bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
I'll try and unpack this for you BlueAnorak
1) Genuine? They didn't appeal for asylum at the first safe country. -
They don't have to (although the majority do) Under the UN Refugee Convention they have the right to choose the country in which to apply
2) They tramped all across Europe living under the stars to get to the channel then risked their lives to get to the UK for their free lunch: A hotel room free food and benefits courtesy of UK tax payers.-
They did tramp across Europe to get here and when they do they get put up in low grade accommodation (have you stayed in a Britannia hotel? ) Usually 4 or 5 to a room in bunk beds. If they get fed they are given an allowance of £8 / £9 a week. If they are not fed this rises to £48 a week. This is loaded onto a prepayment card called ASPEN and can only be used at certain outlets. Out of this money they are expected to feed themselves, buy toiletries ,clothing and travel to any asylum hearing.
They receive no other benefits.
3) A fucking fortune that should be being spent elsewhere on deserving causes: Poverty, the Health Services, Education etc, etc.
The cost of asylum accommodation is met out of the Overseas Aid budget ... this is a sum which has been committed to by the Government. Any reduction in asylum costs would not impact on the overall Overseas Aid Budget....which is an International commitment.
4) Why not a tent in a field somewhere? It's better than what they're used to?
This is what they do in Ireland due to a housing shortage. Now people are complaining about ''Tent Cities''
The problem with this is that there is a fundamental issue of a lack of sanitation , cooking facilities and safety around the pitching of tents in any kind of location
5) Not only that but a small minority of those who arrive treat British girls as though they are prostitutes who always say yes.
I understand your concern with this point, however would point out that the majority of grooming and rapes in the UK are committed by the indigenous population.
6) Local communities where this happens are angry and NOBODY in power is listening.
People are listening... the difficulty that the Labour party has is the huge backlog of asylum applications created by the last Government. (119000) When Labour left power there were !8600 outstanding applications.... the backlog was created by the Tories sacking over 5000 case workers out of a total of 8000. This caused the huge backlog now being faced and why they are in housed in hotels.
This figure has now reduced to 70532 (June 2025 figures) however if you include applications for their dependents this figure rises to 90812.
A total of 9100 have been forcibly deported
7) No fucking wonder people are flocking to Farage and Reform.
They are , but its because they don't understand the problem properly and the fact that we are signed up to the UN Refugee Convention 1951 which means that people who are being persecuted or under threat of death FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD can apply for asylum in a country of their choice, as a major coloniser a lot of people in the world speak our language and have been invited to live here in the past. Because of this and family / community connections people choose the UK .
Brexit also scrapped our participation in the Dublin 2 agreement which meant that if the applicant failed in his application for asylum in the UK we could return them to the initial country of entry / registration. So , in a way , Farage is proposing a solution for a problem that he created (usual right wing tactic ).
Leaving the ECHR will not help improve the number of returns
Good post - meanwhile as per your point 2 - Sunak as Chancellor approved this level of spending - Clearspring is owned by billionaire Graham King who is also by chance a large Tory donor
Asylum hotel provider makes £180m profit despite claims of inedible food and rationed loo paper
Asylum seekers and charities tell BBC of "terrible" conditions as accommodation provider makes millions.

