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  • The tories cut funding from the department that decides whether asylum seekers have their claims granted or denied, so there's a big backlog of people who can't legally get a job to support themselves and can't legally be deported, and feeding and housing them is expensive. The right wing press blames this not on the fact that they're all in legal limbo until the backlog is dealt with, and not on the fact that decades of foreign policy mean that there are lots of people in danger unless they flee who have English as their only extra language, so would only be able to get a job after asylum was granted if they were in the UK, but instead on the myth that the government is required by things like the Human Rights Act to provide people a life of luxury if they come here and people are coming from safe places for a free multi-year holiday. Because humans are not rational, people believe the myth, and if the myth were true, it would obviously be a good idea to stop providing luxury hotel accommodation at great expense to the taxpayer.

  • I'd have to guess it's to disincentives illegal immigrants coming into the country.

    I get the optics of it to be honest. We're constantly being told there's not enough money for essential services, there's housing shortages and so on, but then people can come here and get housed, receive money etc. It's probably also a tough pill to swallow when they're coming from safe countries.

    This is absolutely what's driving the popularity of Reform, and will continue to do so.

  • Because people are coming over in boats from france and seeking asylum and are draining the system. That's why. To them, they basically see a massive sign saying "free handouts, come on over" and useful idiots are falling for their rouse left, right and centre.

    I still think asylum seekers should be given benefits and support.... Just not the ones coming from safe countries like France or Ireland.

    • If you were fleeing war or persecution, would you not prefer to go to a country where you could speak the language and/or had family? Being able to speak the language would also mean you can start working as soon as your claim is processed. Yes, if I was fleeing war, I would want to go to the first safe place. But after safety, the next thing is being able to actually get on with your life and provide for yourself and family.

      For instance I can't speak Turkish, I find it a very hard language to learn. So if I could choose between settling there and going somewhere like France, Portugal or Spain where I have some proficiency in the languages, I would try to get there, because I'd be able to get into work a lot quicker and become part of a community if my application got approved. And even more so if I knew people there. It's not a case of being greedy or picky, these people are still humans who need to get on with their lives.

43 comments