Immigration or humanitarian crisis?

[SpontaneousOrder]

the missus has just turned the telly off.

she has not formed a view, but she finds the whole thing depressing

Good job they don't show videos of the the kids being carried to hospital by their fathers, with their jaws having been blown off and their tongues dangling out freely.

Not trying to be a dick, but I honestly think if they didn't hide that we wouldn't end up invading countries looking for imaginary WMDs - considering how powerful one relatively tame image of a drowned toddler turns out to be.

And, cruelly, if that were the case, these crises would happen far less, and groups like isis would have been annihilated by now because there would still be the political will to do it. They'd be wiped out in a matter of weeks, if they ever emerge in the first place.

[Gumbo Robot]

So if Germany is prepared to give asylum to any Syrian, I wonder what they are going to do with all the other nationalities e.g. Pakistan that are mixed up in this column?

[meridian]

So if Germany is prepared to give asylum to any Syrian, I wonder what they are going to do with all the other nationalities e.g. Pakistan that are mixed up in this column?

And how will they tell? Morning news is reporting a "Syrian" using acid to remove fingerprints.

[SueEllen]

So if Germany is prepared to give asylum to any Syrian, I wonder what they are going to do with all the other nationalities e.g. Pakistan that are mixed up in this column?

The Pakistani needs to just convert to Christianity - then they can claim asylum under religious persecution.

[meridian]

Or just say he's gay, that'll work too.

Some interesting info graphics here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle26194675/

[Flashman]

1,843,992 Families In England And Scotland On Council Housing Waiting List

GMB - 1.9 Million Families On The Housing Waiting List

Guess some of them are going to have to wait for a bit longer...

[SueEllen]

Guess some of them are going to have to wait for a bit longer...

Refugees and those claiming asylum are put in the council properties no one wants.

[meridian]

Refugees and those claiming asylum are put in the council properties no one wants.

?

Sound like BS to me. If there are really 1.6 million households (households, not people; average 3 people per household and that's nearly 5 million people) them would there really be any housing, no matter how bad, that no one wants?

But then, the 1.6 million on the list sounds like BS to me as well. Most likely the lists are bloated by people that want a free house that they can buy cheaply, and not truly people in need.

[Flashman]

Refugees and those claiming asylum are put in the council properties no one wants.

This is based on your indepth knowledge of Council housing?

[SueEllen]

?

Sound like BS to me. If there are really 1.6 million households (households, not people; average 3 people per household and that's nearly 5 million people) them would there really be any housing, no matter how bad, that no one wants?

Yes there is even in London

I use to take a bus route and if I was on it in the day, there would be women talking on it about the sink estate they were trying to get out of with their kids. (The bus route started near the estate, went through wealthier areas, pass two local hospitals and ended up at one of my local hypermarkets.)

I actually then met someone who was given a council property on that estate and because the estate was so bad, she gave it up and went into private rented. She had two children and was told she could never be on a council list again due to giving the property up.

But then, the 1.6 million on the list sounds like BS to me as well. Most likely the lists are bloated by people that want a free house that they can buy cheaply, and not truly people in need.

Also the average is bad when talking about council properties.

There are lots of single people who want a property who aren't in need, families with nearly adult children and families with kids who are babies.

I was told that certain London councils use to wait with those who had children over 15 until they reached adulthood as then they would either not be the council's responsibility to house, or if they had to house them they could put them in a one-bed somewhere.

Children under 5 also don't count as people for the council lists. So while you are vulnerable for having a young child they don't count for the size of property they give you e.g. a one bedroom flat on the sink estate no one wants to live on.

Anyway I do some voluntary work with elderly people in my area and some of them are in larger council properties than they actually want as they live alone. They won't move until they get exactly the one bed property they like in a location they like.

One guy I know who moved a few months ago was offered a property within 3 months of being on the list. He turned it down and had to wait 8 months to be offered one other that exactly met his requirements.

Apparently the property the elderly all get offered first is an historic one-bedroom house for the over 60s. The housing is central and has a warden unfortunately they can't have any overnight visitors or pets. So if you have family alive you don't want the housing and even if you don't you don't want the housing.