Stop the racist van

[vetran]

Isn't it more likely they've targeted poor areas, that just so happen to have less white people becuase they're much less likely not to get a council house in a populated area because they're not immigrants and would be way down on the councils priorities

Key thing is not 'Immigrant' but 'Homeless' by definition if you leave your parents house without them disowning you then you make yourself 'voluntarily homeless' and so don't get up the Bands. Also you have to deny you have any family willing to house you.

If you arrive here with no family ties its easy to present yourself as homeless.

Which is why you see people making sure they are evicted from a private landlord so they can get re-homed. It's not a race thing its a status thing.

[amcdonald]

I'm sure their targeting is correct, but it's also racist.

It's not about race, it's about class

They want the poor immigrants to go home, otherwise they'd have pitched the van outside Buckingham Palace

[vetran]

It's not about race, it's about class

They want the poor immigrants to go home, otherwise they'd have pitched the van outside Buckingham Palace

True Dat!

[lilelvis2000]

Yes a completely laughable policy that should have died in the Thinktank.

Lets hope it doesn't cost the taxpayer too much.

Even funnier when the areas it drove around, most people probably couldn't read it! Obviously geared for the Tory right wing and groups that see the coloured as the root of all economic and societal problems.

Though I had thought that UK Border Agency have no stop and search powers. So the Police must have stopped and then hand over the Border Agency guys...'Course in the UK it isn't illegal to NOT carry identification as it is in other countries. So if say, Lenny Henry, were to get stopped and not have his "papers", would he get put in the van?

[Ticktock]

"Go home" is, as Mich said, inflammatory.

Driving through neighbourhoods full of brown immigrants raises the suspicion that anyone living in that neighbourhood is here illegally (thereby inciting racial hatred), unlike a nice leafy white middle class suburb which couldn't possibly be housing the odd Aussie that's outstayed his visa.

A national tv or newspaper ad, stating that if you are here illegally , you may be arrested, and if you would like help returning to your home country, you should text xxxx, would not have been racist.

The message isn't racist. The wording and delivery are.

As has been said, it wasn't just a van going around with "go home" written on it. Even if it were, that wouldn't be racist as they were only telling those in the country illegally to go, not all foreigners.

As for the areas used, this was a pilot project, so I'd presume they'd try areas where they're likely to find larger numbers of illegal immigrants, rather than a leafy suburb with maybe 1 or 2. Doing that would certainly have been a waste of money, even with a 100% success rate.

[Wanderer]

I'm sure their targeting is correct, but it's also racist.

It's difficult to find a country worth living in that has immigration policies which aren't racist.

[BrilloPad]

IMO the best countrys to live in have policies that link immigration to how much money you have got.

[SueEllen]

IMO the best countrys to live in have policies that link immigration to how much money you have got.

If we did that we would never have half our athletes/sports people and you wouldn't be able to get Indian and Chinese food with ease.

[sasguru]

IMO the best countrys to live in have policies that link immigration to how much money you have got.

Complete bollux. The best countries link immigration to the number and quality of qualifications and experience you have got.
There are some very rich criminals and murderers from Russia and Eastern Europe living in central London.

[evilagent]

IMO the best countrys to live in have policies that link immigration to how much money you have got.

Switzerland!
Unless you have a handbag fetish.