Worrying situation

Feel very gloomy on this subject. Almost certainly climate change will produce high push factors from the countries affected so this problem is only just beginning.

Apparently some migrants are now returning to Iraq from Germany. This suggests to me that the conditions they left were not intolerable, which in turn suggests that they were/are economic migrants rather than refugees or asylum seekers.

If this is the case, I am sorry for it because I think economic migration has made things worse for genuine refugees and asylum seekers. I'm not against economic migration in principle, far from it, but I think the migrant 'crisis' in Europe has perhaps been exacerbated by too much of it in the last few years.

I agree. I remember saying when it all started that these economic migrants would make things harder for genuine refugees. I also wondered at the urge to 'go West' rather than East. Good Muslims of whatever type should have offered refuge to those in need. I don't know where some of the men got the idea that they'd be given houses and money in the UK. One interviewee confidently announced that he was looking forward to going to Cambridge (uni). Maybe reality has hit. East West home's best?

There are those of us in the real world who always knew that this was never going to work.
Even 'fluffy' Sweden is seeing the light, potentially, 60,000 being removed.

So a house with or without a red door would be preferable to huts, disused aircraft hangars etc - or a heated tent or shop doorways imo.

I was not being sarcastic, rather trying to get the point across that this is a humanitarian ongoing crisis of immense proportions and making a big (presumably political) fuss about wristbands or door colours is ludicrous; as I understand it (fairly recent Sky news? possibly) the police had not recorded any racist attacks as a result of the offending doors.

Yes, it is such an overwhelming crisis that the authorities seem unable to sort those in genuine need of refuge from those economic migrants jumping on the bandwagon of despair.

Some of what we're seeing is down to the numbers of migrants reach the different countries. We haven't had anything like the influxes other countries are dealing with and that means we haven't had to resort to using the various kinds of temporary accommodation I mentioned.

Reports are saying many Iraqis migrants waiting for decisions have disappeared, presumed to have returned home for various reasons. A Swedish spokesperson said expulsions - normally carried out using commercial flights - would have to be done using specially chartered aircraft, given the large numbers, staggered over several years.

Presumably this is because they can't return people to war zones and they will either have to wait for the wars to end, find a country willing to take them, or fall back on the Dublin Agreement meaning the country where a migrant first arrived is responsible for dealing with them.

Turkey has already said it will not take the failed migrants, so it will be interesting to see how this will progress.

reach = reaching

Jalima I apologise for being rude to you last night.

durhamjen, I wasn't 'blaming' asylum seekers for the housing crisis and I wish you'd be more considerate of others. My post, and earlier comments confirm that I believe the police to sell council housing was plain wrong. The area I referred to has a largely white and extremely deprived population. So far as I'm aware the African community is settling in well. I've seen no reports of racism and watching children/parents coming and going from school suggests lots of positive interaction.

My concern stems from being a social worker in that area, when we had close working relationships with the local housing department with the result we were able to negotiate suitable housing to maintain the vulnerable. I have no problem with African asylum seekers being given a level of priority but what about the vulnerable single mother fleeing domestic abuse, desperate to return to the community where her extended family live so she and her children live in a familiar, safe environment. Yes, we need more social housing but please stop sniping and finding offence where none was intended

Wilma that's OK

It is an overwhelming situation which can only get worse unless a coherent strategy is developed asap across more than just the EU.
I kept thinking about the young couple with the tiny baby huddled in a shop doorway - she must have been very pregnant en route and perhaps gave birth without much help. Anyway, they are warm and safe now for the time being.
That is why I thought a fuss about red bands and red doors was really a red herring (sorry, unintentional pun).

I must remember to be more straightforward and not obtuse or sarcastic

www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/policy_research/the_truth_about_asylum/facts_about_asylum_-_page_6

This is where the refugees go to. Only 1% in the UK. Most go to poor countries.

Perhaps people in this country ought to get their facts right before criticising.

It is not a fuss about red doors and wristbands. Not if you are one of the people being attacked and insulted.
Rather than criticising the asylum seekers for being ungrateful, shouldn't the perpetrators of these insults be brought to book?
They are gaining millions from the government for putting asylum seekers in awful conditions.

www.google.com/url?q=http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/latest/news/4071_mps_slam_asylum_housing_providers&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiLsOC2kM3KAhUBWxoKHYsCCSwQFggSMAU&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNEH_pe_gfGgeQrpU2c0JrF8QlXFbw

This is what the government said about accommodation providers in 2014.
It really hasn't improved.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/18/widow-92-return-south-africa-deportation-battle-myrtle-cothill

Should this woman be deported?

www.change.org/p/the-government-ailing-92-year-old-facing-forced-removal-from-uk

It might be too late.

And I say it once again: But we can't deport a Morrocan rapist ( after he has done his pathetic sentence ) because he has married and bought a cat.

Except it wasn't true, Petra.

ukhumanrightsblog.com/2011/10/10/catgate-and-some-other-things-that-happened-last-week/

I'd assumed that there was more to Catgate! Silly headline grabbing by Theresa! Thanks for link dj.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/19/deportation-of-92-year-old-widow-postponed-after-public-outcry

The power of petitioning.