Refugees

I entirely agree it is ridiculous to persist in comparing this war to WW2. It is completely different and as I have stated on other threads old rules for old wars don't fit this one. I was simply stung by comments that I thought cast doubts on the bravery of people like my father and his ilk who would most definitely have fought to the death. My great uncle and many others did.
This war is different and so extremely complex and with such potentially complex ramifications that simplistic solutions like just throwing open our doors could lead to much further trouble for all. Its going to go on for years I suspect. We'd better brace ourselves.

There is no 'would have fought', they did fight.

The same as those brave men and women fought in their respective countries by joining resistance groups to fight for their country and families future as best they could.

The same as men, women and young girls and boys have joined groups to fight IS in Turkey, Iraq , Syria too but that point doesn't get an airing.

I think the UK should close its borders for the time being. I have always been against joining the EU and think it was the worst thing we ever did was to build the Euro tunnel. Keep our island to ourselves and take a leaf out of the book of Australia. They have got it right. It isn't that I have no sympathy for these poor unfortunate people but we are only a small island with no room for any more people. The situation needs to be tackled at source and it is up to the governments of EU to get together and find the way forward to getting rid of these tyrants who terrorise people to get power.

The country don't pay for nurses and doctors to train, they pay university fees just like anyone else.
If you realized he working conditions and pressure they are now put under by a government that is actively changing the NHS into a private healthcare institution you would maybe understand their reason for leaving ( economic and better lifestyle migration)

HIDGE yu can't say there is no room for people. Have you ever flown over the UK. its green and empty spaces as far as the eye can see. Its not Indonesia!
You compare the UK to Australia. In comparison there are hardly any people living there. they have more sheep than people.

There are so many on GN who go on about WW2 and all that Britain achieved in that perilous time and before that, that huge Empire.
The Uk can't just sit back and pretend its some little island.
You know from TV programmes that left to themselves so many goods and food products would be missing in the Uk shops and supermarkets and 65 milion people to feed.
You can vote in 1917 to leave Europe but for the sake of your grandchildren and their work opportunities, it would be better to stay in where the work is.

But the UK is a little island...

(together with several even smaller islands)

There may be plenty of green and empty spaces but they don't have any buildings/shops/schools/work/transport.

During the previous two world wars the population of the UK was almost at starvation point. I wonder how we would cope in a similar situation today when our population is growing at such a fast rate and we are building on more and more land, even gardens (which grew vegetables or kept animals during the war) are now much smaller. The probability that the UK would become embroiled in another war cannot be dismissed. Could we endure another war without starvation based on our current population?

You compare the UK to Australia. In comparison there are hardly any people living there. they have more sheep than people

Much of Australia is dry and uninhabitable, unless of course you want to live in the centre where it is desert, or chop down the World Heritage rainforests.

The Uk can't just sit back and pretend its some little island

I know I only did 'O' level geography but even I know it is an island ...... or 6,289 islands

Rosenquartz Those facts that you correct come from Hidge not from me. I was referring to her/his post.
Gald to hear you did O level geopgraphy, I didn't, I only did physics and chemistry and had to leave geography behind.
See you can always learn something on GN.

We are indeed a small island, Bill Bryson ( another immigrant!) has written a book with that title' Notes From A Small Island'

now margaretx
You seemed to be refuting hidge's statement that we are a small island when you said that we are only pretending to be some little island

I did confirm that we are not just one small island, but several; however last time I looked Doggerland had disappeared under water - Bill Bryson is quite correct!

scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11796256_10153036201416791_850612713638289676_n.jpg?oh=9257fc7a133965a89dbc50f4f0808d1b&oe=56A5B88F

Anyone still wondering why ordinary people want to escape from the place that was home?

Yes, I saw similar photos on websites I look at, Penstemmon.

But what I also saw this morning was an article saying that people interviewed would rather go back to that than stay on the Lebanon. I found it quite heartbreaking.

Penstemmon I saw that on t'internet and was about to work out how to post the link. The before and after photos of a street in Syria are really horrifying as they show just how much damage has been done.

Has anyone else noticed this?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-34223795

Not sure what I think about it.

I felt so proud to see a photograph of a refugee on our local 'help the refugees' website of a man holding up the palm of his hand. On it was written " thank you Scotland " . Nice to see the aid is getting through.

Germany has now introduced border controls. Trains have been temporarily stopped from Austria.

I am still of the opinion that Germany unilaterally decided to suspend the Dublin Agreement yet it now is saying the Dublin Agreement must be adhered to.

I have asked many times and will keep asking how the supposed 800.000 refugees Germany has said it will take can be done when Merkel said only last week Germany will take 31.000 refugees over 2 years, when she gave a joint media interview with Hollande who said France will take 24.000 refugees.

My reference to WW2 related to the fact that several nations got together to work out how refugees could be accommodated.

act.thesyriacampaign.org/sign/we-want-to-go-home?source=fb&referring_akid=247.6835.cPl0ri

From the viewpoint of a young Syrian.

From Germany:They are already there the 30,000. Yesterday Munich train station broke down as 16,000 refugees stood on the platform there. Munich has no beds left, there is no time to register them and nowhere for them to sleep. The Mayor of Munich was lost for words as he stood in the middle of a throng of refugees and he could not find beds for them or feed them.
Finally they went to North Germany and almost as many have arived to day. The helpers are still helping and dishing out food but the clothing is too large. There is shortage of clothes for the slim Syrian men.

Fr Merkel had to rescue the situation and can be forgiven for not realising how many would actually come.

That's why Merkel should not have said what she did, that Germany would take as many as would continue to arrive, now they are stopping them from coming, all in the same week!

How can a so called 'intelligent' woman act so irresponsibly. Anyone with half a brain could see that this was always going to end in tears.
As we speak there are still 1,000s of people making their way towards Europe on the promis of 'come one,come all' only to find that the door is shut.
Have you seen the demonstrations happening in Warsaw/ Prague / Bratislava. I knew from the moment the powers that be 'told' Europe that they had to take their share of asylum seekers that this would be the attitude in Eastern Europe. I lived there for 5 years, I know how they feel about certain people. They consider their own Roma people beyond contempt.

Has anyone explained to the marching refugees that they are to be shared out (maybe?). That they may have walked all the way to Germany only to be told they have been put on the Polish or Hungarian list?