It's an invasion and it's going to get worse.

[gasbanni]

The international organisation for migration data says 23,000 migrants reached Greece in the first two weeks of January this year compared with 3000 for the whole of January last year. What's going to happen when good weather arrives ?

What we've seen is the tip of the iceberg. Surely the UN should step in to sort this out. You'll have seen the pictures of Syria it appears to have been devastated, will people return to rebuild their homeland or is it likely to be left at a subsistant level ?

Europe has finite resources and cannot accommodate numbers on the scale we've seen, let alone what this year will bring.
Have we a housing problem in the UK ? Do we have homeless people ? Can we offer limitless help ?

It is an invasion albeit unarmed, fleeing to a place of safety is totally understandable but a tidal wave of unorganised displaced unfortunate people is only going to result in instability in their eventual destination. This is irrespective of cultural differences.

Germany's solution to getting rid unwanted people is a matter of history, Yuogoslavias ethnic cleansing is also a matter of history. There's a limit to people's tolerance, far right views tend to emerge as we are seeing.

Surely the UN should start patrolling the Mediterranean and taking people to places of safety throughout the world. Sort out the problem in Syria and help towards rebuilding the country.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

The EU being a bunch of dingbats are encouraging people to migrate to Europe. Cameron has got it right, he wants them to fund refugee camps near Syria so that they can return when peace arrives I think we are giving nearly a billion pounds a year in aid. If everyone did that, we would not have a migration crisis. And of course many migrants are economic migrants and not from Syria. IS are destabilsing countries and Iran is funding Hezbollah which is prolonging the Syrian war and has long been destabilising Lebanon.

But this Syrian migration is for us minor compared to the number arriving, unlimited from the EU, and huge numbers from outside, over 300,000 last year. You are right that this furthers the far right. When Nu Labour were labelling anyone who questioned immigration as racist, the BNP were getting many new councillors elected. Fortunately we can now talk about immigration, and the BNP is wilting, thank goodness.

 

[jockscott]

Fortunately we can now talk about immigration.

Strange then that any attempt to talk about immigration on here in the past, always brought accusations of racism. What's changed then??

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about 23,000 crossing into Greece from Turkey in January. They'll all be heading to Merkel's "promised land" It was she, who invited them over, therefore she, should take responsibility for them.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Fortunately we can now talk about immigration.

Strange then that any attempt to talk about immigration on here in the past, always brought accusations of racism. What's changed then??

You are quite mistaken. People only object when racist remarks are made such as using the term 'rapugees', or saying that an entire religious group are terrorists/rapists, or posting fake videos. The OP sounds quite reasonable to me, although some will disagree with the views expressed.

 

[fender]

How are they meant to sort out Syria though, with all the different countries and factions involved?

 

[gasbanni]

I haven't got a clue .......but wouldn't that be the answer a UN multi national force ? What else is there ?

This is the biggest refugee crisis since the second world war, it's not just a European problem. It's not going to go away, it's a world problem.
Geographically Europe looks like the safest gettable destination for them. But for how long ?

As societies implode the far right offers solutions and safety ......in they get with the type of resuits we've seen before.

 

[^woody^]

Holding centres in leased parts of north Africa gets my vote. And anyone trying for Europe, to get turned around and sent there.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

As an aside, Jordan and Lebanon have huge Palestinian refugee camps, some dating from the partition of Palestine into two states. Iran and Russia backing Assad, a Middle Eastern death cult establishing a base and supported by Assad, and 'moderate' opposition armies. And Turkey buying oil from the death cult. Any predictions for 5 years time?

 

[Himaginn]

This is the biggest refugee crisis since the second world war, it's not just a European problem. It's not going to go away, it's a world problem.

Perhaps your comment is closer to the truth than many want to admit.
It's not just a world problem, it's more of a world-created problem.
As WWT infers, there's so much proxy wars going on in Syria, it's no wonder there's a big problem.
Iran, Russia, Lebanon militarily, financially and politically supporting the Shia ruling party. Saudi (supported by the west), Turkey and the west militarily, financially and politically supporting the opposition groups, although since the rise of daesh the west have withdrawn much of their military backing, other than air strikes.

The west supporting the Kurds, with whom Turkey is fighting.

Now that the sanctions with Iran have been lifted Iran will be better placed to support Assad financially.

Similarly to Vietnam, if the west keeps out the whole mess would be over in a couple of months. All the west intervention achieves is a bigger mess going on for a longer time creating greater divides.

 

[HawkEye244]

Can someone explain to me why nobody is asking the yanks to house these migrants as they caused the problem in the first place?

 

[jockscott]

Can someone explain to me why nobody is asking the yanks to house these migrants as they caused the problem in the first place?

Because Merkel invited them to come to Europe. As far as I'm aware Obama hasn't invited them over stateside.

 

[Brigadier]

Can someone explain to me why nobody is asking the yanks to house these migrants as they caused the problem in the first place?

It's a sight harder to paddle across the Atlantic than it is the Med.

 

[tony1851]

We can only hope that countless thousands more start throwing their weight about at the borders, and causing well-publicised mayhem in the host countries, before that over-fed, weak-kneed spineless apology for a PM manages to spring the Referendum on us. That way people will see what they're getting if they vote IN.

 

[^woody^]

people will see what they're getting if they vote IN.

But surely there will be international pressure for us to open the doors even if outside the EU?

Wouldn't a negotiated exemption of some sort be better?

 

[Fire and Ice]

But the UK being an EU member means that immigrants processed in any other EU country will then have to be treated the same as any other EU citizen coming to the EU... Remove the UK from the EU and that issue is removed.