France accuses UK of ‘lack of humanity’ after 150 Ukraine refugees turned away at Calais – French minister writes strongly-worded letter to Priti Patel saying UK’s response ‘completely unsuitable’

32 comments

  1. It’s Priti Patel though. She hasn’t a drop of sincere compassion in her.

    Edit: wasn’t expecting this to be my first 1k comment.

  2. The UK right largely hates refugees, and this Vote Leave government was elected to reduce immigration … so was anyone really expecting them to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms?

  3. While I think we should let in refugees I have family on waiting lists for years just for a place of their own. We need to fix this to make it completely unjustifiable to turn these people away. Until then people will react with negativity

  4. We should be doing more. In the article is says “France had announced last week that Britain would set up a pop-up visa centre in the port city” Did we actually say that? Seems strange it wouldn’t say Britain had announced….

  5. Ah yes, compassionate Britain. Can’t take 150 refugees. In comparison, Berliners are taking refugees into their homes right from the stations.

    Bloody Tories.

  10. Russian owned newspaper stirs up Ukraine related trouble around existing Western fault line (refugees at calais and UK Franco relations).

  11. Well… I mean why do they think Brexit happened? People didn’t want the polish here, what makes them think Ukrainians are different? yep, UK has awful and very hostile immigration system

  13. They are expecting up to 4m refugees and we’re already balking at 150. These people have a legitimate need to flee for safety, and the UK is attractive as english is a global language, not to mention there are undoubtedly refugees with relatives already here.

    History is going to look upon us very poorly. This isn’t even factoring in the insanity that is other countries scrambling to be part of the EU while we casually toss our membership away.

  14. This government had the chance for once to be seen to be doing the right thing. Yet, through incompetence and a probable lack of guidance for border staff we have let this happen. Unbelievable. Patel should be sacked for this, if not all the other heinous things she has said and done. Talks the talk never walks the walk. Pathetic.

  16. It’s a tough one, I agree. We cannot support endless refugees despite the obvious question of morality. There are no easy answers, the problem is that it’s racist if you even ask the question ” can we support all asylum seekers”? France are not in a position to criticize us

  17. Why is this hard? Why can’t we just say “show us a Ukrainian passport and you’re in; we’ll sort the visa paperwork later.”

    What’s the barrier stopping a pragmatic approach like this?

  18. These are Ukrainians who hope to join their families in the UK, that tiny fraction of the refugees which our humanitarian Home Secretary has deigned to allow in, but they still have to apply for visas beforehand and it looks like the Government are making even that difficult.

  19. Controversial opinion here: we should at least respect her consistency.

    Under her guidance, countless migrant boats at Calais with Syrian refugees were turned away. If she said no to Syrians fleeing war, then greeting with open arms Ukrainians fleeing war, wouldn’t that be demonstrable that the Conservative party is racist, turning away brown people and accepting white people?

    This is a clear example showing that the Conservative party aren’t racist – they’re xenophobic. They don’t give a shit what colour a person’s skin is, they just don’t want outsiders either way.

  20. We just got 100,000 hong kongers last year. We got no more houses left, rent up the sky and no room for Ukrainians. They elected a clown and whose fault it is? And looking at how racist they are let them stay in Germany or Poland – suits them fine.

    TLDR: fck off France.

  21. Humanity? From Tories? The party who have increased homelessness, increased crime, decreased benefits, made them harder to get and practically decimated social and financial security for the ones most in need in this country?

    Those tories are expected to show ‘humanity’?

  23. Meh, the UK is an overpopulated small island and already seem to have issues with housing the people they have, not surprised they’re balking at accepting more.

    That said, this source is a bit sketchy.

  24. France accuse the UK of lack of humanity?
    We take in 100’s daily that the French just help into boats. Ridiculous

  25. France is right. And yes, I’m British. Our government disgusts me, about this and so many other things…

  27. The UK voted to leave the EU (well very slightly over half did). One of the major “selling points” was to “get back our borders” and “have control over immigration”.

    This is (again, kind of) what people voted for

  28. France makes asylum seekers sleep in tents, dehumanises them by calling the place they set up their tents “the jungle”, periodically sends the riot police in to slash the tents and treats them so bad they risk their life trying to escape to Britain.

  30. I am from England and I think its disgusting my government are putting sanctions on letting Ukrainian people in to our country they need support , housing and food and water not to be punished . This is not their fault. I am ashamed of my country for doing this

  31. So I’m all for taking refugees, but is this just France kicking them along the line to the UK? I mean why did they not just stay in France in the first place. I would like to reiterate that I think we should take our fair share, just not sure of the hypocrisy of this

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