Why isn&#x27;t France &#x27;good enough&#x27; for the Calais refugees?

If the UK descended into anarchy and people were being shot on the street outside your house, and you decided to flee the country, where would you go?

Reply 2

gladders

Also many have family here. Natural to seek to find family.

Reply 3

Original post by ByEeek

If the UK descended into anarchy and people were being shot on the street outside your house, and you decided to flee the country, where would you go?

I always thought New Zealand would be a nice bolt-hole but apparently gardening is illegal there.

Look it up. O - o

Reply 4

fg45344

2

UK has the best benefits system in Europe. That's why they some of them come, for the free money. However a lot of them, do want to work, so they are just trying to better themselves.

But these are the main reasons:

1) Best benefits system in europe
2) English as lingua franca of the world means most speak at least some english
3) British in general are a very tolerant society (though I don't know how long this will last)
4) If you look hard enough, you can find work, sure it may be backbreaking, but there is work there if you want it.

Reply 5

generallee

They think the UK is a land flowing with milk and honey.

And they also think they will be welcome!

Wrong on both counts, sadly, economic migrant (sorry, "refugee"!)

Reply 6

jimbob564

They've heard that British girls have mad jungle fever.

Reply 7

Original post by TurboCretin

Long story short, it's because the French are a*seholes.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/calais-refugees-why-asylum-france-britain-2016-2

Yeah, the French relationship with it's migrant and minority communities are....confused.

Depending on who and where you're from you can either be welcomed with full open arms (basically if you're well off and seen to totally and utterly embrace all of French values and culture while discarding any other, or you're nice and white--but not gypsy--from elsewhere in western Europe, and even then you can be sneered at), or ghettoized, and shunned from mainstream French society. Left outside of the French economy and opportunities, almost entirely left to fester.

Which is partly why France has such a problem with home-grown terrorism.

The UK might not get it right, but we have a culture that says "we have the rule of law, some basic tenets of our culture, and as long as you accept those and contribute to society you're otherwise more then welcome here".

Not such a clear-cut picture as those ideals, some people think that means turning over and accepting all cultural traits, no matter how regressive and frankly backwards, but generally the UK isn't afraid of diversity of opinion. (Ignore the vocal Remainiacs or the petty far right, they're extremes, the major chunk of British opinion is general tolerance).

So because France is rather...unkind to the migrant community, they try and find their way to the UK, where they end up--for example--in a recruitment agency office providing temp staff to places like biscuit factories or in my experience, Amazon warehouses, where the staff will conveniently overlook the clear illegality of their presence. Ignoring inconvenient statements like "I'm from Sudan" and other give-aways like lack of proper documentation, and severe lack of grasp of English.

Truth be told if I am being honest, if I was a south-Sudanese guy who had made the trek from Africa, I could definitely think of better places to be than France, especially if countrymen are painting other places, like Germany, or Scandinavia, or the UK as paradises.

For me personally I'm torn. On the one hand I'm happy and proud the UK is a fair place that gives genuinely useful and worthy migrants a chance to contribute to the UK and in return find a good place for themselves, but on the other hand I dunno how I feel about an undocumented unknown number of migrants contributing only to the pressure on UK services and infrastructure, and pushing low-skilled Brits out of their natural job markets.
It's trading their poverty and in a way simply transferring it to the working class.
This just leads to greater poverty all round and greater social tensions.
I don't want the UK to be France but I certainly wouldn't mind if we disincentivised illegal migrants

But anyway, back on topic; It's because France is **** if you're a migrant.

Reply 8

Original post by Studentus-anonymous

I always thought New Zealand would be a nice bolt-hole but apparently gardening is illegal there.

Look it up. O - o

But why would you go to New Zealand when France is so much closer? And they have excellent public and health services. You should go to France.

New Zealand wouldn't have you anyway.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 9

Original post by ByEeek

But why would you go to New Zealand when France is so much closer? And they have excellent public and health services. You should go to France.

Well, for a start I don't speak French. :P

Reply 10

Original post by Studentus-anonymous

Well, for a start I don't speak French. :P

You have just proved my point. The OP asked the question "Why do immigrants want to come here when they could stay in France?" If you became an exile you wouldn't choose France either. So why should we dictate where immigrants should go. You have decided you would try and impose yourself on New Zealand. A good choice if you can afford it.

Reply 11

MildredMalone

Original post by ByEeek

If the UK descended into anarchy and people were being shot on the street outside your house, and you decided to flee the country, where would you go?

The way them lot behave, that will be happening if they come here.

Reply 12

Original post by MildredMalone

The way them lot behave, that will be happening if they come here.

Indeed. Because as a nation, we are an example of good behaviour when on our travels.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36504410

Reply 13

Original post by ByEeek

You have just proved my point. The OP asked the question "Why do immigrants want to come here when they could stay in France?" If you became an exile you wouldn't choose France either. So why should we dictate where immigrants should go. You have decided you would try and impose yourself on New Zealand. A good choice if you can afford it.

I'm not dictating where they should go.

You'll note in my longer reply somewhere above I clearly state I see exactly why they wouldn't want to stay in France.

The closest I come is not supporting carte blanche for illegal migrants to come to the UK, but I can certainly understand their motivations and the lack of appeal France offers.

And there would definitely be worse places than New Zealand.

Reply 14

skeptical_john

13

Original post by Tortle

Why are they risking so much, health etc by trying to get into the UK?

France is a first world country, with great healthcare and plenty of space, I don't really get why they are so desperately trying to get into the UK.

I know it's party because the UK offers better benefits and rights, so shouldn't we be removing these incentives now in light of Brexit?

The first Brexit move should be to remove these incentives, and let the refugees focus on starting a life within France.

It's not all to do with benefits as many here have said. Scandinavian and other European countries have better benefits than us.

Some reasons:

Historically britain has been very accepting immigration (though maybe not so much anymore)

Many will have friends and family already here

They probably speak english and so it makes sense

Britain has some of the best employment rates especially for low skilled workers

Manchester United

Reply 15

MildredMalone

Original post by ByEeek

Indeed. Because as a nation, we are an example of good behaviour when on our travels.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36504410

Whataboutery.

Reply 16

CheeseIsVeg

22

o ffs
give it a break

Reply 17

MildredMalone

Original post by ByEeek

You have just proved my point. The OP asked the question "Why do immigrants want to come here when they could stay in France?" If you became an exile you wouldn't choose France either. So why should we dictate where immigrants should go.

There's a whole planet out there. We should be able to dictate who can come into our country, but not wherever ele they go. Let them ruun someone else's country.

Reply 18

Jee1

11

I don't blame them I wouldn't want to live in France. They want to go where the money is you can easily start a business in the UK a small side takeway

Reply 19

viffer