Tuesday 11 August 2020

Asylum Seekers: another league table

 

The numbers applying for asylum in our neighbouring rich counties in 2019 was
 

Germany: 165 516

France:    151 070

Spain:      117 800

Greece:     77 275

UK:            36 000


Yet our politicians have for years given the impression that we are being uniquely targetted as a "soft touch."

 Worse, Prime Minister Johnson has described the current attempts of migrants to reach the UK across the Channel, as "criminal" (it isn't), a letter to him from 20 Tory MPs speaks of an "invasion" and a junior minister on the radio this morning talked repeatedly (she was clearly "on message") of people trying to "break in" to our country.

My own reaction is: "Thank goodness some of them still want to come here."

Refugees who have taken the initiative to flee tyranny, war, environmental or climate devastation, or abject poverty, constitutive some of the bravest and most resourceful in the world.

 Apart from the teachings of Jesus, (later), and common decency, why on earth can't we recognise the enormous contribution they are likely to make to our society once they have settled?

 Michael Marks and Montague Burton are just two star examples who  have contributed to the prosperity of us in the Leeds area (and eventually well beyond).  There are dozens of others.  

The 2020 TV film  The Windermere Children gives a moving account of the experiences of Polish refugees brought to the UK in a generous spirit in the immediate post-war period (though the  generosity was largely on the part of private individuals rather than the Home Office.)

I am very conscious of how much the quality of my own daily life is enhanced  by the contributions immigrants or the children of migrants:  from cleaning my car and delivering of the morning paper, to dentistry; dispensing of prescriptions; about a third of my NHS treatment; vicar and organist of the church I attend, along with two thirds of the choir; and Indian and Italian cuisine, to mention but some.

So instead of the Home Office's hostile environment and  request for military  assistance to keep them out, I should prefer to see them set up booths on the French coast saying "Welcome to Britain,"  safe passages  with a cup of tea and a sandwich on the ferry, travel warrants for where they wanted to go and a settlement grant to keep them going until they find their feet.

Such a scenario is unlikely to happen under the present government , but it would be encouraging to hear opposition leaders demanding a more humane approach to our fellow world citizens.  And cries of outrage from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Chief Rabbi, Chief Sikh, Presidents of the Muslim Council,  Methodist Conference, Baptist Union et al.

Here's what Jesus taught, regarding the rather surprised  "sheep" at the Last Judgement

Then shall the righteous  answer [the King] saying, Lord when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee to drink?  When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in? or naked and clothed thee?  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison and came unto thee ?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it  unto one of these the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25 vv 37-40


The scriptures of other religions all have similar, though possibly less graphic, passages, and I expect the Humanists have something  on  these lines to say as well, if only "Do as ye would be done by."





10 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Certainly if I were stuck in a backward, economic basket case of a country, where for years there have been running battles on the streets between violent protestors and even more violent police, like France, I would do my best to get somewhere decent too.

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  3. Economic basket case of a country?! Syria fought over to destruction. Iraq devastated by WESTERN interference and no funds to rebuild so that people would have no need to leave. EVERYBODY would like a roof over their head,food in the belly and money from a job .Give people these things and they would not have to be migrants.Our overseas aid funds PROPERLY SUPERVISED could start the rebuild. Then again when they get here put them up in hotels find them jobs, training, to earn a wage and pay hotel costs WHILST CONTRIBUTING TO UK TAXES. AND this ideological govnt could build homes for rent to house them. Macmillan did in the 1950s. To keep the hate going sells Tory papers, riches that those already rich get richer with. I could go on.

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  4. Germany welcoming them.Yes you always get bad apples in a basket. you get rid of them . That leaves you with the greatfull who work, pay taxes and maybe send money back home AND MAKE A COUNTRY PROSPEROUS.I could go on.

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  5. As the Bible says .You reap what you sow. Happiness and prosperity or sadness and hate. I could go on

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  6. Thanks Nigel. I too could go on. Many (most?) of those waning to come to this country are from conflict zones or places with appalling human rights records: Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria, for example. Short accounts of conditions in these countries should challenge the lack of humanity of those who want to pull up the drawbridge and put up the shutters. Britain is the preferred destination of this minority not because of a generous benefits system - far from it - but our language which many of them have learned at school or picked up from pop music, and the presence of relatives already here.

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  7. This Twitter thread is well worth your time, eloquently explaining the migrant crisis from someone with first-hand experience of its complexity:

    https://twitter.com/_edwardcrawford/status/1296029833928081408

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    1. Thanks John Tolson: as you say very well worth the time. He succeeds in being informative and appears to be without bias. He's surely right that it's the people who know least about the situation who seem to have the strongest [hostile] opinions. If you're the John Tolson the Dewsbury supporter of BGS c1992 and Radio Leeds please get in touch when the lockdown is eased. I'd love to know how life has treated you so far.

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    2. Yes, indeed it is! Let me know how to get in touch with you, perhaps by dropping a message through Blogger (click on my name, there is a contact form there). All the best, John.

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