If you're willing to take a refugee, you should also be willing to take in a homeless person who could be dead this time next year unless you intervene. And that's something that you can actually do today. It's not hard, just find a homeless person and ask if they want to live with you. Otherwise don't claim you'd bring a refugee in under your roof.
If you're willing to take a refugee, you should also be willing to take in a homeless person who could be dead this time next year unless you intervene. And that's something that you can actually do today. It's not hard, just find a homeless person and ask if they want to live with you. Otherwise don't claim you'd bring a refugee in under your roof.
If you're willing to take a refugee, you should also be willing to take in a homeless person who could be dead this time next year unless you intervene. And that's something that you can actually do today. It's not hard, just find a homeless person and ask if they want to live with you. Otherwise don't claim you'd bring a refugee in under your roof.
There is a difference. Homeless people are entitled to housing from the local authority which can lead to permanent housing. Refugees aren't. Also many homeless people have problems I wouldn't bring into my house - addiction issues and mental health problems, I'd be willing to help, as I have done, by volunteering or donating. I think it's a bit too easy to conflate the different issues. Especially if it's just a comment being used to stir the pot.
Would anyone be prepared to give a spare room to a refugee?
I know someone smudge.
How about Sunninghill Park in Ascot ?
You remember the 12 bedroom mansion that Prince Andrew got as a wedding present. He put in on the market for 5 years with no takers, for 12 million. What would any one on CL have to do ? your never get the answer ? we would drop the Price. Not Air miles Andy thou. He gets a tycoon from Kazakhstan come along and offer him 15 Million, 3 million over the asking price.
Some of you will know that the property have been left to rack and ruin and no one every moved in. so 12 bedrooms going there.
There is a difference. Homeless people are entitled to housing from the local authority which can lead to permanent housing. Refugees aren't. Also many homeless people have problems I wouldn't bring into my house - addiction issues and mental health problems, I'd be willing to help, as I have done, by volunteering or donating. I think it's a bit too easy to conflate the different issues. Especially if it's just a comment being used to stir the pot.
There is a difference. Homeless people are entitled to housing from the local authority which can lead to permanent housing. Refugees aren't. Also many homeless people have problems I wouldn't bring into my house - addiction issues and mental health problems, I'd be willing to help, as I have done, by volunteering or donating. I think it's a bit too easy to conflate the different issues. Especially if it's just a comment being used to stir the pot.
Not really it's a fair point. I used to pass 20 or so homeless on my way to work everyday. At least one of them is likely to be dead this time next year. Then there's those you don't see - those caught up in drug and sex crime or being abused or extorted.
And this is the problem - as far as I am aware there is no place in the UK where we can safely keep all these refugees, and if we can find somewhere for these refugees, why can't we find somewhere for our homeless? Bringing them here is one thing, but leaving vulnerable woman or children to die or be abused on our streets is not helping when Germany appears to actually be giving them the right kind of support.
Saying they're entitled to housing is frankly naive: there is a critical shortage of housing and priority goes to women and children. If you're over 18 and male and homeless, unless you either get really lucky or somehow by your own efforts get back on your feet you will die on the streets because this country has no place for them to go.
If we are going to set up a refugee camp we can using tents/cabins etc but why can we do that for refugees and not for Britain's homeless (many of whom are not British nationals).
Its a complex situation. Many of those refugees stuck in Hungary wont register there as they want to get to Germany or beyond, surely beggars cant be choosers? On the other hand the UN has a programme in place with some countries to take refugees. The two boys who drowned were being sponsored by relatives in Canada, and Canada were happy to accept them but they couldn't leave Turkey by legal means because Turkey wouldn't issue exit visas unless they had refugee status which they didn't as it wouldn't be granted to them. By whom you may ask? By no less than the UN themselves, who funnily enough have a programme to take refugees set up with Canada. You couldn't make it up.
Shouldn't we try and think about ways to help both groups of people, rather than saying we don't help one so sod the other ones too?
Yes, that's my point. I think the homeless situation in this country is atrocious. If the UK can find the resources to safely house refugees, why can't it also find resources to help the homeless? And if we can't house refugees safely, we've effectively taken them out of a system where they could be located safely and instead risking turfing out thousands of them onto our streets. It is a serious point, where are we going to keep tens of thousands of extra refugees and ensure they don't end up adding to the UK's homeless tally or get sucked in by criminal elements who will exploit and abuse these people?
The 'why don't you take a refugee into your house' argument really isn't a fair one though is it. There is a massive difference between shouldering the burden as an individual and giving away your family's privacy to believing that as a civilised society we should work together to find a solution. As such it as absolutely useless as a barometer of whether or not we should take action as a nation.
One solution I think would work, though I admit there would be a cost and a time lag, would be the renovation and use of derelict buildings. These could also be used as housing for existing homeless people. Where I live in Southend, there is a whole street (Victoria Avenue) of former office blocks that have been abandoned, these could be refitted and made habitable for thousands of people. From what I've seen there's nothing particularly different about Southend to any other town in this country - they've all got their abandoned properties. It wouldn't be technically difficult, it just need the will power of the people and the govt.
I know I probably fall firmly in the do gooder category, but it's a shame to see even on here such lack of empathy (and bordering on hostility) to the cruel suffering of so many people. Whether that is due to genuine concerns on this countries ability to cope with a further influx of migrants / refugees, or born out of pure selfishness I don't think we will ever know, but it is undoubtedly a sizeable view that will be matched throughout the land.
make no mistake, this is only a pin prick to the potential crisis that the developed world is set to face. Global population is growing, as is global unrest, and the desire for varying reasons to flee undeveloped or sensitive regions is escalating at a rate of knots.
This is a global problem that there is no obvious , or quick answer to.
I feel so sad for the millions / billions of people, kids living lives and in conditions that should not be happening in the 2000s. Yet we are all so helpless to do anything about it other than just scratch the surface.
Even if there is realistically nothing me or you can do about it, how anyone can genuinely turn round and say 'f*** em' I will never understand
"Mr Cameron, what has your country done to help alleviate the refugee crisis?"
"Well a bunch of people are going to go watch a movie and this makes them activists."
"Is that all?"
"No, we also have people uploading selfies of themselves to social media holding a piece of paper with a hashtag on it."
"So how is your country going to help increase the number of refugees it takes in?"
"We have found a website where people are offering their spare rooms to refugees knowing full well they will never actually be called out on it. However this has identified who has spare rooms so we are hopefully going to tax them and spend the money on coming up with more creative excuses."
The homeless situation is more complex with Ex forces failing to return to a normal job in civvy street,young runaways, professional people with break downs, Mental health,drink,drugs and marriage problems are just some of the issues, affecting men and women of all ages on the street. My old Mum has all ways said Charity should start at home, But perhaps it doesn't have the same kudos as an international problem.
As for "Charity begins at home" do the people realising it that Dickens used it as a way to criticise the selfish and criminal?
“Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.” meant, when used by Dickens "I'll keep the money for myself and any justice/law enforcement can happen to others not me"
Would anyone want a load of refugees actually living in they're street? I see it as the same as building new prisons. Everyone thinks there should be more prisons but no one wants to see one in they're "back yard".
As said before, most of these people are not fleeing persecution they are economic migrants. Whe they are reaching Kos they are trying to get to Athens so they can move on. These should be sent back and if they wont say where they are from then we should then we should negotiate with Afghanistan (plenty of room) to lease some land and build a little town where all these "refugees" can be fed, watered and have shelter until its safe to return home. If they are that scared they will be gratefull for this.
Maybe if a billion pounds a year in illegal benefits wasn't claimed in this country by people scamming the system , for disability benefits, we could help people in genuine need.
Maybe if we get persuade big corporations to contribute more tax into the system , instead of paying nothing, we could help more people.
Politicans of any colour are too weak & have failed to sort out our own country, how we can envisage sorting out another countries problems i don't know?
“The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that £1.2bn was lost to benefits fraud in 2013/14, or 0.7 per cent of total benefits spending" [of which 'disability benefits' - Employment and Support Allowance & Disability Living Allowance – are said to account for £200 million]
"That’s the same amount as the year before, it’s a lot less than is lost in other developed countries.....and it’s less than the £1.5bn NOT paid out to people who are eligible for various benefits but don’t claim them.
By contrast, HMRC’s most recent estimate of the annual “tax gap” – the money lost to the state through people not paying as much as they should – was £34bn”.
Comments
Also many homeless people have problems I wouldn't bring into my house - addiction issues and mental health problems, I'd be willing to help, as I have done, by volunteering or donating.
I think it's a bit too easy to conflate the different issues. Especially if it's just a comment being used to stir the pot.
How about Sunninghill Park in Ascot ?
You remember the 12 bedroom mansion that Prince Andrew got as a wedding present. He put in on the market for 5 years with no takers, for 12 million.
What would any one on CL have to do ?
your never get the answer ? we would drop the Price.
Not Air miles Andy thou.
He gets a tycoon from Kazakhstan come along and offer him 15 Million,
3 million over the asking price.
Some of you will know that the property have been left to rack and ruin and no one every moved in.
so 12 bedrooms going there.
And this is the problem - as far as I am aware there is no place in the UK where we can safely keep all these refugees, and if we can find somewhere for these refugees, why can't we find somewhere for our homeless? Bringing them here is one thing, but leaving vulnerable woman or children to die or be abused on our streets is not helping when Germany appears to actually be giving them the right kind of support.
Saying they're entitled to housing is frankly naive: there is a critical shortage of housing and priority goes to women and children. If you're over 18 and male and homeless, unless you either get really lucky or somehow by your own efforts get back on your feet you will die on the streets because this country has no place for them to go.
If we are going to set up a refugee camp we can using tents/cabins etc but why can we do that for refugees and not for Britain's homeless (many of whom are not British nationals).
Why refugees don't/can't go to Gulf states
One solution I think would work, though I admit there would be a cost and a time lag, would be the renovation and use of derelict buildings. These could also be used as housing for existing homeless people. Where I live in Southend, there is a whole street (Victoria Avenue) of former office blocks that have been abandoned, these could be refitted and made habitable for thousands of people. From what I've seen there's nothing particularly different about Southend to any other town in this country - they've all got their abandoned properties. It wouldn't be technically difficult, it just need the will power of the people and the govt.
https://www.facebook.com/events/934247759945193/
Whether that is due to genuine concerns on this countries ability to cope with a further influx of migrants / refugees, or born out of pure selfishness I don't think we will ever know, but it is undoubtedly a sizeable view that will be matched throughout the land.
make no mistake, this is only a pin prick to the potential crisis that the developed world is set to face. Global population is growing, as is global unrest, and the desire for varying reasons to flee undeveloped or sensitive regions is escalating at a rate of knots.
This is a global problem that there is no obvious , or quick answer to.
I feel so sad for the millions / billions of people, kids living lives and in conditions that should not be happening in the 2000s. Yet we are all so helpless to do anything about it other than just scratch the surface.
Even if there is realistically nothing me or you can do about it, how anyone can genuinely turn round and say 'f*** em' I will never understand
"Well a bunch of people are going to go watch a movie and this makes them activists."
"Is that all?"
"No, we also have people uploading selfies of themselves to social media holding a piece of paper with a hashtag on it."
"So how is your country going to help increase the number of refugees it takes in?"
"We have found a website where people are offering their spare rooms to refugees knowing full well they will never actually be called out on it. However this has identified who has spare rooms so we are hopefully going to tax them and spend the money on coming up with more creative excuses."
Mental health,drink,drugs and marriage problems are just some of the issues, affecting men and women of all ages on the street.
My old Mum has all ways said Charity should start at home,
But perhaps it doesn't have the same kudos as an international problem.
As for "Charity begins at home" do the people realising it that Dickens used it as a way to criticise the selfish and criminal?
“Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.” meant, when used by Dickens "I'll keep the money for myself and any justice/law enforcement can happen
to others not me"
As said before, most of these people are not fleeing persecution they are economic migrants. Whe they are reaching Kos they are trying to get to Athens so they can move on. These should be sent back and if they wont say where they are from then we should then we should negotiate with Afghanistan (plenty of room) to lease some land and build a little town where all these "refugees" can be fed, watered and have shelter until its safe to return home. If they are that scared they will be gratefull for this.
I have never been an active EDL member..... I have been on an EDL protest but not a member.
Does anyone have a real % of why they are moving.
Now the Yazidis that were stuck up on that mountain should have had a whole lot more help when they were surrounded by Isis.
As for the right wing group? No not part of one but I would rather be a part of a right wing group then that of the left!!