Food Banks - thoughts and feelings ?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Whether we are or not, we are perceived as an easy touch.

What puzzles me is why if when immigrants get here they find out we are not an easy touch after all and there are much better benefits on the continent.................don't they go back. I can only think of one reason .........we pay out straight away whilst in other countries you have to put in before you can take out.

Space and money are finite and we should be told the absolute truth so that we can make a solid judgement.

And don't forget the less we have to give to those who abuse the system the more there is to give to those in true need.

[sparrow100]

There is plenty of publicly available research (paid for by the Home Office in several instances) on why migrants come to the UK. The HO also did an awful lot of internally-held research into the last cohort of Sangatte arrivals (1,500-ish) from closing the camp in around 2004.

Benefits are not paid out straightaway and upfront. Migrants have to wait 3 months before they can apply and benefits are retrospective. They are also dependent on your immigration status - if you're here clandestinely ie you don't have the right to reside and/or the right to work you don't have access to public funds and are reliant on crisis support if you can access it or you might apply for asylum which consists of roughly £5/day in support.

Some people cannot go back immediately because their country is unsafe and we don't return people to unsafe countries (Syria for example) or they don't have the funds to do so (Syrian assets are frozen, which has also impacted on the 1,000-odd students studying here). Not just the transport costs but also the funds paid to the people who arranged their journey. The majority of people who want to come to the UK want to come to work, not for benefits.

And I think that's the last part I'll post on this thread. It's getting too much like my day job.
Back to veggies.

[Nicos]

Interesting to hear the various points of views/comments....but as Sparrow says, perhaps this thread needs to get back on track about food banks etc ?

[Patchninja]

Interesting about not sending people back to dangerous countries. Of course, there are countries where people are in terrible danger, but I think my experience is interesting. A few weeks ago, I was teaching English to a chap who's mother was French, and Father is Syrian. His father has gone back to Syria and lives in a village about 18kms from Homs, which has been bombed and destroyed. I asked him if he didn't want his Dad to come back to the safety of France and he said no. His father was in no danger whatsoever. My chap has a house in the same village and showed me photos of it and the view from his house is the amazing castle - Le krak des chevaliers - do google it, it's stunning. He simply said that when Homs is bombed, he opens his windows so the glass doesn't blow out.
Makes you count your blessings!

[Patchninja]

Sorry, Nicos. Promise no more!