BBC had a refugee on the news this morning

TheBlueHorse

and they showed his journey, from Sudan, via Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and then boat to Greece.

So, how did he get from the safety of Greece to the UK? Surely he was safe in Greece (or Turkey, or even Jordan). Then he was safe in the other umpteen countries he went through to get here.

The question is:

1. Why did he wait to get here, and not claim asylum elsewhere and;

2. why did the BBC not ask him?

Moby

Does the UK have more asylum seekers than most countries?

No it does not. With an estimated 109,600 asylum applications, Germany was the largest recipient of new asylum claims in 2013. The United States of America was second with 84,400 asylum applications, followed by South Africa (70,000), France (60,200), and Sweden (54,300). By comparison, the UK received 23,507 new applications for asylum by the end of 2013.


Taken from UN refugee agency web site. Regarding the specific circs. of this person neither you or I know why they specifically chose here.

Cyberman60

Germany may well have accepted the asylum claims, but once they get accepted into the EU they gain freedom of movement. We had a net 320,000 migrants come here last year, so it's not too great an assumption to believe that many were asylum-accepted in another EU country and then came here !!!!

ging84

What does it have to do with house prices or the economy, or more importantly you. If you became stateless due to a war in your home Country and managed to escape to safety, would you then automatically say right I will set up my new life right here, or have a think about where you would most like to start your new life, and where would be best for you and your family, if they survive. Then do your best to try and get there? If you need to ask why would someone want to live in the UK then perhaps you should go live somewhere else.

Moby

Cyberman60 wrote: »

Germany may well have accepted the asylum claims, but once they get accepted into the EU they gain freedom of movement. We had a net 320,000 migrants come here last year, so it's not too great an assumption to believe that many were asylum-accepted in another EU country and then came here !!!!

Freedom of movement is a basic human right and that is the way it should be of course.

Cyberman60

Moby wrote: »

Freedom of movement is a basic human right and that is the way it should be of course.

It may be BHR in a lefties mind, but in reality it does not exist between countries unless with permission of the receiving country and for very good reasons.

Freedom of movement in the EU is a disaster for the UK, as we are a magnet for vast numbers of benefit claimants that have never net-contributed and probably never will due to the ridiculous WTC and child benefit systems. :mad:

It puts enormous strain on our resources of NHS, housing, welfare, jobs, schools and culture. EG: 300,000 extra school places are required next year and 800,000 by 2023, with multi-billions of associated costs. :eek:

antrobus

Cyberman60 wrote: »

Germany may well have accepted the asylum claims, but once they get accepted into the EU they gain freedom of movement.....

I don't think that's necessarily true. The UK has opted out of a lot of the EU's rules in that regard. But I don't pretend to have an understanding of the technicalities involved; there are limits.

Cyberman60 wrote: »

...We had a net 320,000 migrants come here last year, so it's not too great an assumption to believe that many were asylum-accepted in another EU country and then came here !!!!

It's certainly an assumption.:)

From what I can see, as in 2013 stats,

38.3% of imigrants were EU citizens
36.6% of immigrants were born in the EU
41.8% of immigrants were last resident in the EU

So logically, potentially 3%-5% of immigrants might well be former asylum seekers from other EU nations.

On the other hand 14.5% of all immigrants are UK nationals. (That's right, some people do return.:))

Graham_Devon

Moby wrote: »

Does the UK have more asylum seekers than most countries?

No it does not. With an estimated 109,600 asylum applications, Germany was the largest recipient of new asylum claims in 2013. The United States of America was second with 84,400 asylum applications, followed by South Africa (70,000), France (60,200), and Sweden (54,300). By comparison, the UK received 23,507 new applications for asylum by the end of 2013.

This is just talking raw numbers though.

The UK is a vastly smaller country geographically than Germany is.

It's the amount of people per square mile (or whatever measurement you want to use) that will apply the context that's much needed in these sorts of discussions.

CLAPTON

Moby wrote: »

Freedom of movement is a basic human right and that is the way it should be of course.

what is a 'basic human right'?

how do we know what they are?

are they given to us by God?
were they revealed by a prophet ?
were they always there, are are eternal?

were they discovered by the Egyptians or the Greeks or Romans or the English or Americans or the French?

how do you know that freedom of movement is a basic human right?

Loughton_Monkey

Moby wrote: »

Freedom of movement is a basic human right and that is the way it should be of course.

This is arguable.


Movement is one thing, official residence is another.


Virtually every country I know has a system that we in the UK don't have (as far as I know). That system surrounds the concept of "Residence Permits" and "Work Permits". I used these in Korea and China for 6 years. It gives me valid 'rights' to live and earn. It also gives me the 'duty' to pay tax on what I earned in those countries. However, it confers no further rights whatsoever. Health service, or education which was free to nationals was not free for me.


We need such a system here. Any employer who wants an Indian (say) to work in their IT department, then fine. Give him an annual work permit (renewable), and a residency permit for his wife/kids. But no health, education, or other benefits. If the employer wishes to provide accommodation, private schooling, private medical (as mine did) then that's up to them.


Tell me a country outside the EU where any one of us could just go and live in, at will, and who would provide free schooling, health, ability to earn money in a job, and benefits if we fell on hard times.

Loughton_Monkey

Graham_Devon wrote: »

This is just talking raw numbers though.

The UK is a vastly smaller country geographically than Germany is.

It's the amount of people per square mile (or whatever measurement you want to use) that will apply the context that's much needed in these sorts of discussions.

The UK has 256 per square km.

Finland and Sweden have 16 and 20 respectively.

Hence we should completely block any further immigration until such countries are up to 256.

By my calculations, that gives room for about 81 million refugees in Finland, and another 105 million in Sweden.

But of course I'm just talking raw numbers here....