Where will all the refugees live?

Thrugelmir

kabayiri wrote: »

I'd choose Spain.

Not much work going though.

borkid

Generali wrote: »

I can only assume that you've never been to France or Spain. Both have large British ex-pat communities that steadfastly refuse to assimilate. If you're in the Dordogne it's easy to find an English plumber that only serves the English community.

Here is a long list:

http://dordogne.angloinfo.com/af/430/dordogne-plumbers-and-water-treatment.html

Yes but not where there is a large ex pat community. Looking at the title of the thread we aren't talking about 'born and bred' EU members we're talking about refugees from outside of the EU with a very different culture. Actually I do agree any nationality who goes to another country should make an effort to assimilate and that inculdes the brits. From the poster's comment about begrudge him/her living in UK I was trying to find out where they came from and suggest reasons why people living in UK would begrudge them living here.

zagubov

chucknorris wrote: »

I thanked you, but I might end up guilty myself, if we end up buying a holiday home in Spain. I think I would end up being half and half when it comes to integrating.

TBH if you retire abroad or spend time there you'd be mad not to learn the language and try to integrate.

I don't mean just for practical or cultural reasons but because life speeds up as you get older, but learning and adapting to new environments slows it down again. Helps you stretch out your years and in a positive way.

I'll bet Gen understands what I mean.

zagubov

kabayiri wrote: »

Why aren't we thinking a bit more out of the box about the problem?

Aren't there something like 1.8m unoccupied properties in Spain. Why don't we all pay for some of these properties to be used, via the EU? Why would Spain turn down the money?

*All* the EU can pay. This includes Poland and Romania, countries who have benefitted immensely from the EU in recent years.

Frankly, if I were a refugee and offered a choice of mild climate Spain or Darlington on a cold wet windy November day, I'd choose Spain.

I gather there's parishes in the UK that fly in priests from Poland for church services. Somebody suggested decades ago that we could support the unemployed more cheaply on the Costas while waiting for jobs than trying to support them in cold cramped dilapidated overpriced Britain. (other opinions of Britain are available);)

CLAPTON

zagubov wrote: »

TBH if you retire abroad or spend time there you'd be mad not to learn the language and try to integrate.

I don't mean just for practical or cultural reasons but because life speeds up as you get older, but learning and adapting to new environments slows it down again. Helps you stretch out your years and in a positive way.

I'll bet Gen understands what I mean.

you feel comfortable to speak with authority for the millions of expats?

how many have you actually consulted?

chucknorris

zagubov wrote: »

TBH if you retire abroad or spend time there you'd be mad not to learn the language and try to integrate.

I don't mean just for practical or cultural reasons but because life speeds up as you get older, but learning and adapting to new environments slows it down again. Helps you stretch out your years and in a positive way.

I'll bet Gen understands what I mean.

I have no intention of 'retiring abroad', I really like the UK, so we will probably be there for only about 3-4 months during the winter. It is more to do with that I like outdoor things that I would enjoy more in better weather than the UK offers during the winter. During that time I would imagine that up to a month might be with UK friends visiting and staying with us for holidays. I don't feel the need to integrate for the sake of it, I only have one life and I want to enjoy it. If integrating is what gives you pleasure then by all means go for it, but what gives you pleasure isn't necessarily going to do it for me. My family and friends are important to me, and my hobbies are bowls, chess, walking (usually just with my my dog and wife, most rambling clubs tend to exclude dogs or have strict rules), running, cycling and swimming. That takes up nearly all of my time, and I don't intend to cut down on the things that give me pleasure. Bowls is pretty much an ex pat thing over in Spain, I would certainly join a Spanish chess club (an ex pat club probably wouldn't have enough strong players, or offer competitive leagues to play in), and my running, cycling, swimming and walking the dog tend to be done alone or with my wife, of course I meet people doing these, and they would tend to be Spanish, but it would be more casual rather than a planned social occasion.

When I lived in Germany for a few years, I was working with Brits, but had a German girlfriend and again I didn't feel the need to make a special effort to integrate, I spent my time about 50/50 with Germans and Brits.

Mistermeaner

Do they boule in Spain? (Like in France with the metal balls in the sand pits)

chucknorris

Mistermeaner wrote: »

Do they boule in Spain? (Like in France with the metal balls in the sand pits)

Probably, but I don't particularly enjoy playing that, certainly not as much as lawn bowls.

seven-day-weekend

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Just been listening to the BBC news. Didn't catch the ministers name, but apparently we have the school places, we have the homes and we have the resources. Finances are not an issue. £13,000 for each and every child per year has already been allocated for education purposes.

Apparently local authorities have identified these resources already and homes and school places are all readily available for, as yet, an unknown number of refugees (though most news sources seem to be going with 15,000).

The minister made it quite clear that these people who are bought here will likely be here for the rest of their lives. (So british citizenship as oon as they get here I guess?) He was suggesting that while people may be offering their homes, they have to bear in mind that this will be a long term plan, for possibly years.

I suppose this is one reason camps wouldn't work here. There are no plans for them the refugees to be returned and that point was made very clear.

It's rather bizzare that local authorities have suddenly pulled thousands of readily available homes out of nowhere.

What about all the British families that have been on the waiting list for years?

patanne

I certainly think for the first year that an ex-army base (or similar) would be perfect. It would enable English lessons for all. Not just men and children, because I think it is just as important to teach the women - well from personal experience actually more so. It would also make it possible to keep an eye out for infiltrators (sic) and for any sort of "protection" gangs.

Like SDW I too am also concerned for the people on (often for a long time) waiting lists. So if they are saying this isn't going to happen what sort of total dumps/condemned places are they going to put them in. Personally I think they would be better for a year in an isolated environment which would enable them to 'get up to speed'.