The Shame Of Britain
News today of an incident at Calais that rightfully shames the current despicable government running this country.
150 Ukrainian refugees escaped from their war-torn country. They spent days heading West, crossing through Poland and Germany into France. Their aim was to seek refuge with members of their families who were already legally resident in Britain.
But the UK Border Force post at Calais refused them entry. They were told to travel to Paris, 300 miles away, and apply for a temporary visa at the British Embassy there.
Heartless, bureaucratic, shameful in the extreme.
Poland has welcomed over 500,000 refugees.
Hungary has welcomed over 140,000 refugees.
Moldova has welcomed 98,000 refugees.
Slovakia has welcomed 73,000 refugees.
Romania has welcomed 52,000 refugees.
Even Russia has allowed in 48,000 refugees to flee the war it started.
And noble Great Britain, that renowned Monarchy and self-professed seat of Democracy will not allow in 150 people who already have somewhere to go when they get here.
How can anyone claim to be ‘Proud to be British’, faced with this international shame?
REDFLAGFLYING 
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLike
I had no idea. It reminds me of the US during the war refusing Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very similar in some respects, Elizabeth. A government minister claimed they had to be vetted in case they were spies. Mums, grannies, and small children, that’s who he was talking about.
It’s a disgrace.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here I suspect that they would be more welcoming since they are light skinned. Apparently the “threat” to our national security has to do with peoples’ color. Appalling but true.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Pete. I hadn’t heard about this, but I am not surprised. Rules and regulations shouldn’t take preference over people. Sad, very sad. Let’s hope things change for the better, but…
LikeLiked by 1 person
The UK is still claiming that they need to do ‘security checks’ on everyone applying to come to Britain. Mum, kids, and grannies in the main. I can see no reason for them to need security checks, especialy when so many already have relatives in the country.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Such a pity. I am sorry about those Ukrainian kids I see on the internet. They don’t know what is happening.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a massive move of people all across Europe, Arlene. The UK government should be doing more for the refugees.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Sickened but not surprised.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hard to be surprised by this government any longer, that’s for sure.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Completely, disgusting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where’s the humanity and decency, Peggy? Not in our corrupt government, that’s for sure.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just rried to find numbers for the US AND COULDN’T! Warmest regards, Theo
LikeLiked by 1 person
They have legalised all those Ukrainians already in the country, and there have been no commerical flights from Ukraine to the US since the attack began. I found this article which gives numbers about those already granted permission to remain.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/3/4/22961717/ukraine-tps-refugee-biden
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
We’ve seen this before. Shameful. Reminds me of holocaust refugees fleeing to Palestine and caught by the British mandate to be sent to another camp in Cyprus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, Margie. My country doesn’t have a good record on refugees since WW2
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I heard about this, Pete. I was shocked to say the least.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They had not applied for visas, admittedly. But only 150 people, including children, and family to accommodate them in the UK. That should not require bureaucracy.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I heard the case of someone who tried to bring their Ukrainian partner of more than two years to the UK, but because she had applied for the visa in Kiev she had to go back there to have finger prints taken! This is after they had made it as far as Holland (or some other close EU country) Mad bureaucratic bushtit.
We have our first refugees arriving to us on Tuesday, I will suggest to them that they don’t try and go onto the UK.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Are you accommodating some at Chez Winko, Eddy? (If so, well done mate) They would need to go to a consulate in Poland to apply for a visa, then presumably get the runaround like the couple you mention. It is just horrible.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, we have a family of three arriving on Tuesday. The crazy thing is that we have a close friend who is working for an NGO in Tajikistan, the guy that called us today with details of our family was working with our friend only last week and he had mentioned us in conversation, and when explaining about where we lived he put 2 and 2 together and realised we had a mutual friend 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have been to Tajikistan, to Dushanbe, and the surrounding area. Mind you, it was still part of the CCCP then. (1987)
Good luck with your family. I hope the girls have a new playmate included. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Interesting accounting, Pete. But.. if I may… is there some context to this story? By that I mean, do we honestly believe that there’s some government office manned by real live human beings in Calais, British humans beings, who woke up one morning and simply said they were not going to let Ukrainian refugees into the country? One has to presume someone was applying rules, maybe didn’t have the immediate authority to go outside the rules… maybe a bureaucratic slipup. I’d be curious what the “rest of the story” actually is. Was there some official someone with the authority to promote his own secret agenda against refugees.. British citizens.. back into the country? Not sure I’d be all that ready to presume the worst.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The Border Force (Immigration) officers are implementing visa rules established by our government just last week. They say they will allow refugees to enter the UK on one-year temporary visas, but only if they go through the traditional application process at a consulate or embassy. (A 600-mile round trip to Paris.) In the case of the 150 people with relatives in the UK, some of whom had driven to Calais to collect their own family members, I happen to think that is unacceptable, Doug. Because it shames us in the eyes of a world doing so much more to help in this crisis.
But we are happy to keep selling weapons to Ukraine of course, and happy to waive the usual necessary paperwork concerning export of arms to a country.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The fact that somehow this “new” regulation went into effect just last week seems suspicious. Time for your media to question what is going on. Nice context, Pete. Would be nice if our Trump-loving Conservatives over here would think more in detail like that than just take the emotional first blush from the like of Tucker Carlson. I can understand the collective embarrassment given the effort being put forth by other countries. I only wonder how we might handle the bureaucracy when these folks start trickling in over here. Keep us apprised if you can get government to answer truth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This seems to be the situation in America. The ‘legalising’ of any Ukrainians already there.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/3/4/22961717/ukraine-tps-refugee-biden
No doubt once some refugees get access to US consulates/embassies and airports, many will be trying to make their way across the Atlantic.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Good article… thanks for the link. Seems the Trump days in power messed with some immigration rules. Guess we shall see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on beetleypete and commented:
I am reblogging this from my second blog, as it really needs to be seen by a wider audience.
LikeLike