Points to Ponder

[Hugo]

Plan to house 400 asylum seekers at Northop Hall hotel formally submitted
The proposals could see the population of the village increase by almost a quarter if approved
It would be nice if the Government was as generous to UK citizens that were homeless



https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/plan-house-400-asylum-seekers-27118993

[Helig]

Someone was telling me yesterday that a homeless girl with a young child was told that she would have to wait as there was no accommodation available for her. Although a number of new social housing homes have been built locally, they have all been allocated to people from Ukraine. Dumfries and Galloway Council have put her in a guest house in Dumfries. This is despite the fact the Scottish Government has stipulated councils are not to use guest house type accommodation for homeless people.

[SteveH]

Deposit return scheme: Wales brewers fear for industry ? ? ? ?       Is this the tax on alcohol talking ?

Breweries in Wales have claimed plans for a refundable bottles and cans fee will harm their industry.

Climate Change Minister Julie James has indicated she will go ahead with proposals to introduce a deposit return scheme in Wales, including glass.

It aims to increase recycling rates by charging a deposit for single-use containers like plastic bottles and aluminium cans which can be reclaimed.

But the chairman of Brewers of Wales said it would disadvantage them.

Similar plans in Scotland have been postponed.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65931123

[Hugo]

Someone was telling me yesterday that a homeless girl with a young child was told that she would have to wait as there was no accommodation available for her. Although a number of new social housing homes have been built locally, they have all been allocated to people from Ukraine. Dumfries and Galloway Council have put her in a guest house in Dumfries. This is despite the fact the Scottish Government has stipulated councils are not to use guest house type accommodation for homeless people.

[Hugo]

Helig, I ran out of time when I tried to modify my posting but luckily I saved it and copied it below

Helig,  I do agree with what you mean about giving priority to house homeless UK citizens and my own opinion on social housing is that it should be for local people who live in the area where the social housing is.
The Ukrainian situation is slightly different to the invasion of illegal migrants to the UK, the Ukrainians are mainly women and children and they hope to return to Ukraine when it is safe for them to do so.
The other illegal migrants are mainly young men from a different culture to the one we have in the UK and at best are economic migrants
I heard on TV the other day that 51K  migrants are living in hotels etc and it's costing the UK  over 6 million pounds a day to house them but there are about 100K others living in the UK so where are they living?
The Tories haven't got a clue on how to deal with the immigration problem and they'll probably leave it to the next incoming Government after they have had an end of term party to celebrate leaving office

[Helig]

I take your point, Hugo, but we are being bombarded with people from all over the world when our housing and services cannot cope with these numbers. It was Boris who decided to offer the Ukrainians the right to enter and live in the UK. This set a precedent as the UK hasn't made this arrangement in the past. He also allowed hundreds of thousands of people from Hong Kong to come and live here too. I appreciate things are not great in Hong Kong but the people there knew how it could go right from the minute the Chinese took over. The UK cannot accept more people of any kind, legal, or illegal. There isn't enough housing for people born and bred in the UK without allowing many millions more into the country. In the south of England the schools, doctors, hospitals, dentists, hotels and sundry others are saturated with people. I spent some time in Wiltshire recently and saw just how bad it is for myself. The south east is even worse.

Many of the illegals have been transported to other areas where accommodation is cheaper, not long ago I was told that in Carlisle all the accommodation available (hotels included) was full of illegal immigrants. I know there are some in Dumfries and they include people from Saudi Arabia which puzzles me as I don't know how they can claim asylum here. The council is housing them in guest houses nevertheless.

There was a research paper published recently featuring the latest population projections. It said that if net migration remains at the present levels, the population of the UK would increase by 16-20 million in the next 23 years.

The Tories have failed to organise matters so that asylum applications are processed quickly and people can be removed. This has gone on so long I can only conclude it is deliberate policy on their part. It seems that they will be soon out of government (thank goodness) but someone else will be left to clear up their mess.

[Ian]

we are being bombarded with people from all over the world when our housing and services cannot cope with these numbers.

Some might argue that is more to do with Tory policy.  And there is plenty of housing available - but most of it is second or third homes.

The UK cannot accept more people of any kind, legal, or illegal.

According to ONS the number of UK job vacancies in March to May 2023 was 1,051,000, so there seems plenty of work still available.

In the south of England the schools, doctors, hospitals, dentists, hotels and sundry others are saturated with people. I spent some time in Wiltshire recently and saw just how bad it is for myself. The south east is even worse.

But again that could be down to Tory policy. They don't want people happy with State run schools, GPs or dentists as their often stated desired to privatise it all, suggests.

not long ago I was told that in Carlisle all the accommodation available (hotels included) was full of illegal immigrants.

It's important not to conflate illegal immigration with asylum seekers.

The Tories have failed to organise matters so that asylum applications are processed quickly and people can be removed. This has gone on so long I can only conclude it is deliberate policy on their part. It seems that they will be soon out of government (thank goodness) but someone else will be left to clear up their mess.

I agree.

[Hugo]

It's important not to conflate illegal immigration with asylum seekers.

Whatever name you apply to these illegal boat people we know that they are in the main not genuine Asylum seekers.   Any genuine asylum seeker would have claimed asylum in the first safe country they landed in,   These people arriving here have travelled through several safe countries before arriving on our shores
My own opinion is that they think that the UK's streets are paved with gold.   Where else in the world would they get free accommodation, free meals, free heating, free NHS, free bus passes and they also get paid for being here..     It's absolute nonsense and unsustainable.  I suppose that they'll want their OAP in time
There have been over 10,000 illegal boat people arriving in the UK this year alone and yet the Government does absolutely nothing.
I'm not joking but what has happened in Greece recently could easily happen here.   I'm not talking about the tragic drownings but what is to stop the people smugglers from using bigger boats and then the UK border force will really be in a mess




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm3N0PSszg

[Hugo]

Boris Johnson: MPs back Partygate report as just seven vote against.     The Conservatives voted as follows:-       
                                                                                                                                                   118  for
                                                                                                                                                       7  against
                                                                                                                                     about      225 abstained
                                                                                                                     Well done the 118 Conservatives shame on the others


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65953605

[Helig]

It proves the Tories are devoid of integrity, devoid of morals and any type of decency it totally absent from them. Boris is the norm, rather than the exception.

[Ian]

He certainly represents the rotten core of the party in spades.

[SteveH]

Nearly 100 workers at a Welsh hotel earmarked to house hundreds of asylum seekers are understood to have been told they will lose their jobs. Staff at Llanelli's Stradey Park Hotel have reportedly been called to meetings yesterday (Tuesday, June 27) to be told they would be made redundant from July 10.

It's understood senior staff members, who have also been made redundant, had been sent an email by the hotel owners giving instructions about how to deliver the news to staff. One worker, who asked not to be named, claimed: "We were called to a last minute meeting on Tuesday morning and were given the news that everyone would be made redundant with the last day being July 10.

"It was some of the managers who have been made redundant themselves who had to deliver the news. There was just complete shock.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/staff-welsh-hotel-made-redundant-27215336

[Helig]

It seems not only do we have to stump up millions, more likely billions, to keep these illegal immigrants in accommodation including hotels etc, smart phones, money, clothes, travel passes, NHS health care, plus other services, we are losing employment because of them too. Since the government is content to allow this situation, it won't be long before others decide to do something about it. I am old enough to remember Enoch Powell, say no more.

[SteveH]

From the BBC ......

Decision reverses High Court's December ruling
The decision of the High Court is reversed - and the removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful until changes are made to the asylum system there, the Court of Appeal rules.

[Hugo]

Helig,  I share your frustration at the present asylum system.   It's a shambles and that statement "we'll take control of our borders"  was just another Tory lie
To be fair though when Labour get into power I don't think that they will do much better unless they take a more radical approach.  There is a backlog on processing these people who have come to the UK illegally, but they could fast track all the Albanians immediately and return them to Albania as Italy did in 1991
Does anyone know if any country in Europe is as generous to illegal migrants like we are in the UK?