http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7941060.stm

I just saw some “herbert” on BBC News 24 saying that there are proposals to build a new detention centre to deport these people back to their country of origin.

Nice idea, I can just see all these desperate people who have paid the trafficers their life savings rocking up at the deportation centre.

Sensible thinkins

I’m a bit clueless here, but why are they so keen to make it to this overcrowded little island having come all the way across Europe?

What’s so attractive about this side of the Channel?

jackthedog – In military parlance, is that a wah?

I don’t understand that question, sorry.

I just wonder why Enlgand, specifically, is so favoured for people seeking asylum. England is tiny compared with the entire rest of the world and they’ve come all the way across most of the world (okay, Europe at least), to end up at Calais, trying desperately to get that further 20 odd miles to England.

Just seems a bit odd when so many natives of the UK want to bugger off elsewhere.

Stop fishing for Daily Mail readers ‘jackthedog’.

Absolutely genuine question. The whole subject is totally off my radar. Thanks for the dismissal.

Well I’ll give you the simplified version as normally spouted by those Daily Mail types then.

“Rant, rant, rave, rave, they only come here because we are such a soft touch. Turn up at Dover and get your free house, money in your pocket, free healthcare and they don’t even bother to integrate into society. Learn bloody English for Christs sake!!!!!

I pay my taxes……..God Save The Queen……..Liberial do-gooders……..one-legged albino women’s refuge…..snort snort snort……Churchill wouldn’t have sold us down the river like this……flogging is too good for them…..”

Etc.

jacketthedog, I’ll try to answer your question. It’s highly likely that the people seeking entry to the UK are people from former colonies in the British Empire. England will still be viewed as the place to go in order to achieve an escape from the crushing poverty and desperation that they find themselves in. I’m sure that Portugal, Spain, France, Belguim, all have issues with people from former territories seeking illegal admission. I’ve actually seen evidence of this in Spain. The immigrants there are often from South America. It’s also worth bearing in mind that English as a language is such a global commodity that its worth coming here to learn it.

We’re only 9th or 10th in Europe in terms of asylum seekers (per head of population).

In terms of what makes us attractive to them, I’d guess that communities of people from their original countries might be attractive, and also they are far more likely to be able to speak some English than most other European languages.

Joe

I feel a little bit embarrassed that, at nearly 30 years old, I have no knowledge of the subject. I just watched that video and saw the chaps in France camped under tarpaulin who try every night to cross the channel to this supposed promised land. And it made me wonder what they hear about the UK when they are looking to escape their home countries, what news finds its way across the world about the safe haven that is the UK. And who is telling them this? I know it’ll be better than the place they’re running from, I just find it hard to believe that a broken, on it’s arse, overcrowded little island is the most desirable place out of anywhere in the world for so many people.

But I suppose a pushbike forum isn’t really the place for such a conversation. So I’ll go elsewhere and read up.

thank you for your replies, trailmonkey and joe.

If you want to see what high levels of immigration really look like, go to Athens (probably the south of Spain & Italy too).

Joe

What’s so attractive about this side of the Channel?

1) We are generally soft.

2) Our ancestors plundered a lot of other countries. The population of the modern developing world perhaps think that we owe them something. Nobody alive today had anything to do with these injustices, but we English still get our ears bent about it regularly – it’s very tiring and after 40 years I can say hand on heart I feel no guilt for what some person did centuries ago (rightly or wrongly) when values and life were totally different to what they are today. There are always two sides to a story anyway! Folklore, like all other methods of communication is subject to a sequential distortion over time.

3) GENUINE asylum seekers get treated well here because we subscribe to international agreements on human rights (enforcement is our no. 1 hobby in the uk). If only a few other countries could take a leaf out of our book. I guess this stems from our innate need to be fair and perhaps some sense of guilt about the past on the part of our “do-gooder” “PC” “enforcement obsessed” authories. Or am I being too harsh? 😆

They come here beccuase anyone objecting is labelled at best a Daily Mail reader and at worst a Nazi (cue RudeBoy)

For example, why should I object to a growing number (currently 50%) of neighbours in my road not speaking English, and local schools no longer teaching Franch/Spanish/German and now teach Turkish instead. Me even mentioning such “racist drivel” would see ME deported if some **** on here had their way. ****