UN: Britain has 'more than fair share of refugees'

[CarZee]

At the risk of staring another fire...

www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/2664512?source=Evening%20Standard

Britain has 'more than fair share of refugees'

Britain is taking in more than its fair share of refugees, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees said today.

Ruud Lubbers said other European Union countries must do more and the British Government must work with them to share the burden.

Mr Lubbers told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that more effective systems were needed to ensure that fewer refugees needed to come to Britain. Suggesting that countries should take one refugee per thousand of population, he said that Britain, because of its attractiveness, was getting more than its share.

"Let's share the burden so we have less in the UK and more spread across the EU," he said. "It's a good solution for refugees. It's also a good solution for the UK."

Asked if he acknowledged Britain had more than its fair share of refugees, Mr Lubbers said: "Yes. The UK has a heavy burden, so it would have an interest in international burden sharing.

"It doesn't help to try and solve the problem on your own. An option would be that you can have a multi-lateral approach and partnership with the EU to find a solution together."

Mr Lubbers said he was prepared to reprimand other EU countries which were not prepared to cooperate.

"The problem is so important that we cannot leave it to others and London alone," he said. "It can be done better. The solution here is to share responsibility and to share the burden."

In three months over the summer, 29,100 asylum seekers arrived in Britain - the equivalent of 116,400 a year and the highest figure in the nation's history.

But while 90 per cent were judged to have no genuine case for asylum, only 3,565 were sent home. In a humiliating deal agreed with the French this month the Government agreed to take 1,023 refugees in return for the closure of the Red Cross camp at Sangatte.

This item was brought to you by the "No Shit Sherlock" News Agency.

Heartening to see the UNHCR acknowledging the problem & taking the matter seriously... what good it'll do I don't know but it's positive nonetheless.

[apache]

racist

[CarZee]

Pie Quay!

[daydreamer]

So this is what I am working all thtough Christmas to fund (well 52.5%ish is going to the government). I'm normally reasonably neutral on welfare and provision, but I wouldn't mind an opt out box on my tax return for a few of these issues.

We haven't cracked looking after all the people that are living here now. So what are we doing, spending time and effort showing that 90% of the seekers have no right to be here, then letting them stay anyway!

[disclaimer]
The above figure came from the article at the top of the page - I have no idea how accurate it is, but if it is correct, then it is fg frustrating.
[/disclaimer]

[GregE240]

Interview with some immigrant sympathiser on Radio 5 (Live !) this morning, almost made me crash my car.

Apparently, the ill feeling towards immigrants is due to a "small, single minded group of xenophobes". Rubbish. Oh, and also most of our immigrant population bring "...more skills than the average British man or woman posseses" so watch out for your jobs folks - some down on their luck will have your livlihood before too long.

[hertsbiker]

yeah right, so the last 1200 or so can program VB, SQL & other stuff then? hmmmmm.

[daydreamer]

It's great all this bringing more skills. So why don't we have them - could it possibly be that it is now more important to go to university and do a degree in lesbian social studies (I believe "do you want fries with that" is now part of the sylabus), than it is to go and learn how to do something useful. A target of 50% of people to university is bloody stupid, when there isn't a welder in the country under 35 (OK, there problably is, but certainly not that many).

As has been said before, WTF is this country coming to.

[granville]

What would Greedo say at a time like this?

"Som beechale; maritam te tachma-que chosa. Jabba waninchicopa buishyne titanya wanyawooska."

In other words, Sarlaac for Portsmouth, y'all?

"He-he-he."

Carzee - did you see Classic Cars mag or some such thing this month with that feature on the Tiv V8S? Very nice, Mr.Faulty. I assume the same as per your own beastie?

Oh yeah; on the assylum subject. Does the phrase 'Civil War' have any resonance in the Bliar villa, down in Tuscany these days?

Rearrange the following into a well known and oft quoted saying by the doyen of Pistonic Headed short arse surpression: "My, pot, arse, melting."

[apache]

a walk through Cambridge this morning, made me realise that we are truly bumf**ked, everywhere you go there are homeless beggars pleading for enough change to buy another bottle of industrial strength cider.......and we are opening the gates for more. Still at least our new arrivals will have homes and cars and University education provided.

[alan_driver]

GregE240 said: most of our immigrant population bring "...more skills than the average British man or woman posseses"

Such as? Pizza making and Taxi driving? Sorry, didnt mean that. But seriously, what skills can thay bring, and if they have these skills can't they get a job where they came from? Do you mean migrants rather than imigrants?

[deltaf]

How nice of them to notice that we're sinking under a tide of spongers from afar....