Should I be Asking This Question

BeeEmm

Senior member
London
I am a simple man who does not normally get involved in politics, but one thing has been bothering me and I cannot seem to find an answer on my own. My question is this:
Why is it that the UK is behaving differently to Ukrainian war refugees that want to enter the country, and other country’s war refugees who also want to enter the country?
Like all puzzling facts there is going to be a simple answer and I will say, "Of course, I did not think of that". Can anyone enlighten me?
 
If I may offer a biased view point…

So for Poland , Moldavia and other countries bordering Ukraine there are both very large numbers of Ukrainians who work / live in these states..

Ukrainians in Poland are like the Poles we’re in the UK in the 2000s.

There are very long historical ties so for example LVIV in Ukraine was for many years Polish.

So there are geographical factors relating to those states.

Separately most ex Soviet satellite states have a strong and profound ‘there goes our country but for Ukraine’ so they have a deep empathy with the geo political situation they see Ukraine in and recognise that they will be next. They have feared this for most of the 20th and 21st century and the Cheyna and Georgian wars confirmed their worse fears.

So the daisy chain is then that EU and to an extent NATO have to support their member states bordering Russia.

With pan European freedom of movement indicates free movement of Ukrainians within EU.

Many UK people identify with Ukrainians ( I realise many don’t) and maybe many of those are non `Brexit persons.

So there is a considerable emotional and political support based on a perception of race, ethnicity, geographical proximity and a realisation that there are other countries in the line of fire for Putin..

Ukraine was just unlucky ..

IMHO
 
The answer my friend, for me at least, is simple as looking at the pictures on your television.

The Ukrainian refugees are all elderly or women and children whose men folk return or remain in their country to fight for it. They apply for visas and come to this country using legal channels and as a result are rightly welcomed.

The vast vast majority of others such as those crossing the channel on dinghies are young men of fighting age, trying to enter the UK illegally "fleeing" from a country we pay good money to visit on holiday. If you believe them about fleeing war in their countries, where are their women, children and elderly?

My reason anyway, may not be others but mine.
 
The other very cynical view of the UK Goverment is that they can afford to be 'generous' knowing that:

a) almost no Ukrainians will come to the UK as its too far from 'home' and they want to be closer to 'home' and they fully intend to go 'home' as soon as they possibly can

b) the visa system is a joke..on one system I can't get my family in as it doesn't cover parents of spouses and on the other I'm 8 hours into an application that requires more paperwork and detail than applying to operate an airline flying Boeing 737s

c) by making it the most difficult and onerous system in europe why try and come here when almost anywhere else is more welcoming.

It like offering free drinks to a bunch of tee totallers..very generous knowing very few are going to call your bluff.

I've literally begged my family to come and 2 out 3 are sitting it out despite now major shelling and missile strikes where they are..the other cousin has gone to Lithuania..border controls took 7 minutes..
 
B21 said:
The other very cynical view of the UK Goverment is that they can afford to be 'generous' knowing that:

a) almost no Ukrainians will come to the UK as its too far from 'home' and they want to be closer to 'home' and they fully intend to go 'home' as soon as they possibly can

b) the visa system is a joke..on one system I can't get my family in as it doesn't cover parents of spouses and on the other I'm 8 hours into an application that requires more paperwork and detail than applying to operate an airline flying Boeing 737s

c) by making it the most difficult and onerous system in europe why try and come here when almost anywhere else is more welcoming.

It like offering free drinks to a bunch of tee totallers..very generous knowing very few are going to call your bluff.
100% agree with that Peter. Seems to be the same for the 'adopt a family into your home' campaign. Of the 150,000 odd who signed up, I will bet no more than 10% actually happen, for a multitude of reasons. Another spin from the UK Gov to make it look like we are being generous to refugees.
If 150, 000 did come it would cost the treasury £1.5 billion in Council hand-outs alone.
 
There are reports that Russians are stealing large quantities of passports and identity documents from Ukrainians. I ask why? Putin has said that Russia will not forget the part the UK has played in this conflict.

As difficult as it is, checks on those coming to the UK must be done even if it impacts on the innocent.
 
BeeEmm said:
Why is it that the UK is behaving differently to Ukrainian war refugees that want to enter the country, and other country’s war refugees who also want to enter the country?
Didn't really get an answer to my question, although Nanu come close by making a comparison with other refugees (although heavily prejudiced against them). I have no clear view at this point except that I 100% agree with our Government's decision with regard to Ukrainian refugees, but I am struggling to find 'fairness' in what is happening to only one group of refugees. Are there 'doors' here that nobody wants to open?
 
Not heavily prejudiced against genuine refugees fleeing from war or persecution.

Heavily prejudiced against economic migrants though.
 
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