The cycling Mo Farah? No chance nowadays.

Presumably the exact details will be picked apart on social media to excuse things, but on the face of it…

IMO, Mo Farah would basically never have been able to fulfil his potential in the toxic post-Brexit climate of the UK.

How far we have fallen.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/09/cyclist-mohammad-ganjkhanlou-asylum-bibby-stockholm

Saw that. Shit state of affairs. Any Weymouth area competitive clubs that could help out in the meantime?

I’m sure I saw on the club Facebook page this morning that the move had been put on hold, but can’t find the post now so maybe it was premature.

F*** this shitty excuse for a government.

Jesus, what is this government like 😕

After the Guardian contacted the Home Office, officials said while he would not be allowed to take his bike on board or ride it in the port area, Ganjkhanlou would be allowed to store it in a lock-up at the port and ride it elsewhere.

I’m not entirely up to speed on this but how does he get access outside of the port? I thought the barge was a secure facility, or is it run more like an open prison with day release?

It’s just a substandard floating hotel… offering far worse accommodation than the land based hotels people are being moved out of… because, one can only presume… making people’s lives worse is the point… it’s not really to do with costs.

You’d hope the local clubs around there will rally around him and sort him out some training rides and proper bike storage. They were a bit brexity around those parts mind.

how does he get access outside of the port?

He walks out the Port entrance via the main gate. I’ve spoken to quite a few from the Bibby barge whilst cycling around Portland. Almost all have been friendly polite people.

It certainly isn’t like a prison but nor is it Premier Inn quality.

It’s not going to help his progress to first cat and eventual Elite rider status. 35 points so far this season already. He’ll make first cat at least based on current form. There is another female rider, Trhas Teklehaimanot also seeking asylum being looked after by Kingston Wheelers and doing well in regional races. She won’t be off to the barge.

He walks out the Port entrance vai the main gate.

So why does he need to be on a barge? If he’s not on some sort of curfew what’s the point?

Yes, I’m aware it’s all for the look and utterly pointless.

I’ve spoken to quite a few from the Bibby barge whiles cycling around Portland. Almost all have been friendly polite people.

Did I suggest otherwise?

Did I suggest otherwise?

No. Why be confrontational? It was just a statement that the people I’ve encountered have been genuinely nice people rather than as the local news paper would have you believe.

So why does he need to be on a barge?

Probably because basic accomodation has to be provided and the barge is cheaper than a hotel.

You asked how they access the outside of the port. I told you how. I’m not sure why your reply has an argumentative tone.

I’m not sure why your reply has an argumentative tone.

Without other cues, describing Bibi as;

It certainly isn’t like a prison

Does come across a bit supportive of it’s existence even if that wasn’t your intent it’s how it reads.

While it might not have physical prison bars, being stuck on a barge with 500 other strangers on the end of a peninsula with no money probably does feel quite imprisoning.

nor is it Premier Inn quality.

I don’t know, Premier Inns were my bar against which other trips were judged when I spent too long traveling for work.  Whilst I once had to reject a room because the bed was soaked with piss there were at least above the level of “I’d rather not stay here even if you are paying me”. 😂

Brexit: check

Guardian: check

Bingo

No. Why be confrontational?

It was a genuine question. It wasn’t really answering anything I said so I was wondering if you had taken some sort of inference I wasn’t aware of that’s all.

Probably because basic accomodation has to be provided and the barge is cheaper than a hotel.

Except it isn’t is it? The optics may suggest that but even the Home Office has said it costs more than hotels.

I was under the impression the folk on the barge were being kept under monitored or secure conditions. If they’re not then it seems pretty ridiculous to keep them there. But as we all know it’s just one big grift, someone will be making money from it, sure as night follows day.

From who I’ve spoken to they were free to come and go as they pleased. I think there might be a night time curfew/check in but it must be pretty late as I’ve seen some out after 2200.

If the accomodation is sufficient to meet the basic needs (I haven’t been on board so can’t comment on that) then locating a lot of people in one location while asylum applications are processed seems a reasonable thing to do.

Brexshit?   How?

If the accomodation is sufficient to meet the basic needs (I haven’t been on board so can’t comment on that) then locating a lot of people in one location while asylum applications are processed seems a reasonable thing to do.

Mohammad’s case demonstrates why that’s false. He’s been an asset to the club, and not just by getting the jersey on the podium at regular intervals.

It’s bad enough that we bar asylum seekers from becoming economically active and supporting themselves, but socially isolating them as well to prevent them integrating with communities is just cutting our nose of to spite our face.

There is another female rider, Trhas Teklehaimanot also seeking asylum being looked after by Kingston Wheelers and doing well in regional races.

From our website;

Many people will have seen the story of pro cyclist Trhas Teklehaimanot Tesfay who has sought Asylum in the UK to escape from conflict in her native Ethiopia.

At 22 years of age she has already won the National Road Championships title twice and competed in the African Continental Championships, where she has won two golds as a junior in the individual and team time trial.

In the last few weeks there has been a community fundraiser to help her get a new bike so she can train and race in the UK, with the aim of participating in the women’s RideLondon pro race this month.

Recently our committee member and seasoned racer Alice has stepped forward to help mentor her and get her signed up to Kingston Wheelers so she can race with a British Cycling registered club.

Alice says:

“When a good friend reached out to me looking for ‘London based’ women to help Trhas I didn’t hesitate to join the team supporting her. I’d read her story a week earlier, and I can’t even begin to imagine the challenges she’s faced to get this far. Trhas’ positivity and enthusiasm is inspiring and I’m so glad I could help her get back racing. I’m excited to see where her talent and dedication takes her in coming years and honoured to have got the chance to be part of Trhas’ journey.”

It’s been a privilege to have Trhas wearing our kit in local races such as Hillingdon and Hog Hill, where she has been making good progress as she gets accustomed to the UK race scene.

You can follow updates on Trhas story on the live blog by Team Africa Rising

IMO, Mo Farah would basically never have been able to fulfil his potential in the toxic post-Brexit climate of the UK.

How far we have fallen.

Whilst we’ve degraded I don’t think that Mo would have been welcomed if he’d gone through the official channels all the way back then either!  I dare say if he hadn’t gone on to be a massive success, then he might still not be so welcome today once the real background came out – lots of gammon who are “yeah but I don’t mean to stop olympians and doctors” rather than looking at the circumstances and harms people have been in to find their way here.

If the accomodation is sufficient to meet the basic needs (I haven’t been on board so can’t comment on that) then locating a lot of people in one location while asylum applications are processed seems a reasonable thing to do.

It might when you present it like that but when you socially isolate them from communities, peers and support networks then it’s easy to just look at them as “them”. There’s absolutely no need for it other than to appeal to the sort of folk that want to machine gun the folk in the boats.

I don’t think they have banned them from taking pairs of trainers on board, so I think Mo might have been OK.

Regardless, when Britain accepted thousands of refugees from Uganda, we didn’t put them in hotels, we put them up in an army camp in the arse end of Wales, while we processed their applications and gave them the health & social care & support they needed to integrate into our society successfully.

When Germany took in hundreds of thousands of refugees from the East, they, similarly, put them up in an old army camp while they processed their applications and gave them the health & social care & support they needed to integrate into their society successfully

Why on earth would we even begin to think that was a bad idea?

Have you ever been on a barge or stayed in a port?

There’s a world of difference between that camp with open spaces and a barge in an industrial port.

Isn’t the correct test ‘is being in a barge on a dockyard preferable to remaining where you fled from’ ?

Still, if you’re willing to compromise with us both agreeing on putting all new arrivals is a secure ex-army camp in an isolated location for processing rather than in hotels… I’m happy to accept that.

Still, if you’re willing to compromise with us both agreeing on putting all new arrivals is a secure ex-army camp in an isolated location for processing rather than in hotels… I’m happy to accept that.

Why do you feel they should be kept away from you? Are you contagious?

So they can’t do this:

Asylum seeker jailed for murdering man after lying about his age to enter UK

or this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-68899601

or this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64456074

Unfortunately committing murder isn’t limited to being an asylum seeker.  We’ve got plenty of murderers who were born and bred in the UK.  If we’re going to keep all asylum seekers locked up in case they murder someone we should probably start locking up various other  groups in case they kill someone.  Maybe everyone who’s mentally ill or all drivers or everyone who can ride a bike.

“We’ve got plenty of murderers who were born and bred in the UK”

This isn’t a reason to let more in. We regularly refuse people entry to the country on the basis of vetting carried out before giving them a visa (see Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg & Geert Wilders as examples, plus numerous Islamic hate preachers)

why on earth would we allow people to circumvent those checks, and allow unidentified and unvetted people into the country while refusing pop stars?

So they can’t do this:

but none of the facilities prevent that.  Indeed a sociologist might well argue they make it more likely.  If you want to vet/verify applicants stories before admitting them the easiest solution would be to set up application points outside the U.K. and provide safe transport to the U.K. for successful applicants.

Like the UK Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship scheme, Mandate scheme, Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, Hong Kong British Nationals (overseas) scheme, Homes for Ukraine Scheme, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine extension scheme, refugee family reunion policy, and the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot?

Unfortunately committing murder isn’t limited to being an asylum seeker.  We’ve got plenty of murderers who were born and bred in the UK.

Yeah, and quite a few are still at school, see incidents in Bath, Bristol and Swindon, and there are more of them than the occasional incidents involving immigrants.

So @kevog, just to be clear. You think my clubmate should be sent to the barge because you think he might kill someone?

Do you actually have any evidence at all to back that assertion up beyond prejudice?

We regularly refuse people entry to the country on the basis of vetting carried out before giving them a visa (see Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg & Geert Wilders as examples, plus numerous Islamic hate preachers)

why on earth would we allow people to circumvent those checks, and allow unidentified and unvetted people into the country while refusing pop stars?

It’s ironic* then that he probably** did go through that process and get a visa to enter the country before claiming asylum when things kicked off back home whilst he was here.

*it’s not ironic, I don’t expect you to have read the articles posted or done any thinking or googling before throwing around prejudiced accusations.

**I’m not the Stasi, I’ve not asked to see his papers.

Like the UK Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship scheme, Mandate scheme, Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, Hong Kong British Nationals (overseas) scheme, Homes for Ukraine Scheme, Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine extension scheme, refugee family reunion policy, and the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot?

@kevog – sorry I missed this.  Can you explain how an Iranian national can access any of those schemes?  As far as I am aware only the refugee family reunion policy would normally be applicable to an Iranian national, but its normally only applicable to husbands/wifes or children under 18 – so as a 26 yr old single man there is no mechanism for him to seek asylum before he reaches the UK.  Yet in recent years, excluding Ukraine which is exceptional, the country with the second largest number of granted applications is Iran? So “we” think Iranians often merit assylum, but we provide no safe legal mechanism for them.

Made it to the BBC

@13:30

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001z9cy via @bbciplayer