Refugees

Started by Mayo4Sam14, September 03, 2015, 04:42:21 PM

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foxcommander

Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:44:55 PM
Quote from: foxcommander on September 11, 2015, 06:39:15 PM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

This is what you come out with because I disagree with your viewpoint....
Where's the moderators on this board?

Are ya going to go crying to the mods now too. sure them mods are all in Isis and it's all part of a plot to take over Ireland with Muslims at the expense of thorough bred Irish like you. They are all out to get you.

Can you clarify which comment sent you over the edge? Selfie-Sticks?
Every second of the day there's a Democrat telling a lie

Itchy

Nah, your just a silly bollix and I thought you should know it. No need to thank me. WAtch out, Isis are everywhere! Your postman could be in Isis and they have your laptop hacked, they know what you dream. Best be safe, keep all people away from you.

armaghniac

Quote from: give her dixie on September 11, 2015, 09:32:55 AM
As I was leaving yesterday, 13 people from Afghanistan arrived. They just had the clothes they arrived wearing,
and within 20 minutes they got tents, bedding, clothes and food.

Afghanistan is a long way from Calais. The leaving of  Afghanistan may have been motivated by a need to flee, but the choice of destination is a simple economic one.

In this matter these issues are conflated, and simplistic pronouncements (here and elsewhere) don't really capture the problem.

If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

foxcommander

Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 09:53:32 PM
Nah, your just a silly bollix and I thought you should know it. No need to thank me. WAtch out, Isis are everywhere! Your postman could be in Isis and they have your laptop hacked, they know what you dream. Best be safe, keep all people away from you.

So you can't actually tell me why you made such a comment. Is wishing people painful deaths acceptable on this board?

You can apologise by PM if it saves you embarrassment.
Every second of the day there's a Democrat telling a lie

Itchy

Quote from: foxcommander on September 11, 2015, 10:11:16 PM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 09:53:32 PM
Nah, your just a silly bollix and I thought you should know it. No need to thank me. WAtch out, Isis are everywhere! Your postman could be in Isis and they have your laptop hacked, they know what you dream. Best be safe, keep all people away from you.

So you can't actually tell me why you made such a comment. Is wishing people painful deaths acceptable on this board?

You can apologise by PM if it saves you embarrassment.
I can't use PMs as they are tracked by Isis. Did you know anyone that is even a bit brown is in Isis and all those kids you see on the news trying to get to Europe, well you guessed it - Isis.

gallsman

Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

I think you presume too much on who you speak for.

Rossfan

Thankfully I blocked foxeejit months ago. 8)
Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

foxcommander

Quote from: gallsman on September 12, 2015, 09:59:52 AM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

I think you presume too much on who you speak for.

Thanks Gallsman for speaking up.

There is no need for that sort of comment directed at another poster and for no apparent reason other than having a differing point of view.
Had I have wished someone dead then i'm sure i'd get dogs abuse from the usual suspects. Or is that's ok now? I'll take silence as being a green light...
Every second of the day there's a Democrat telling a lie

Itchy

Quote from: foxcommander on September 12, 2015, 05:48:33 PM
Quote from: gallsman on September 12, 2015, 09:59:52 AM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

I think you presume too much on who you speak for.

Thanks Gallsman for speaking up.

There is no need for that sort of comment directed at another poster and for no apparent reason other than having a differing point of view.
Had I have wished someone dead then i'm sure i'd get dogs abuse from the usual suspects. Or is that's ok now? I'll take silence as being a green light...

I think you should take it as a green light. Poor fox looking for sympathy from other posters! Didn't see too much sympathy in your own posts.

Mayo4Sam14

Quote from: Itchy on September 12, 2015, 06:12:20 PM
Quote from: foxcommander on September 12, 2015, 05:48:33 PM
Quote from: gallsman on September 12, 2015, 09:59:52 AM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

I think you presume too much on who you speak for.

Thanks Gallsman for speaking up.

There is no need for that sort of comment directed at another poster and for no apparent reason other than having a differing point of view.
Had I have wished someone dead then i'm sure i'd get dogs abuse from the usual suspects. Or is that's ok now? I'll take silence as being a green light...

I think you should take it as a green light. Poor fox looking for sympathy from other posters! Didn't see too much sympathy in your own posts.

Stop man, there's no need for abuse, totally uncalled for
You can forget about Sean Cavanagh as far as he's a man!

give her dixie

Hey folks, I just got back earlier today from Calais. I kept a bit of a journal and Suzanne Breen did a bit of editing and
it was printed in the Belfast Telegraph today. (A technical hitch meant they missed the last parts of the story)

Anyhow, have a read and get an insight into what is going what is going on in Calais in the refugee camp known as "The Jungle"


'We see people who arrive with nothing but what they're wearing ... the experience is very humbling'

By Suzanne Breen

A NORTHERN IRELAND lorry-driver was so moved by the pictures of refugees fleeing war-torn countries that he decided to go on a mercy mission to help them.

John Hurson, 46, from Dungannon, said the photograph of three-year-old Syrian, Aylan Kurdi, washed up on a Turkish beach, spurred him into action.

Earlier this week, he loaded his van with humanitarian aid and set off for mainland Europe. John didn't ask for any public donations. He funded the trip himself. Below is the remarkable journal he wrote for the Belfast Telegraph outlining his odyssey.

TUESDAY

SETTING off from Dungannon at 10.30pm. The van is packed to the roof with humanitarian aid for Calais. We've blankets, clothes, walking sticks, wheelchairs, toys, tents and books in there.

My cousin Adrian Murphy is coming with me. I'm not a man with a plan. I don't know where I'll end up. I'm going to drive to Calais and speak to the aid agencies there and see where the area of greatest need is in Europe. Calais itself is said to be swarming with aid. I'll probably end up driving to Hungary where the situation is desperate.

Adrian and I are travelling light. We've just two little backpacks with us. A change of clothes and toiletries is all we need. There's no room in the van for anything else anyway. It's a two hour drive to Dublin where we'll catch the ferry to Holyhead at 2.15am.

WEDNESDAY

We grab a quick bite to eat and some sleep on the ferry. We hit the road again at 6am. Our first destination is Slough, outside London, where we're meeting three friends who are joining us. We help them load their van with food, warm blankets and other items. Then, we set off for Folkestone to take the Channel Tunnel to Calais.

But we miss our booking. We're pulled over by the police in Folkestone and delayed for nearly an hour. They take our passports away and ask numerous questions about why we're travelling to Calais. "Because we care," I tell them. I later find out that our experience isn't unusual. The police regularly stop, hold and quiz those going to help the refugees.

We finally arrive in Calais at midnight. We book into a cheap hotel there. It's £80 for two rooms for the five of us for the night. I'm exhausted. I've been on the road 18 hours. My four tired friends fall asleep immediately. There's an orchestra of snoring. I soon join them.

THURSDAY

We rise early and head to the large refugee camp in Calais known as "The Jungle". At the outskirts, you start to see tents popping up between the bushes and sand dunes. Then, dozens and dozens more camped together, in small and large groups, become visible.

Hundreds of people are walking around, and it hits you. This is where thousands from across the Middle East and Africa have gathered in hope of crossing into the UK. The sight of it

leaves me speechless, thinking of the magnitude of what they've done. The long journeys across many countries that they've made.

It's not all doom and gloom in the camp. There are men playing cards and dominoes on makeshift tables they've built out of wooden pallets. Women have hung baskets of flowers on the side of their tents in a valiant attempt to make them homely.

And there's an African artist in a makeshift studio painting. I'm in awe of his work, it's stunning. He has dozens of paintings. He could make a fortune but he won't sell any of them. They're to make the camp beautiful, he tells me.

We pull up at the medical centre and speak to workers there. We're told there's still a great need for aid in Calais. We decide we won't travel to Hungary, what we've brought will be put to good use here. There are around 5,000 people in the camp with 500 coming in the past week alone.

We're advised not to start distributing the aid ourselves. When others have done that, it's led to a mini-riot. And only the strongest and fittest refugees get the stuff. We're directed to the Jules Ferry day centre at the other end of the camp.

Here, people receive one hot meal a day – if there's enough food to go around - and a shower. The volunteers in the centre are nearly all from the UK. Some have been there a few days, others weeks.

They're doing incredible work, providing new arrivals with everything they need and helping them set up their tents. We unload both vans. We see people arriving with nothing bar what they're wearing. It's a very humbling experience.

One of the largest buildings in the camp is the church. It was built as a place where anyone can come to pray or just sit in silence. It's for those of all religions and none. This is where Songs of Praise was filmed.

We give a few large rugs and boxes of food to the church. People are getting ready for a party tomorrow. It's the Orthodox New Year in Eritrea. This is a special time of year for the hundreds of Eritreans in the camp. They're determined that the distance they are from home won't stop them marking the event.

A charismatic man named Solomon looks after the church. He was one of its original founders. The three others have been lucky enough to make it to the UK. He takes us inside and explains the church's origins and how many times it's been extended. A few volunteers have repaired its leaking roof.

The floor is a beautiful mix of colours as rugs and carpet intertwine. The walls are lined with holy images and, at a small altar, candles can be lit. Prayer rugs are laid out so Muslims can come in and pray in a respectful manner.

As I sit there, a group of 25 young women are in the opposite corner singing. They're preparing for the upcoming New Year celebrations. They're singing in harmony to the sound of a rhythmic drum beat. Despite all the hardships, distance and conditions, they're smiling and giving it everything they have. I'm spellbound listening to them. I don't want them to stop.

Behind the church, is a recently built library and book exchange. We have brought 10 boxes of books for all ages and Solomon introduces us to Bill who we give them to. The library, called 'Jungle Books', is a small wooden framed structure wrapped in waterproof lining. It houses a few hundred books and a couple of tables and chairs. Children love coming in and out.

Bill is a retired ex-serviceman from Manchester. He's been in Calais a month and not only does he look after the library, but he sleeps in a small tent at the back of the building. He says he has no intentions of going home. He will stay for as long as he can. Despite having picked up a chest infection recently when heavy rain flooded the camp, he soldiers on. Bill says his ailment pales in comparison to the suffering of everyone around him.

FRIDAY

Now our aid has been delivered we can just walk around the camp and talk to people. They are from all walks of life. They have all fled some form of oppression. All they want is to start a better life in the UK. That is the single goal uniting everyone.

The conditions in which they're living are inhumane. Sanitation is a major issue as latrines fill up and aren't emptied regularly. People are washing clothes in basins, and men are trying to wash using cold water trickling from taps.

Proper medical care is non-existent. One of the main injuries treated is people's feet. Hundreds of miles on foot in poor shoes has left many on crutches, and limping badly.

Bicycles provide the best form of transport around the camp. Mountain bikes are perfect for negotiating the terrain. Given the vast size of the camp, they are a fast way to get from one side to the other. One area of the camp is devoted to fixing punctures and carrying out bike repairs.

Everywhere, there are groups of people carrying bunches of sticks to light fires for cooking or heating. Many local trees have been cut down. Wood is desperately needed in the camp.

We're now preparing to head home. But what I've seen will haunt me when I'm back in Dungannon. Thousands of people are living in squalid conditions. You wouldn't keep animals in such a state.

The British government's only contribution to the camp so far has been the miles of razor wire fencing erected around it. Nothing has been spent on making life a little more bearable for the refugees, our politicians haven't even given them a loaf of bread.

Just before we leave, 13 very young men arrive from Afghanistan. Volunteers in the camp start erecting tents for them and giving them aid. A wee while later, one of the group comes over and gives me a big hug. He is Mohammed Nazir and he's 16, although he looks a lot younger.

He starts thanking me profusely. I don't know why. Then I see he is holding a football with 'Ireland' stamped on it, one of the balls I'd brought yesterday. Another of the refugees is wearing a coat we brought and they all have our blankets. The image of them standing there with the small bits and pieces we've delivered will be emblazoned in my mind forever.



next stop, September 10, for number 4......

finbar o tool

Quote from: gallsman on September 12, 2015, 09:59:52 AM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

I think you presume too much on who you speak for.

Agree with Gallsman. Seen an article on facebook today about the 1000 or so people that took to the streets today to welcome the refugees and fight for more of them to be taken in to the country! The vast majority of the hundreds of comments on the article were against it.
The one line that stuck with me from the whole article above by GHD was this - "All they want is to start a better life in the UK(im sure Ireland would do just fine either), that is the one goal uniting everyone". This tells us that these are not people just trying to get themselves to safety, and then return home when its safe again. This tells us that they are looking for an easy way into a country where they can get benefits and settle down for the rest of their lives.
Its the kind of thing the country wont regret until its too late.
Anyway, it doesnt matter what any of us think about the whole situation, we have no say in it! Its happening!
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy

macdanger2

Quote from: finbar o tool on September 12, 2015, 11:45:05 PM
Quote from: gallsman on September 12, 2015, 09:59:52 AM
Quote from: Itchy on September 11, 2015, 06:14:25 PM
I think I speak for the majority when I say  foxcommander I hope you die roaring you horrible ****.

I think you presume too much on who you speak for.

Agree with Gallsman. Seen an article on facebook today about the 1000 or so people that took to the streets today to welcome the refugees and fight for more of them to be taken in to the country! The vast majority of the hundreds of comments on the article were against it.
The one line that stuck with me from the whole article above by GHD was this - "All they want is to start a better life in the UK(im sure Ireland would do just fine either), that is the one goal uniting everyone". This tells us that these are not people just trying to get themselves to safety, and then return home when its safe again. This tells us that they are looking for an easy way into a country where they can get benefits and settle down for the rest of their lives.
Its the kind of thing the country wont regret until its too late.
Anyway, it doesnt matter what any of us think about the whole situation, we have no say in it! Its happening!

You read "start a better life" yet you seem to understand "scrounge out of my pocket".

That's the problem with nationalism, you feel fraternity with people who are born in the same country as you regardless of their character but you fear those from elsewhere regardless of the type of person

finbar o tool

"Scrounge out my pocket" is fairly accurate, is it not?! I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread, €6000 per taxpayer? And that will only rise.
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy

Tony Baloney

Do you not have to give them 6 grand in cash? And that's before they steal our jobs and impregnate our women.