If you are not in danger, you should return to your own country

I’m sure I’ve heard this sort of thing from UK politicians etc…

“we cannot take on the misery of the whole world”…

That is a big can of worms :open_mouth:

absolutely…

This attitude explains why France has taken in naff all migrants compared to other EU countries.

Our commune has been asked by the district council to accept 29 refugees as part of the governments plan to spread them around the country.
Our mayor called an open meeting to explain the request to the town folk and to listen to peoples concerns before he makes a decision in early December on whether or not the commune will accept them.
Will be very interesting to see what decision he makes on this request.

Political asylum is for people in danger from their governments. It is not for economic refugees.
We also help people suffering from natural disasters, but in their own or neighbouring countries.
This is as it should be.
You only have to look at how people who have immigrants working on jobs that they do not want to do themselves complain about how they distort the local services.

If you are talking about Moslem or people with dark skin, you have never been to Lille, Lyon, the outskirts of Paris…if you are talking about white skin…arn’t Brits immigrants?

I live just South of Nantes, we have welcomed refugees of all colours…I am the only “Brit” (by birth) who lives here however…it depends where you live.

Number of Syrian refugees applying for asylum in France is roughly 17k which is miniscule compared to other EU countries.

As you well know I was talking about people arriving from war zones etc not former French colonies or other EU countries such as the UK.

Yes, I have worked with the refugees, teaching them French etc. there are very strict controls, ours come through Paris where there is a control center to make sure they are genuine…once, having been here, and they have got their papers and found work we take on others. The commune gives them housing, clothing food, (in our case with the church)… I am not at all against immigration, as English born I accept that I am an immigrant in France, but by grandfather was a Polish Jew who went to England, and worked hard as a daily paid worker until he set up his tailoring business ( he had to learn English to do that). So I see that people have to be “sifted” have to get their papers, have to be helped as well.

When I first came to France I taught and worked in the commune, before I got my then “Carte de séjour”… Immigration has to be rational and controlled.

We have Syrian refugees in our church. If communes are invaded, we cannot help at all, I wonder where you live and what is your commune or church, or both are doing to accept immigrants?

I voted for Macron, what he says is right…we should accept people who are in danger…but I question people who come and take what they can without making any contribution, it is their choice…believe me I have heard some stories about the Brits…won’t go into it here.

Thanks for getting in touch, willing to continue the argument.

Anne Brechet

Seems to me that President Macron was simply making a distinction between genuine refugees from war or persecution, and those who are economic migrants and who have either entered the country illegally, or who have deliberately outstayed their previously issued visa. Surely it’s not an unreasonable position for him to take on behalf of the nation as a whole.

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Yes, Robert… he voiced the thoughts of many…I am sure…and it will be interesting to see how things pan out…:relaxed:

Sorry, I was actually referring to Brits in UK who object to mainly Eastern Europeans coming to work in agriculture to do the jobs they refuse to do themselves.

It’s the same hypocrisy, years ago I heard an interview with a British woman who answered the question that she had chosen to live in France because there are too many immigrants in Britain…

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I think there’s a language element too. Few Syrians or Afghans speak French, so their choice is not France, but there are large numbers of Africans who do want to be here.

Macron is referring to destitute migrants living in France, destitute migrants from everywhere. The nation is obliged to assist asylum seeker’s, as is the UK but not obliged to assist economic migrant’s. The problem with all this is its usually the ones who think they are being deprived who whinge the most. Think that they will get more if others get less. Fifty percent of the population put in more than they get out, yet its usually the fifty percent who put in less than they take out who do all the whingeing.

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I suppose as long as there are differences of opportunity between different countries then there will be migration. People want the best for themselves and their families.

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Paul I agree with your opinion, not on ideological grounds or because I necessarily agree with uncontrolled economic immigration, but because the movement of peoples for survival reasons seems inevitable and will be as unstoppable as putting sandbags on your doorstep to keep the floods at bay. The floods will overtop the puny barriers, come up through the floorboards, and maroon the inhabitants without the means to their own survival. But such a disaster can be forestalled.