Germanshepherdsmum Can someone explain to me why asylum seekers (political or economic) are so desperate to come to the UK that they will pay huge amounts to people smugglers and risk their and their families’ lives, despite passing through other perfectly safe countries in Europe? I accept that some may have family who are here legally but they must be a small minority. This is a genuine question to which I would like an answer.
Firstly, it is a minority of refugees who seek to come to the U.K. More settle in Germany, Sweden, France, Greece and other countries. There are a number of reasons why some wish to come here - family connections, they speak some English so easier for them to get by, historically the U.K. had the Empire so many still believe U.K. has international status, some just know the names of premier league football teams. Unlike France, Italy and many other countries there is no ID system , so easier to get work under the radar, also the asylum system here means they know they can stay for years whether or not they get asylum. Some of these things we could do something about but haven’t. Those who blame the French, could turn it around and blame the failed asylum system in the U.K. for failing to properly address the issue and cooperate with the rest of Europe over many years.
