Migrants Hated everywhere??

There’s a massive amount on this in today’s Sunday Times. Plenty of interviews with fearful immigrants in Belfast, and in particular a lot of resentment from those who have arrived legally, have gone through the process, and are working and contributing, towards those who haven’t, especially those arriving in small boats.

I listened to radio 4 this morning, talking about the recent riots in Belfast. The man was a Priest and welcomed everyone but he said people still hadn't reconciled the Catholic/Protestant issues. Any concerns residents were having.were ignored and he said if you don't listen and talk it will go on. He had managed to rehome 23 members of just one family affecte.d. Can you imagine how many there must be with families that size.

Doodledog

Shinamae

Doodledog

Turkish barbers, vape shops and nail bars are often accused of being fronts for money laundering. Does anyone know how that works in small towns? I assume people pay in cash for the services (I've never been in any of those places) and that has something to do with it, but I can't work out how it works in practice. They always seem empty, so if the idea is to take in 'clean' money and use criminally tainted money as change there wouldn't be enough footfall to do so.

That idea seems very dated though - most people pay with cards or phones these days.

If it’s organised crime, they have ways around this..

Well yes, I'm sure that's true, but I'm asking what those ways are .

The ways are…buying the business to start with using dirty money, then of course the profits are all clean money.

Watch Breaking Bad 😂

Oreo

Doodledog

Shinamae

Doodledog

Turkish barbers, vape shops and nail bars are often accused of being fronts for money laundering. Does anyone know how that works in small towns? I assume people pay in cash for the services (I've never been in any of those places) and that has something to do with it, but I can't work out how it works in practice. They always seem empty, so if the idea is to take in 'clean' money and use criminally tainted money as change there wouldn't be enough footfall to do so.

That idea seems very dated though - most people pay with cards or phones these days.

If it’s organised crime, they have ways around this..

Well yes, I'm sure that's true, but I'm asking what those ways are .

The ways are…buying the business to start with using dirty money, then of course the profits are all clean money.

They don't even have to have actually made any profit. The money just goes through the books as 'profit'. No-one counts the number of customers they've had...

Often these shops deal in drugs too.

One would think that the police would make use of CCTV.
I know that there are at least 3 opposite the vape/ candy shop next to where I volunteer.
The same number of cameras covering the 2 Turkish barbers.
There’s no need now to have 2 highly paid officers sitting in a car all day taking photos. 🤷‍♀️

Oreo

Watch Breaking Bad 😂

I did……
Excellent…😁

We were horrified to hear today that a local petrol station manned by Asian men gave our DGS and his chums (all age 14 and 15) a box of beers. He only mentioned it casually today. The boys had been in for cans of juice and sweets after training. The boys didn't accept the offer but were strongly encouraged to. His dad explained to him that this was just the start. Next would be vapes then on to party drugs.
Grooming takes many forms

Did they give them or offer them?

Just asking.

Report them to the company running the petrol station and to the local council.

The boys didn't ask. The petrol station isn't licensed so doesn't sell beer. My SiL is going to tell my DGSs school which is very near.

Aveline

The boys didn't ask. The petrol station isn't licensed so doesn't sell beer. My SiL is going to tell my DGSs school which is very near.

The incident should still be reported to the company which owns the petrol station/fuel being sold and the local council. Even if they don't have proof, they might have other reports, so can take action. The school can possibly warn pupils, but it can't actually do anything. They can't even monitor the situation and how are they going to punish any pupils who do take up the offer? Sorry, but if it's that serious, it should be reported to the correct authorities rather than it becoming some kind of rumour which people then gossip about on social media.

It will be reported

PS. You wrote that your DGSs were given a box of beer, but then wrote that they didn't accept it, so I'm a bit confused.

Sounds like they had the box of beers pressed on them by the men, but glad they didn’t take it.
Def report to police and school.🤬

Oreo

Sounds like they had the box of beers pressed on them by the men, but glad they didn’t take it.
Def report to police and school.🤬

They need to be absolutely clear what happened because Aveline's post has contradictions. The police won't take it seriously, if they contradict themselves. They won't be able to do anything without evidence anyway, but if there are a number of reports and enough pressure is put on them, they might do a search. If the premises isn't licensed to sell alcohol, there shouldn't be any there.

Sorry I didn't mean to have any contradictions. The boys didn't ask for beer or does the place sell it. The man got them chatting like he was a great friend then produced the case of beer.
I think it's a very serious matter. If the police are interested there does seem to be CCTV cameras. It's the petrol station I use so I know it. I've never been offered anything dodgy!

That’s how grooming starts, so do report it Aveline or get the parents to report it.

Aveline

Sorry I didn't mean to have any contradictions. The boys didn't ask for beer or does the place sell it. The man got them chatting like he was a great friend then produced the case of beer.
I think it's a very serious matter. If the police are interested there does seem to be CCTV cameras. It's the petrol station I use so I know it. I've never been offered anything dodgy!

You wrote "a local petrol station manned by Asian men gave our DGS and his chums (all age 14 and 15) a box of beers" The boys need to be absolutely precise because the police and council won't take them seriously, if they change their story.

The young are prime targets, it's a pattern like in County Border drug crime, Vape Shops too, it's the young they are after.. It is a serious matter.

Allsorts

The young are prime targets, it's a pattern like in County Border drug crime, Vape Shops too, it's the young they are after.. It is a serious matter.

Of course it's a serious matter, which is why it should be reported. The concern is if it's not reported, it becomes "gossip" and Chinese Whispers ensure that the story gets changed a little bit as it goes along the chain. To be perfectly frank, none of us on here even knows the boys were telling the truth. Teenagers have been known to embellish stories.

So report it. Get the police/council to look at the CCTV. The men should be sacked, if the story holds up, but that won't happen unless it's reported to the proper authorities, who do seem to be taking this kind of thing seriously at last.

It's not gossip or Chinese whispers to me. I was shocked to hear about it directly from my DGS who had no reason to lie. He's a dear boy and still , luckily, an innocent. He'd told us about it quite blithely, never occurred to him that it was anything but a funny incident. I hope the police check the CCTV.

I remember being told as a child and repeated to my own children never to take gifts from people you don't know well. Perhaps that warning has died out now but in view of the "beer gift" parents need to remind children about this.
Forewarned is forearmed.