Syria.

[alicrozier]

One idea would be to allocate a ferry/ship that runs down to the med and back directly with personnel on board to register the individuals and issue them with the ID cards prior to arriving in the country.
The current methods of loading people onto boats then sinking them in the middle of the med so that the European authorities (or passing ships) have to rescue them has to stop.. Just my 2p worth

If allowed they would fly...interesting reading:
http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/why-are ... -drowning/

[captain]

This could well be stupid question and almost certainly shows my ignorance and/or naivety on the subject but wouldn't Turkey be a safe destination for Syrian refugees?

[graeme]

All EU doors should be firmly, brutally closed to those who make the journey themselves. Those who succeed only encourage others to follow, and that results in lack of official records, but worse, a huge loss of life and criminal profiteering along the way. Syrians must, at all financial costs to us, be incentivised NOT to make the journey, and to stay as close to home as possible (just far enough away from danger).

Reject all entry at EU gateways. You claim asylum? OK, we have a plan for you; here's a ticket for a C130 back to a refugee camp just over the border from where you started your expensive and treacherous journey. Back you go, you'll be perfectly safe and cared for at EU expense. Tell everyone you meet what a waste of time, money and lives your voyage was and not to attempt it themselves. Put the smugglers out of business overnight. No more drowning. Spread the word that the only way into Europe legally is through registering at a refugee camp. Get in the system. An EU country will call when it's your turn. meanwhile, have some shelter, medical care, food and schools. Yes, it's meager, but there's absolutely no shortcut to a better life.

The UK should follow through and take its fair share, starting now, but MUST also close its borders to get the message out and stop the chaos. We must finance the camps for as long as it takes. It'll be a lot cheaper in the long run than trying to sort out the mess after they've all arrived.

[Jamie Satriani]

One question that you never hear anyone ask.. how many people can the UK support? (considering its a fairly small Island), the resources are not infinite by any means, already there are massive strains on NHS, Housing, congestion, pollution, etc etc, but the general concensus appears to be along the lines of "yeah lets keep increasing the population" by whatever means, how many is too many?, is there such a thing as too many?, will there come a time when the general concensus decides "yep we are filled to the max now, overun, we cant take any more" ?.

One thing for certain as well, a mass influx of young males is going to see another surge in numbers from the absolute fact they will all be out searching for any woman thats happy to let them impregnate her, Syrians from what i can see are obssesed with "multiplying" shall we say, and of course the Welfare benefits which will come from "multiplying" will be in their thoughts im sure.

One thing is certain though, the UK population is going to continue growing at a hefty rate for a long time to come and that is going to bring some collossal challenges in the future, and for future generations. Scotland in another 50 /100 years time?, some say it will be unrecognisable and we will have lost our identity. I could believe that.

[Sanjøy]

Wow

[r10crw]

I think Graeme is correct in that the doors should be closed and voiced clearly, the risks being taken because of a glimmer of hope is resulting in far more deaths, criminal activity and underground activities when trying to merge into society without correct paperwork. Its sad but charity should begin at home so I think all borders should be closed and dramatically however we still need an official method for claiming asylum but this needs to be introduced at the start location, not in turkey germany etc.

Jamie, I sort of understand what your saying but perhaps a little extreme with the generalization, not all are here to "multiply". We need to increase our population, it just needs to be done in a controlled manner where possible.

[graeme]

Might as well get upset about the Celts, Scots, Britons, Vikings, Romans and Angles destroying our Pictish identity.

[Sanjøy]

If the press is to be believed and the Russians are building a base in Syria root cause is not going to be fixed anytime soon.

[robin]

This could well be stupid question and almost certainly shows my ignorance and/or naivety on the subject but wouldn't Turkey be a safe destination for Syrian refugees?

Of the 4 million syrian refugees 1.9 million are apparently in Turkey. I guess Turkey is running out of resources/good will to manage that density (put in perspective, people in the UK are bitching about taking approx 5,000 refugees).

I agree that the solution is to collect refugees from controlled locations near the war zone they are fleeing. I am slightly less comfortable with the approach of rejecting people at the EU borders - logical, yes, but I would find it hard to do myself.

Cheers,
Robin

[graeme]

It's a "cruel to be kind" measure, Robin. And it's not rejecting them as such... Leaving them to fight the police and dogs at Calais night, after night, after night... That's rejecting them!

Their entry at EU borders at the moment is not controlled. Italy are supposed to register/fingerprint them, but then Italy would become responsible for them, so they deliberately don't do it. I think everyone has agreed that system doesn't work. However, if we said to Italy et al, "It's ok to round them up and ship them off to a camp", then there's no reason for Italy etc not to help with that method, and get tough on it. It's in their interests to, so it stands a chance of happening, and control is reintroduced.

I would argue that rounding them up and putting them in tents in Turkey etc, properly funded by the EU, UN etc, is better for them than wandering homeless around Europe trying to get to a country which will hear their asylum application while being technically illegal in that country.

I don't think allowing them to get on trains to Germany is a solution. What happens when they get there? No job, no housing, no plans, no status (at least immediately). Much better to encampen them, and bring them to the UK in batches, with a welcome pack when they get here to set them on a sustainable path to self-support. If we open the borders, apart from anything else, they will be prayed upon. A mass influx in the thousands or tens of thousands, but no plan or infrastructure in place? That's a population just asking to be preyed upon by criminal enterprises. Give me your passport and I'll give you a job. The usual story, but on a grand, desperate scale.

Control is absolutely essential for everyone's benefit. The very kindest thing to do is send them to refugee camps, with a promise of shelter and an asylum application form, and no onward journey until the infrastructure is in place to receive them properly.

[Sanjøy]

We failed miserably in the Balkans we cant stand by and do it again.

[gdr]

This is an interesting take on it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34172729

[Dominic]

This is an interesting take on it
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34172729

That seems to make a lot of sense.

[thinfourth]

One question that you never hear anyone ask.. how many people can the UK support? (considering its a fairly small Island), the resources are not infinite by any means, already there are massive strains on NHS, Housing, congestion, pollution, etc etc, but the general concensus appears to be along the lines of "yeah lets keep increasing the population" by whatever means, how many is too many?, is there such a thing as too many?, will there come a time when the general concensus decides "yep we are filled to the max now, overun, we cant take any more" ?.

One thing for certain as well, a mass influx of young males is going to see another surge in numbers from the absolute fact they will all be out searching for any woman thats happy to let them impregnate her, Syrians from what i can see are obssesed with "multiplying" shall we say, and of course the Welfare benefits which will come from "multiplying" will be in their thoughts im sure.

One thing is certain though, the UK population is going to continue growing at a hefty rate for a long time to come and that is going to bring some collossal challenges in the future, and for future generations. Scotland in another 50 /100 years time?, some say it will be unrecognisable and we will have lost our identity. I could believe that.

I think this is very true

And i think that we must also realise that we have a large amount of folk in the UK who have no intention of ever making it a better place to live

They are happy on benefits and are wanting to destroy the very country we live in

I think the answer is obvious and controversial

For every syrian that comes here wanting to work we export an SNP voter to Syria

As lets face it it can't be any worse then living here under english oppression

[BigD]

One question that you never hear anyone ask.. how many people can the UK support? (considering its a fairly small Island), the resources are not infinite by any means, already there are massive strains on NHS, Housing, congestion, pollution, etc etc, but the general concensus appears to be along the lines of "yeah lets keep increasing the population" by whatever means, how many is too many?, is there such a thing as too many?, will there come a time when the general concensus decides "yep we are filled to the max now, overun, we cant take any more" ?.

One thing for certain as well, a mass influx of young males is going to see another surge in numbers from the absolute fact they will all be out searching for any woman thats happy to let them impregnate her, Syrians from what i can see are obssesed with "multiplying" shall we say, and of course the Welfare benefits which will come from "multiplying" will be in their thoughts im sure.

One thing is certain though, the UK population is going to continue growing at a hefty rate for a long time to come and that is going to bring some collossal challenges in the future, and for future generations. Scotland in another 50 /100 years time?, some say it will be unrecognisable and we will have lost our identity. I could believe that.

I think this is very true

And i think that we must also realise that we have a large amount of folk in the UK who have no intention of ever making it a better place to live

They are happy on benefits and are wanting to destroy the very country we live in

I think the answer is obvious and controversial

For every syrian that comes here wanting to work we export an SNP voter to Syria

As lets face it it can't be any worse then living here under english oppression

[FACE WITH TEARS OF LAUGHTER]