Something that has been going on for decades - guaranteed contracts for housing homeless people and asylum seekers is not a new policy.
As far as the people smugglers go, most of the research I've seen suggests that people wanting to come to the UK turn out to be incredibly ignorant about our benefits system, or housing situation. They're much more likely to come from countries that have English as a second language, or know that there are communities from their country already in the UK. If it was just down to housing, or benefits etc., then you wouldn't risk your life when there are plenty of other countries that offer similar, or take in a lot more refugees.
Hi Blue,
Without wanting to sound patronising, I just find that incredibly naive. I would suggest more research but you need to do more than just read statistics and articles that are usually biased one way or another.
I have lived and worked in and around some of the most ethnically diverse areas in the country for decades and I have many close friends from those ethnic groups who trust me enough to tell me the truth of how their communities function, they know my views on immigration but they know that they do not stem from racism, and in many cases our views on immigration are not very different.Talk to people, then you will really understand what is happening behind the statistics. I will give you an example.
Bangladeshis in the UK are more dependant on benefits than others in that benefits make up a greater proportion of their incomes than other groups. That is a fact, a statistic. If I didn't know better I might guess that may be because they are take up less skilled occupations etc. To a degree that is probably true.
But because I am familiar with the community, I also know this - The claiming of benefits is an industry in the Bangladeshi community, they have become expert at it. So many choose to work in the black economy in restaurants, small scale manufacture, taxis etc for cash and or part time hours on the books and then claim benefits. Their immigration lawyers are experts at it. The new arrivals are taken to the lawyers on arrival by their relatives / friends, processed through the system for maximum entitlement, lawyers are paid, relatives / friends are paid for the referral - everyone makes money ! Except the UK taxpayer of course.
To my certain knowledge many migrant communities are the same in that they have an efficient network with legal expertise to welcome new arrivals into the country and process them through the system to maximise their entitlements .
So yes, if you interview someone in the camps in Calais as to their knowledge of our benefits system then in most cases they would be short of the detail. To suggest they are ignorant is just naive, they know what they could get because those communities they belong to which as you suggest are already here will have told them about it and also told them not to worry about the detail because it will all be taken care of - they have a system.
Anyway , the point of the initial post is ....
If you have any belief at all in your ability to " Smash the gangs" why on earth would you be trying to sign up Landlords to a 5 year deal on their properties ? It will be interesting to see how many they sign up.
