There has been another topic in the news recently that has caused me further “humane” style thoughts, which is probably cause for concern as I am not generally the nicest and kindest person you can talk to. My secret fear is that I am turning into one of those types that will vote for the Green Party, or worse, Lib Dems!
Anyway, for the last few days/week, thousands of immigrants have been trying to get through the security at Calais and get across to England.
Here are a couple of thoughts to the French:
1. Why is security so lax at both the ferry terminal and the Eurostar terminal? Are your airports as pathetically guarded? I am seriously worried about world security right now.
2. Is there any reason that your police are being as ineffective as they are? We all know you want rid of the problem people, so perhaps you’re not giving it your all. Is this why you haven’t sent your army in to assist too?
3. I don’t understand why so many people who are in your country illegally are allowed to say? Why aren’t you doing something to repatriate them?
I have a feeling that point 3 has something to do with the EU’s ridiculous human rights laws as to why they are still in France, and if they make it to England, why they will be staying there too. I think this crisis could fuel the debate into the UK leaving the European Union, and I hope that it gets us out quicker.
Anyway, that’s my little rant over. Now looking at it from my newly acquired ‘nice person’ side… those poor people. How hellish must their lives have been to push them to acts like this? They are risking their own lives in order to do better for themselves and their families. It’s so sad.
Mostly though, I am good with returning them all to wherever they came from so that they do not suck the economy dry.
I appear to have found myself again. Phew.
But seriously… there needs to be something done about this situation. These people are living in squalor and then risking their lives to get to the UK. An international crack down on human trafficking needs to be undertaken. Harsher penalties awarded to the people behind it. Protection for anyone willing to give information on the people who are organising the mass of people on boats to mainland Europe.
This is not just a British and French problem. Illegal immigration is at an all time high. Yet, when it’s people moving from Syria to Turkey we change the name and give them refugee status. Whilst these people are quite literally fleeing for their lives, it’s the same thing. People are being forced to leave their homes for a better life elsewhere. It’s incredibly sad.
BUT, countries like the UK being easy on people coming over and giving them money etc. is really not helping. We are really very bound by European rulings on human rights. I agree that globally peoples rights need to be protected, but this also needs to be balanced out against creating a market for human traffickers.
What makes me sadder still is that because this has been happening for years, and people can see how much money the UK is losing in other areas, like the NHS for example, due to the money being spent on non-British citizens claiming benefits etc., racism is running through society at an alarming rate. People are more upset about the death of a lion in a country that they have never been to, by a man from a country they have never been to, than they are about the hundreds upon thousands of human lives that are being lost because of situations like you see in France/UK at the moment.
I am a bit rambly right now so probably not making as much sense as I could. It’s a bit like a stream of thoughts coming out of my head and being sent directly to my fingers. Sorry!
Blonde On The Move's Blog 
Err…(1) Britain isn’t in the Eurozone.
(2) Britain has no control over France’s borders.
(3) When you compare the welfare package given to illegal immigrants in France to that given in Britain, there is very little difference.
(4) A trivial amount of the NHS budget is spent on illegal immigrants, and they can usually only get ’emergency’ treatment. Would you prefer the alternative: to see people dead on the streets for want of medical attention?
I think you’ve misunderstood where I am coming from here, completely. But, thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Do tell. For example: How is it that Britain can be in the Eurozone and nobody in Britain know about it? I’ve just checked, and all my coins and notes are British – I don’t have a single Euro to my name.
Ok… What I meant is that the UK is linked to the European Court of Law. Thank you for pointing out my mis-use of the word “Eurozone”. I shall amend accordingly.
Oh, the European Court? Ok, well wouldn’t that be like saying ‘I hate human rights’? Not very good for Britain’s image in the world, eh?
I’ve found something for you to read about the cost to the NHS of immigrant healthcare. £12 million out of a budget of £100 billion or more really is trivial… http://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check/2013/jul/03/health-tourism-cost-nhs-jeremy-hunt
Thank you for the link. I will read it shortly. But you know what, I give up. I don’t write this blog to be attacked. I just write things that come into my head. If you’re so offended, please don’t read.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to read and comment, but I would really appreciate being left alone now.
Umm, you attacked me… when I presented you with some actual facts, remember? You said that I had misunderstood… and now you are ‘attacking’ me again. And now I am offended.
No… I was not attacking. I simply stated that you’d misunderstood me. I didn’t argue or try to push the point. I even thanked you for stopping by because a) I am polite and b) I don’t want to be perceived as confrontational. And yet you continue to reply in a negative way. So please. Enough now.