Why do Asylum Seekers cross the channel on small boats

If the UK had a surplus of accommodation and nobody was sleeping in vans tents etc I think people would be a lot more welcoming.
But people are selfish and very NIMBY. They don't want refugees or homeless hostals next to their homes.
So how many on here who have a spare bedroom or 2 would offer that to a refugee or someone sleeping in a tent? And how many defending the boats would be happy to have a refugee house that housed say 6 people next door and would welcome them?
People defending the boats and feeling sorry for the people online behind a keyboard, or standing in a peaceful protest is one thing.
But if it was next door or in your house would you be happy with that?
Latest is Labour plans to renovate buildings throughout the UK and scatter these boat people in various locations to help them integrate better.
So soon they could be your neighbours.

sazzl our area houses nationalities from all over the world and that’s definitely not a problem. It certainly keeps the local hospital working. However does Labour propose to allow all boat people to stay without a valid legal reason? Just by virtue of having travelled here via a dinghy in the Channel? Wouldn’t it make sense to have a better alternative system for gaining asylum before risking life on a dinghy?

But ronib that is just a personal response. The people living in Monaco - and Singapore and Hong Kong are clearly quite happy living there -. Some people in some countries would consider someone living within a mile of them was overcrowding.

Jersey and Guernsey are 14th and 15th in the list of most densey populated countries. now my knowledge of the Channel Islands is limited to a day trip to St Helier, but I did not get the impression of an overpopulated island.

M0nica have you seen Monaco? It’s my idea of hell. Yes a personal response.
Interesting to read that tax has been abolished in Monaco.
Alderney is definitely worth a visit. It’s not over populated and quite different in many ways.
It’s a long time since I dabbled in demography so I can’t quite remember the point I was trying to make…..

MayBee70

ronib

MayBee70 You have heard of the Taliban?
What is your take on them?

I don’t understand your point. We left the Afghan people to the hands of the Taliban, that’s why so many are persecuted and are trying to escape (especially the ones that worked for us that we totally let down).

Believe we are still allowing Afghans to come here. They didn't all help you know, many turned cowards and blew up allied forces whilst they were at rest. No bleeding heart here I'm afraid.

What a vile comment about Afgans.

That comment is indeed vile.
In my town and many others, people from Afghanistan top the list of nationalities seeking refuge.
no bleeding heart here I’m afraid

You sound proud of your attitude. What would you do if fate had you born in Afghanistan rather than this country? As a woman and mother of daughters, I’d do everything possible to get us to a country where we’d be safe and able to build good lives.

One family descended from a woman who was a role model for me and many others. She’d been put on a kindertransport in Vienna. Her parents and entire extended family died in the camps. Her family included doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, artists and more.
Many who have the resources to seek a better life or simply to try and live are resilient with a lot to offer host countries
Well said Iam.

However, we are extremely fortunate, through an accident of birth, to be living in a democracy where, within our fairly liberal laws, we are allowed to live as ourselves, free to express our views safely and not involved in wars within our own country.

There but for the grace of god…

I agree; we are not somehow more worthy to be living where we are. It is pure luck!

But if it was next door or in your house would you be happy with that?

I would be very happy! There is an empty 3 bedroom house next to me, and the old couple who own it aren't able to live there any more or to let it; it is deteriorating. In my town there are asylum seekers being helped by local people, and I would be glad also to help support asylum seekers if they lived there.

Our AC served in Afghanistan.

What Freya5 said is true, there were 457 U.K. service personnel killed in Afghanistan 405 of which were killed by hostile forces.

7,436 were injured requiring hospitalisation in field hospitals.
616 serious casualties in action

Not every Afghani is a member of the Taliban, but many were and still are.

I applaud those who helped the allied forces to the detriment of themselves and their families, but I am also able to acknowledge the reality of war in Afghanistan.

I’m sure you’re right GrannyGravy13, but presumably the Home Office will be verifying the claims against the records kept by our forces of their aid, to ensure that the asylum seekers’ credentials stack up? There was acknowledgment at the time that not all eligible Afghans were helped, remember those awful scenes at the airport?

Casdon

I’m sure you’re right GrannyGravy13, but presumably the Home Office will be verifying the claims against the records kept by our forces of their aid, to ensure that the asylum seekers’ credentials stack up? There was acknowledgment at the time that not all eligible Afghans were helped, remember those awful scenes at the airport?

I cannot forget those scenes.

The USA set a date to withdraw and the U.K. was not equipped to remain on its own. (We had been closing down FOB’s and Bases in the preceding months)

"Not every Afghani is a member of the Taliban, but many were and still are."

Those who are not a member of the Taliban have every reason to want to get out of Afghanistan especially if they worked for the British and will have a genuine reason for claiming asylum. Currently they account for about 20% of those arriving by small boats.

foxie48

"Not every Afghani is a member of the Taliban, but many were and still are."

Those who are not a member of the Taliban have every reason to want to get out of Afghanistan especially if they worked for the British and will have a genuine reason for claiming asylum. Currently they account for about 20% of those arriving by small boats.

If they have their paperwork and can give details of when where they were and what corps they assisted then it shouldn’t take long to prove their identity and grant them leave to remain.

Grannygravy - I appreciate your family’s military service. I completely understand the need to check out as far as is possible, the history of people from Afghanistan as far as is possible.
I’m not sure men fleeing Afghanistan would bring paperwork as if they’re intercepted by the Taliban they wouldn’t be continuing their journey
As a woman with daughters, I’d want out of Afghanistan, whether or not I’d worked with the Americans or Brits - if I was an immigration judge, I struggle to see how I could refuse women or girls asylum. Gay people also aren’t Accepted by the Taliban - ‘sending them back’ isn’t a simple issue
Im sure you’re well aware of the complexity. Also that you know more clearly than I do the likely problems if we are infiltrated by Taliban fighters disguised as asylum seekers

Today's article in the Times about Afghan soldiers who were trained by and served with the British army in Afghanistan who want to join the British army. They are working as cleaners and Deliveroo drivers because they have to be in the UK for 5 years before being eligible to apply.

www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/afghan-soldiers-prevented-from-joining-stretched-british-army-for-5-years-kqr3v0ckv

GrannyGravy13

Our AC served in Afghanistan.

What Freya5 said is true, there were 457 U.K. service personnel killed in Afghanistan 405 of which were killed by hostile forces.

7,436 were injured requiring hospitalisation in field hospitals.
616 serious casualties in action

Not every Afghani is a member of the Taliban, but many were and still are.

I applaud those who helped the allied forces to the detriment of themselves and their families, but I am also able to acknowledge the reality of war in Afghanistan.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. It must be very worrying to have AC in our armed forces

sazz1

If the UK had a surplus of accommodation and nobody was sleeping in vans tents etc I think people would be a lot more welcoming.
But people are selfish and very NIMBY. They don't want refugees or homeless hostals next to their homes.
So how many on here who have a spare bedroom or 2 would offer that to a refugee or someone sleeping in a tent? And how many defending the boats would be happy to have a refugee house that housed say 6 people next door and would welcome them?
People defending the boats and feeling sorry for the people online behind a keyboard, or standing in a peaceful protest is one thing.
But if it was next door or in your house would you be happy with that?
Latest is Labour plans to renovate buildings throughout the UK and scatter these boat people in various locations to help them integrate better.
So soon they could be your neighbours.

I have no problem with having asylum seekers living next door to me, we have a very multi cultural community where I live, people causing the most issues, sadly, are young white British youths.

Why do they cross safe countries in order to make that journey? I think we all know why but the powers that be don't care. Just hit the pensioners and our young people.

If you’ve followed the endless discussions here about ‘why they cross safe countries’ etc - you must be aware of the explanations given

I think we all know why but the powers that be don't care. Just hit the pensioners and our young people

Allsorts when to say ‘the powers that be’ I presume you’re referring to the previous (Conservative) government, as immigration rose hugely during their time running the country.

Allsorts

Why do they cross safe countries in order to make that journey? I think we all know why but the powers that be don't care. Just hit the pensioners and our young people.

Yes, of course we all know why they come to Britain. It is because most of them speak English as a second language and they already have friends and family here and the British history of colonisation and conquest means that their country has either been part of the British commonwealth or in the past has been under British influence so they see Britain as a ccuntry they are familiar with .

Those are the reasons that nationals from countries under French influence and once French colonies generally flee and stay in France, and in a more convoluted way, why so many Turkish people went to Germany

Cossy

sazz1

If the UK had a surplus of accommodation and nobody was sleeping in vans tents etc I think people would be a lot more welcoming.
But people are selfish and very NIMBY. They don't want refugees or homeless hostals next to their homes.
So how many on here who have a spare bedroom or 2 would offer that to a refugee or someone sleeping in a tent? And how many defending the boats would be happy to have a refugee house that housed say 6 people next door and would welcome them?
People defending the boats and feeling sorry for the people online behind a keyboard, or standing in a peaceful protest is one thing.
But if it was next door or in your house would you be happy with that?
Latest is Labour plans to renovate buildings throughout the UK and scatter these boat people in various locations to help them integrate better.
So soon they could be your neighbours.

I have no problem with having asylum seekers living next door to me, we have a very multi cultural community where I live, people causing the most issues, sadly, are young white British youths.

I wonder why that is. 🤔

In recent years our rural village has become much more cosmopolitan with British people of diverse ethnicities moving into it. I think we have Ukrainian refugees in the village and no one bats an eyelid if the person in front of them at the Co-op is not a white anglo-saxon protestant.

Two of our GPs are probably originally from Africa, and two of the doctors I see at the hospital are Irish born and bred. So what.

Back to the boats, yesterday we had 492 new arrivals, making 19,066 this year. No matter how quickly these are processed there are too many. Can any system process that many in one day, and where will they all go? This is just an endless stream of illegal migrants and it will not stop unless something drastic is done.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13754745/migrants-successfully-illegally-crossed-channel-Britain-Labour-axed-Rwanda-scheme.html

Chestnut

Back to the boats, yesterday we had 492 new arrivals, making 19,066 this year. No matter how quickly these are processed there are too many. Can any system process that many in one day, and where will they all go? This is just an endless stream of illegal migrants and it will not stop unless something drastic is done.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13754745/migrants-successfully-illegally-crossed-channel-Britain-Labour-axed-Rwanda-scheme.html

What drastic action do you suggest?