Peter.st.giles

Super random question I know so don’t troll here, why thousands of refugees waiting to cross the tunnel in Calais instead of settling in France, Belgium, Netherlands or Germany? It’s not like the UK has better asylum or social benefits system than their Western European counterpart, or is it? What makes the UK a magnet for refugees vs EU states I’m just curious.

On on a separate note is the British government doing anything about that? Been going on for years...

Moses2013

UK is not really a magnet and if you look closer, Germany or France hardly have better benefits. I suppose those who don't feel welcome and can't speak French just look at the next option and that's the UK though the figures don't seem that high. From 2016 but some interesting facts https://fullfact.org/immigration/why...-want-come-uk/

scot47

Relatives in the UK. Competence in English ? Idea that England will welcome them. Romanticised view of what life in Albion is like.

dougal03

I would say it all has to do with the amount of welfare benefits available in the UK.And the fact that there is no ID card where you can be traced.In other european countries there are fewer benefits & also ,all your working life you pay much higher taxes in order to get a good retirement pension.As a self-employed person in both the UK & an EU country,I can tell you that I paid an eye watering amount to run my business in southern europe compared to UK & welfare payments are scarce.But Britain shortly will not have such a problem counting the numbers of ILLEGAL immigrants as hundreds of British Nationals will soon be arriving back due to Brexit.Up until now thousands of able bodied Brits.have been living in EU countries "under the radar".These are the ones with a permanent suntan from sitting on beaches most of the year only leaving to check if their Bank has recorded their welfare benefit.We are all familiar with many of them as they openly boast of this since there is no ability by the British Govn.to trace them.Now they all have to register & obtain an ID card from their host country by 31st December or face deportation.

malcom1970

Soft touch. We've given free ILR to 4M+ EU citizens without even making sure the favour was returned.

scot47

The media like to emphasise the "Soft Touch for benefits" line. Not so. Life is difficult for many of these unfortunate refugees. It is not a case of just turning up and getting housing and a guaranteed income from Welfare Benefits.

scot47

The sad fact is that many have an unreal expectation of what life in England will be like. I say "England" because I cannot imagine many flee with the thought of coming to Wales, Ulster or Scotland.. I think of that family of Kurds from Iran who invested everything they had to make their way to Calais and then perished at sea while crossing to what they saw as "The Promised Land". Maybe the London Government should spend some effort on telling people that the journey is long, difficult, and dangerous. They could point out that on arrival they will not get a rapturous welcome ?

Bipat

Also regardless of the obvious racism described at length in threads here, the majority of British (and Irish) are welcoming and appreciative of the 'different' migrants who come and their descendants.
Just look at our many 'migrant' origin politicians and Cabinet Ministers (compared with all the 'FUSS' made in the USA over Obama and Kamala Harris!)
Think of all the Diwali celebrations throughout the UK and the lamps lit outside of 11 Downing street!
Where some arrive others will follow.

malcom1970

That's a polite way of saying "soft touch".

KJMW

Unfortunately you are wrong! By law these people have to be housed and looked after. They know it and that is why the U.K. is magnet.

Assanah

Same in Germany. And as mentioned before the UK is a very weak magnet for refugees. The UK isn't even in the top ten of EU member states with regards to the numbers of refugees.

BristolUK

That's no different to anywhere else in the OP's question
'Housed' doesn't mean that nice three bedroomed house and here's a few thou for furniture.

KJMW

I disagree. The main reason Britain isn't flooded with these people, albeit several thousand have made it just this year, is the English Channel. Merkel invited them into Europe but Britain is their Utopia. Not for the first time has the Channel saved us from invasion!!

Assanah

Boring and cheap shot. If you think that your little island is so vastly superior to any other European country that it is the worlds utopia you are closer to being a Nazi than the vast majority of Germans alive.

KJMW

Well, it has not only been Nazis who have wanted to invade the U.K. throughout history but then you are probably not a history buff! As for it being utopian; well again you don't seem to understand what it means. As for our little island , yes you are right it is a little island but our little island is most attractive to many and yet to some it seems to goad them to being vituperative. I take it you don't want to live there?