon. The UK has a catastrophic disaster, and your brother lives in Australia. He offers you safe haven. To get there you have to go in two stages, with a stopover in Qatar. When you arrive at Qatar you are told that it’s a safe country, and refused the option of travelling to Australia because their government doesn’t want pensioners, they are a drain on resources. How would you feel?

growstuff

25Avalon

Refugees are forced to flee to save their lives. A migrant chooses to move. These are migrants not refugees.

How do you know?

What are they fleeing from when they are in a safe country?

growstuff

25Avalon

They had £5000 each and were in a safe country ie France.

How do you know?

The ones who speak English told the fishermen who picked them up they had paid £5,000 for the trip.It was reported on Sky News. 40 in an inflatable at £5,000 each. It’s big money for the traffickers.