It’s pretty clear that some people in the UK despise migrants, I’m not sure why, but it could be a myriad of reasons from them simply being different to perceived, but not necessarily true, beliefs around their faith, to causing, or at least adding to, housing issues, taking up places in schools, using the NHS or any other valid, but not necessarily accurate reason.
I wonder do if these same people ever consider the vast amount of British people who live across the world, Canada/USA/Europe/UAE being the most common, and the reasons for moving are also varied.
In some countries the “natives” despise British interlopers, especially those who label themselves “ex-pats”. Reasons for disliking them? They don’t integrate, some don’t learn he language, some are disrespectful to locals. Mmmmm, sounds very familiar.
In some cases, decades ago, a good few criminals settled in parts of Spain, enough for it to be christened “The Costa del Crime”.
Doesn’t this illustrate that in some (not all) ways we are no different from migrants seeking solace in the UK or attempting to come here for economic reasons.
We are all humans, all in certain geographical regions initially purely by an accident of birth.
Violent, nasty, disturbed criminals aside, most of these migrants, whoever and wherever they end up seeks better, safer, more peaceful lives for their families.
I have very good British born friends living in the South of France, Spain and Turkey and relatives, British born, who live in both Canada and California and they’ve settled and now have families of their own.
I hate all the hostilities and wish we could find a solution to have a much quicker and fairer immigration system for both those coming in via legal means and those entering as Asylum Seekers.
LizzieDrip
Maremia
Back to the OP.
There were massive protests today, in Belfast and Glasgow, against the recent racist violence.This gives me hope that there are many good, decent people out there. The racist cannot win!
👏👏👏👏👏
MT62
nanna8
You can only buy vapes legally in a chemist shop here because they are supposed to help people stop smoking. Vape shops are not allowed though I am sure there are illegal ones if you know where to look. Not openly selling them,though. Why doesn’t your government follow these rules ? I think we were also one of the first countries to condemn cigs as being life threatening and not allow them in shops and on public transport.
Not too far from us is a little town that has gone to the wall since M & S closed its doors, soon after, Clinton’s, WHS, Superdrug, Wilkinsons all went.
Now it has eleven vape shops.
Watched a bloke going round these vape shops on YouTube.
Most of the shop owners didn’t want to be filmed. One shop had two young boys buying vapes.
I use to love going to this town as it was free parking & my bank was there, now shut down.
Now I wouldn’t go there if you paid me.
I agree and I’d go further and shut all vapes shops.
However, although this would stop the issues around these shops in our towns, it wouldn’t prevent people, or young people, purchasing them, they’d simply go online or via individuals.
Both my sons vape! I’m forever chastising them! They ignore me!
Since we're on the subject, my father was killed in WW2, five weeks before I was born, my mother's much loved cousin died of wounds in North Africa, my.stepfather was a POW, captured after the fall of Singapore, four long years in Changi and the Burma railroad, at least he survived, as it turned out, thank goodness, as he was a lovely man. Grandparents scarred by WW1 and those trenches but straight into the Home Guard second time round. All that sacrifice by such very young men, both for thousands of families here and for our enemies, they were young men too ! Was it worth it? Looking at one weak ineffectual government after another, this one being the most frightening, I have to say, I really do wonder!
Most 'local high streets' seem to be similar. But I wouldn't blame the current occupiers. I would tend to blame Amazon, out of town shopping centres and high rents and business rate,
We do have a local high street about 30 miles away, which, though made famous for a trip to test his eyesight during Covid by one Dominic Cummings, looks to be thriving whenever I drive through it, But it has no out of town shopping and isn't particularly close to a major town.
I hadn’t realised but up to recently Councils had no say in who bought/ rented empty shops which allowed the owners to sell to anyone, often ending up with three or four Turkish Barbers or vape shops in the same area.
I guess that in the past it wasn’t a problem as the shops arriving would have been the usual butcher, baker and candlestick maker but now it’s very much a problem as they are usually money laundering outfits.
I believe it’s now official that Councils can reject the type of shops opening.
Oreo it all depends on the usage band the shop is designated, with bands covering a variety of uses.
Councils still have their hands metaphorically tied
Our nearest (small) town had a police raid last week. Two illegal immigrants were taken into custody at the Turkish barber shop and three at a nearby Pizza shop. If they can find 5 in one street in that little town I cannot imagine how many there are in big towns and cities throughout the country.
Maremia
Back to the OP.
There were massive protests today, in Belfast and Glasgow, against the recent racist violence.
And Brighton apparently.
As usual the Left ship in rent a mob with their mass produced signs!
GrannyGravy13
Oreo it all depends on the usage band the shop is designated, with bands covering a variety of uses.
Councils still have their hands metaphorically tied
Then the rules …man made after all, can be changed.They weren’t handed down on tablets of stone.
What are our local MPs doing, why have we voted for them, why are they not up in arms about all these vape shops, turkish barbers and nail bars although wherever you go the nail bars are full of customers, not that I've ever been in one. Surely laws could be passed to shop these businesses which some are obviously dodgy.
Oreo Class E which covers shops, cafe’s gyms, hairdressers do not need planning permission for change of use within this category.
The refusal or withdrawal is a costly process, all councils are cash strapped.
Interesting. 🤔
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.
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..
Also what about the HMOs why aren't our MPs up in arms about these, I suspect because Labour MPs know they will be voted out next election and just like Starmer, Angela Rayner in her fancy Brighton pad couldn't care less about us they have their nice fat pensions to look forward to 😡
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 
.
Doodledog Turkish Barbers (misnomer as many are Albanian, or Kurdish)
Premises fitted out with high end equipment, marble floors, designer towels along with top end cars permanently parked outside.
Whereas their chairs are empty, how are they pay the rents, business rates, utilities and particularly their energy bills as they are lit up spectacularly 24 hours a day 🤷♀️
Oops, posted too soon.
They are imported OCG’s
Some are raised regularly, some are not 🤷♀️
Yes, I understand that. But how do they help organised crime? What is the process?
Sorry if that sounds rude - thanks for replying.
I can see what they are, and understand that OC is supposedly involved. I'm not disputing that - how many barbers' does one small town need? - but I'm asking how it works.
I wish vapes were banned, our young are like Guinea pigs we don't know long term implications yet., lots if very nice independent shops here had to close because of crippling rents, however Vape Shops and Barbers seem to thrive with no customers. Remarkable.
UK welcomes and always have, people from anywhere who want to make their homes here, be law abiding, learn the language and work, that is not the issue.
Search Assist
My search engine's AI tool says this:
Money laundering through vape shops typically involves disguising illegal proceeds as legitimate income from sales. Criminals may inflate sales figures or use cash transactions to obscure the source of the money, allowing them to integrate it into the legal economy.
It's cooking the books, basically. There don't have to be any customers involved because it's an accounting exercise.
MT62 I think you may not be too far from myself in the NW.
I too have stopped going into my local town, not sure if it is the same town you talk about but also our M n S, Superdrug, Clintons, Wilkies etc has closed down. We are left with an almost empty arcade. Surrounded by vape, tat shops.
We still have our greggs which is a free for all, just walk in grab what you want and walk out without paying.
Not sure what the real reason is for these stores closing.
I now only go to town if I have to go to the bank and looking over my shoulder at that,
Last weekend there was a Food festival and sort of army style fair going on with an aricraft and all sorts of stalls.
My daughter went and took gson, she said it was like the old times when everyone came to town on a Saturday.
The day was going well until! I person started running around like mad screaming something about Jesus, it ended up with some police running after him, not sure who he was or what happened. Daughter then decided to leave and go back home.
Also I am hop skip and a jump from where apparently a young girl was stabbed in the neck recently in broad daylight.
Again not sure by whom or the outcome.
My other daughter lives in an old style terraced street, her next doors neighbours landlord is selling up his houses for whom or what we don't know.
I am lucky enough to have a car, if not I would be very wary of walking or even getting on a bus these days.
It has felt quite scary in our small town for a while now so I think it is a mixture of homeless sleeping in doorways and various other aspects.
I think we are all becoming anxious about who are around us.
On Thursday I was going to large supermarket I was on the escalator when this male got on behind me, he was all in black big cross round his neck backpak and he started muttering/talking behind me like mumbling. I turned so that I was facing sideways so I could see him.
I was off that escalator like a flash and walked the opposite way. I'm sure all was well but this is how I feel, with these now random attacks on just ordinary people. I feel unsafe.
I work in a supermarket and I treat everyone just the same (unless they are rude) .I have some lovely customer from all different areas, countries ,walks of life.
But still at times feel unsafe.
Do any others feel unsafe walking/driving round.
(I always keep my car door locked, have only started doing that recently.
Primrose53
Our nearest (small) town had a police raid last week. Two illegal immigrants were taken into custody at the Turkish barber shop and three at a nearby Pizza shop. If they can find 5 in one street in that little town I cannot imagine how many there are in big towns and cities throughout the country.
There are many “illegal” immigrants working in places where they shouldn’t. Most are visa overstayers or working g on the incorrect visas.
The employers will (rightfully) face heavy fines and those working illegally will probably be deported.
Happens in lots of countries and us Brits are guilty of this abroad, it’s nothing new, but wrong nevertheless.
I don't know how the decline of town centre shops can be linked to immigration. Out of town shopping centres with free parking and regular bus services for non drivers have been the big killer. Also businesses selling their ;products online have been the other killer of town centre shops. Understandably, local councils would sooner Turkish barbers, cafes and nail bars fill empty shops than have them stand empty.
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