Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

That sounds rather like a "your either with us or against us". Time to leave them to it ...

Back an integrated EU or quit, Francois Hollande warns Britain - Telegraph

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

It's definitely going to be an interesting referendum. Six months ago the general consensus was that there will be a lot of noise, but Britain will end up staying in. Now, the refugee crisis has opened up the taboo subject of immigration, some serious cracks are starting to show.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

But isn't the refugee crisis really a bit of a red herring when it comes to the EU? Many would consider that Britain has a moral obligation to house a number of refugees, much like countries with no EU ties (Canada, for example). Intra-European migration is a different matter, but - aside from the inability to find a tradesman if all the eastern Europeans leave - that's not really an EU issue, as the free movement of labour is tied up in membership of EFTA, and includes a number of countries not in the EU.

If Cameron's got a mind to stay in the EU - and by all accounts his government thinks that's the right option for the UK - then the campaign ought to be fairly straightforward. "Leaving the EU won't actually fix the stuff that needs fixing, and will significantly bollocks up a lot of stuff that is mostly a Good Thing." There, do you think I've got a chance of a job as a slogan writer when I've finished my biography of St Tony of Blair?

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

It's a complete red herring, especially given Britain's paltry offer, but the scale of the migrations in Europe is opening up a debate on immigration generally and on the powers of the EU. It's a so-called wedge issue. Cameron may well regret letting the genie out of the bottle.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Germany has encouraged the migrants but expects others to help deal with the consequence. The Dublin Agreement doesn't seem to matter now according to Germany but other rules did matter when it came to Greece.

The UK considers asylum claims of people arriving in the UK. The EU is nothing to do with this process.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Sweden in flames: As gangs of migrants riot for five nights running... the Utopian boats of a multicultural success story turn to ashes


Sweden in flames: As gangs of migrants riot for five nights running... the Utopian boats of a multicultural success story turn to ashes | Daily Mail Online

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

There we have it. Migrants are bad news.

How can one argue with the Daily Mail?

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

May 2013 and zero to do with the thread subject.

Talk about ulterior motives.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

I missed the 2013 date thought it was this week. Silly me.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

That happens on the guardian too.

You click on a report - stabbing, shooting, mother kills child whatever and then they have 'related content' and you think bloody hell, what's the country coming to...:eek:...then you see the articles go back as much as 10 years.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Migrant arrivals in Greece 'surge' to 7,000 daily - IOM (not including Italian arrivals)

Migrant arrivals in Greece 'surge' to 7,000 daily - IOM - BBC News

Some German ministers are now talking of 7m refugees arriving in Germany including dependants.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Yes you did.... Because you read what you wanted to read, to validate your thoughts regardless of whether it was truthful, relevant or biased.

Bit embarrassing really.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Confirmation bias is often an issue even if only on a subconscious level. From the moment Merkel announced her open door policy I believed she had made a terrible mistake so yes I'm expecting there to major problems ahead which won't be solved by just wishing everything to be OK. I read a lot of German newspapers and an occasional riot (happening on an almost daily basis in hostels) is going to be the least of Germany's problems.

I think the most likely outcome will be that eventually Merkel will be forced to close Germany's borders only after she has turned the vast Majority of the Germans against the Migrants who will then no longer feel welcome. If she had closed the borders right from the beginning she could have resettled hundreds of thousands of refugees every year without destroying compassion and tolerance and causing the rise of the extreme right.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Bingo. You're supposed to boil the frog, not blast it with a flamethrower.

Whatever happens, this is not going to end well.

Re: Syrian refugee crisis.
 

Two news stories in the last 24 hours:

Over 100 dead from bombings and a couple of hundred with injuries - things like lost limbs - in a 'safe' part of Turkey a long way from the border and much closer to Istanbul.

Dozens dead in cross border bombing attacks targeting refugees who fled to the 'safe' country next door.

So...not so wise to hang around once the border is crossed after all.