Why do Asylum Seekers cross the channel on small boats

Yes, well said, Babs.

Well said Babs

I don't think I can blame people seeking asylum for the fact that I can't get near an NHS dentist. Any money I have is going on paying for root canal work. No chance for implants or cosmetic work. Its grossly unfair.

How is this the fault of refegees?

@primrose53
Upon reaching our shores AS are sent to detention centres where a doctor will check their overall health. Many are malnourished and dehydrated, some have serious mental health problems as a result of being exposed to war or brutal regimes or have untreated wounds from torture that could be infected. Also there is a risk of disease entering tge country.
So yes they do have access to a doctor, dentists not do much so but if bad oral hygiene due to malnutrition is diagnosed I suppose they will see a dentist.
Our problems with seeing a doctor or dentist are down to cut backs in funding, not AS.

ExDancer

I am one of those who would really like to know if they find the reality of life in Britain disappointing after spending their life's savings as well as sometimes risking their lives to get here.
Does the reality meet their dreams I wonder?

In many cases no. Worked as a volunteer with AS, and it really wasn’t so much their dreams that brought them here but desperation. They miss their homeland, their families, the sense of belonging that they will now never truly feel.

Babs03

Illegal immigration is an issue, especially people traffickers who put innocent peoples lives at risk, but let’s get this straight these people are innocent, their only crime is desperation because nobody who isn’t desperate would sell everything they have to pay traffickers to load them onto a dodgy overcrowded dinghy knowing they could drown.
Blaming the powerless is preferred by incompetent governments but is counterintuitive, surely we should be blaming the powerful.
There should be legal routes for immigrants to use, since Brexit a lack of cross Europe cooperation has led to the situation we have now. Starmer needs to repair relations with our EU neighbours and put in place processing centres in Germany and France for starters where immigrants can plead their cases and be processed initially before coming to the UK.
Years have been wasted on useless propaganda inspired by Brexit. Now it is time for the grown ups to come back in the room.
And a lack of infrastructure/housing in the UK is not down to immigrants but again government incompetence.
Time to point at the real culprits here.

Absolutely! Well said!

Cadeby

I can't understand if these conversations are driven by genuine fear that England will sink under the weight of refugees or something else.

The fact that we can't get near a doctor, a dentist or a council house is not the fault of people arriving here recently by boat.

👏👏👏

I am one of those who would really like to know if they find the reality of life in Britain disappointing after spending their life's savings as well as sometimes risking their lives to get here.
Does the reality meet their dreams I wonder?

Cadeby

I can't understand if these conversations are driven by genuine fear that England will sink under the weight of refugees or something else.

The fact that we can't get near a doctor, a dentist or a council house is not the fault of people arriving here recently by boat.

Remember the old proverb “you can’t get a quart into a pint pot”?

We cannot see a GP for two weeks at least and Dentists are as rare as hens teeth yet illegal immigrants have instant access to both. How can that be right or fair when we have lived and worked here all our lives?

Illegal immigration is an issue, especially people traffickers who put innocent peoples lives at risk, but let’s get this straight these people are innocent, their only crime is desperation because nobody who isn’t desperate would sell everything they have to pay traffickers to load them onto a dodgy overcrowded dinghy knowing they could drown.
Blaming the powerless is preferred by incompetent governments but is counterintuitive, surely we should be blaming the powerful.
There should be legal routes for immigrants to use, since Brexit a lack of cross Europe cooperation has led to the situation we have now. Starmer needs to repair relations with our EU neighbours and put in place processing centres in Germany and France for starters where immigrants can plead their cases and be processed initially before coming to the UK.
Years have been wasted on useless propaganda inspired by Brexit. Now it is time for the grown ups to come back in the room.
And a lack of infrastructure/housing in the UK is not down to immigrants but again government incompetence.
Time to point at the real culprits here.

2 excellent posts Cossy, it's too easy for people to criticise asylum seekers who have been left with no legal means of entering the UK to claim asylum and have no alternative but to risk their lives in small boats. Next time you're on a cross channel ferry take a look at the surrounding seas and ask yourself would you risk it in a rubber dinghy for a dingy, shared hotel room and £8.86 p.w. catered or £49.18 p.w. self catered and the government doesn't allow them to work whilst awaiting a decision.

Population density - we rank 8th after India on population density if we take England and not the combined Uk populations. Someone really is pulling the wool ….

I can't understand if these conversations are driven by genuine fear that England will sink under the weight of refugees or something else.

The fact that we can't get near a doctor, a dentist or a council house is not the fault of people arriving here recently by boat.

Sq km

For complete clarity
Population density in 2022
Per sq I’m
England. 438
Wales 151
N Ireland 141
Scotland 70

I also know that Scotland has a long history of welcoming immigrants.

Chestnut

Mollygo So far all suggestions, Rwanda, Bibby Stockholm, etc have been rejected.
Exactly, this is the problem. Any attempt to discourage or remove them is blocked. Even when they try and deport criminals there are people dragging them off the airplane trying to keep them here. And people on TV with placards saying 'migrants welcome' is only going to encourage more.

Exactly. 👏👏

For some reason the story of Syrian refugees going to Rothesay always struck a chord with me. I wonder how it worked out for them. A big change all round.

It strikes me Scotland is doing a far better job of welcoming people.

Of course its not a case of " Send them to Scotland" or " Send them to Rwanda"

M0nica

No it isn't. On a list of the world popularion density by by quantity we come 52.

In Europe the Netherlands and Belgium have denser population than us, as do, Japan, South Korea.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_densitys

Thanks for that MOnica. I knew that the UK is nowhere near the most densely populated area, but was too lazy to look up the stats.

No it isn't. On a list of the world popularion density by by quantity we come 52.

In Europe the Netherlands and Belgium have denser population than us, as do, Japan, South Korea.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_densitys

nanna8

I chat to a group of Vietnamese migrants quite often. They still have parents and family back in Vietnam and they send money back there to assist the older ones because they don’t have pensions or any government help and if you can’t work, have no close family or support, you can starve. That is why many of them like to come and I suppose it is the same with the UK. We wouldn’t let anyone here die of starvation and I assume the UK wouldn’t,either. Economic migrants I suppose but they work very hard.They don’t come on boats,though, and are checked out before they stay. Difference.

But the people who choose to come to the UK and obtain a visa have used a legal route and the UK needs those people. I wish people would stop conflating legal immigration, which constitutes the majority, and those arriving by irregular means, most of whom are fleeing danger.

ronib

England is so seriously overpopulated.

Why is it more serious than in more densely populated countries? Only 11% of the UK's land is built on.

England is so seriously overpopulated.

Yes why not?

ronib

I couldn’t understand why Scotland wasn’t chosen instead of Rwanda?

They do go there but it’s still better than the places they left

Sorry? You want to send refugees to Scotland? What on earth are you talking about?