Whatever Happened to Asylum Seekers? And a New Page 3

Jimmy Mubenga RIP. 

The way "immigration" is discussed these days has changed somewhat as back in the 90's the term "asylum seeker" or "illegal failed asylum seeker" was used far more often and those that defended the UK providing asylum pointed out our long heritage giving refuge to those in need.  Since our borders have been opened up to all our fellow EU citizens the issue is now just "immigration" as most migrants are coming from the new EU member states in the east and are not seeking asylum. This has been defended by pointing out the economic benefits the stats show they bring to the economy and that a growing population and better demographics is the one major economic advantage we have over other developed countries. But what happened to the asylum seekers?

It is not like the world has become a safer place, but it does feel as if the UK has become a harder place to seek refuge and not a particularly pleasant to live when applying for asylum. The issue has been sidelined over the issue of EU economic migrants which in reality is not really an issue at all. The real issue is the treatment of asylum seekers in this country and how the authorities and their private contractors are getting away with the use of “disproportionate use of force and restraint” and even causing death when repatriating "failed" asylum seekers, many of whom have to be physically forced to leave because they are so frightened of what will happen to them when they arrive back "home".

The outgoing and disillusioned Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather did table a debate on asylum seekers in the commons that the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 did do a great report on. The decisions made by the Home Secretary and the contributions of some Conservative members was a great reminder of why they were labelled "the nasty party" and that it still applies, but now with added incompetence.

In recent times there has been a few mentions of the words asylum seekers in the media. When the UKRIP leader Nigel Farage called on the government to honour the 1951 UN convention on refugees to the consternation of many UKRIP members he stuck to the word refugees and not asylum seekers, but of course Mr Farage leads a party that outflanks the nasty party when it come to immigration and though he may be a "voice" in England's last remaining national actual newspaper - The Independent, in which he does a good line on libertarianism. However, he did give himself away by describing how uncomfortable he feels having to hear lots of foreign languages whilst on a rush hour train in Charing Cross?! And most tellingly his reply when asked in his LBC radio interview if he would be as bothered about German children moving next door as much as a bunch of of Romanian men was: "I think you know the difference. We want an immigration policy that is not just based on controlling quantity but quality". As for our policy on Syrian asylum seekers or, to be more political correct "refugees", here is an update on the governments no- progress from a recent Independent editorial

There is now a new Page 3 on the Moon. Initially I wanted to include Mr Farage's "back room boy" - the corrupt former Tory MP Neil Hamilton but Mr Farage has managed to avoid any images of himself with Neil appearing on the interweb and so I had to settle for former Tory MEP and failed UKRIP by-election candidate Roger Helmer  - the chap who thinks a date rape victim "shares a part of the responsibility" and that allowing gay marriage "would lead to the legalisation of communal marriage and incest."

One great recent exception to the non mention of Asylum seekers  was from Yasmin Alibhai Brown in in The Independent  - A civilised country doesn’t bang up asylum-seekers

"One former priest who works with  ex-offenders rang me yesterday: “They’d arrest, attack and imprison Christ if he came down to us today. Too poor, too dishevelled, uttering mad thoughts, anti-wealth, against ruling elites, a Middle Eastern refugee in a gown, with a beard and long hair. Put him away. Throw away the keys. Torture him to get info. In a secret court. Who have we become?”

You tell me and him. And Jesus."