General Chat

Wherever they have come from there are probably two types.

Those that have sold their souls to the traffickers and those with enough money to pay those same traffickers.

Not all are from Kurdistan though and if our benefit system was less generous and there was no NHS I doubt some would be as determined to bother to cross whatever countries are inbetween where they could stay, plus cross The Channel to get here. It must be an enormous cost in rescuing them, housing, providing benefits, health care and teaching with all the different languages. For decades they have continued to send money abroad to their families, which doesn't help the british economy at all, when they could be spending it here and help our businesses. I don't blame them for trying to get here, we would all do the same, but this is a small island and overpopulation is beginning to ruin it for all of us as Maddie says.

Refugee status was created under the United Nations founding charter of 1948 primarily as a response to the holocaust. As such it is a part of international law. The only requirement on the refugee is that he/she is in fear of his life. That said economic migration is def. not a reason for somebody to claim refugee status.

Some politicians claim that refugees should remain in what they call "first safe country" but that is iincorrect and is largely derived from a now defunct EU agreement.

The "wicked people smugglers" are simply fulfilling an opportunity in the same way as drug dealers. As with drug dealers in order to get anywhere with the problem the authorities have to do something about the root causes not something that Priti Patel accepts.

Right now a great many of the "refugees" are from Kurdistan. After the breakup of Iraq the Kurds established a prosperous free state in northern Iraq and were instrumental in the defeat of ISIS as allies of the US.

Since the departure of the US the Kurds have found themselves at the mercy of their age old enemies, the Turks, who cross the border with impunity. Not surprisingly those that can are trying to escape.

The British are making loadsamoney out of selling weaponry to the Turks.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/10/hundreds-of-british-kurds-protest-at-arms-fair-over-sales-to-turkey

It is wildly unlikely that the French will give any kind of police or military access to the UK. Under French ( and most EU ) law the refugees have not broken any French laws by leaving in a boat.

However should they wish to stay in France refugees must register. From that point on they are (at least in theory) able to work and receive benefits. Most refugees, esp to Germany, do just that. However some ethnic groups eg Kurds have strong family ties in the UK and speak English not French. Moreover treatment by the French govt of refugees from outside of the francophone area is poor to the point of being dangerous, registered or not.

Johnson's govt will get absolutely nowhere with its current approach while doubling down with the Borders bill will just exacerbate the situation.

As to space ... Since brexit nearly 2 million EU citizens , most with EUSS status, have left the country. One of the outcomes has been a severe shortage of labour in many industries including hi-tech , finance and the NHS as well as others more commonly listed.

:-|

If I pass my problem over to you to deal with then I have no problem to deal with myself.

We should not accept them, trouble is our government whichever one is in doesn't have the balls to send them back.
We have to jump through hoops just to holiday abroad so they shouldn't get into the UK, they have no passports or proper if any paperwork, how is that acceptable!

as i understand it eu no longer accept returns
the eu should be tracing back the routes used and slamming the traffickers in jail
the problem is only going to get worse as climate change and wars force people from their homes
saying that we are a small island and can only accept some, eg the alleged 20000 will eventually become 40000 as they breed and the exhisting population will continue to breed, where will people live, concrete over our countryside, oh dear more flooding
this is a global crisis and should be treated as such

But how do the French accept illegal immigrants in the first place yet alone allow/watch them in flimsy boats come to uk. In my opinion they should go/be sent back to France.