Hello Val and Malcolm
My wife and I are new readers after being recommended by a friend.
Let us say that where the refugees are concerned our hearts go out to them and their plight and personally, we think George W Bush, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown should be funding every penny being spent out of their own personal worth!
That said, we are in fact puzzled by some of the information coming back and have some concerns we feel should be brought into the discussion.
Permit me start with some personal history that we both come from a background of government employment: my wife in the home office, and for my part, a senior position in the civil service branch of the Metropolitan Police. We are both well versed in international laws pertaining to refugee status.
The Syrians who have arrived at Calais have passed through 7 different countries before arrival. As for the Law, they should have applied for refugee status in the first country they arrived in. We assume, looking at a map and liberal route planning of getting from Damascus to Calais, that the first country was Turkey. So we ask what are the Turkish government doing allowing them to pass through Turkey? That is of course unless they passed through unknown to the authorities. But how have so many, on foot, got past the Police and officials?
So. Whilst it could be stated, in general terms, that anyone not as fortunate as ones self, and especially if having been put in that position through no fault of their own, must be considered a worthy cause for help and assistance, my wife and I do have a problem with giving help and assistance to those who are in fact not refugees but economic migrants. Migrants who it now appears are beneffiting from the generosity of the givers: some of whom giving may not be as financially viable as some of those accepting the donations (we spoke with a friend in the home office who explained that some of the economic migrants are sitting with substantial savings for use once they gain acceptance for entry to GB).
With this knowledge you will understand why we are retiscent to be as generous as some of your other readers and feel that the people donating, doing the actual work and helping, need to be informed.
We applaud everyone who has donated and helped the refugees. As for the economic migrants? They are a different matter.
Yours
Yours
Harold Holt
Val says Hello Harry welcome to TAG, I hope you find it useful and informative on the area and the people who have made this lovely part of France their home.
I think we and our readers are magnanimous, we see people suffering and know we must help. Are you suggesting we means test to discover if people are genuine refugees? Or could you not be like
me, where you see someone in need and know you have got to help.
Malc says The trouble is it seems to me that this post offers no solutions, merely blames other people. Bush, Blair and Brown; the Turkish and other European governments, the refugees themselves. No mention of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIL, Assad et al who are making these people's lives a dangerous misery. If no political solution is being found the least we can do is try and alleviate their suffering.
Malc says The trouble is it seems to me that this post offers no solutions, merely blames other people. Bush, Blair and Brown; the Turkish and other European governments, the refugees themselves. No mention of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIL, Assad et al who are making these people's lives a dangerous misery. If no political solution is being found the least we can do is try and alleviate their suffering.
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