That picture

[Declan]

Seems to be a lot of heat on the UK and Ireland the past few days, but why are these people trying to get to Europe and not instead trying to get to the like of Jordan or Saudi Arabia which are close and stable?

Who Hosts the World's Refugees?

Pakistan continues to host the largest number of refugees worldwide at 1.6 million refugees, virtually all of which are from Afghanistan.

Lebanon has become the Second Largest Refugee Hosting Country hosting over 1.1 million refugees, the majority of whom have fled the conflict in Syria. As of March 2015, 1 in 4 persons in Lebanon is displaced from Syria.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the 3rd largest refugee hosting country with a total of 982,100 Refugees, the majority of which hail from Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2014, Developing Countries hosted 86% of the world's refugees.

http://www.unhcr.ie/about-unhcr/facts-and-figures-about-refugees

[HiMucker]

Seems to be a lot of heat on the UK and Ireland the past few days, but why are these people trying to get to Europe and not instead trying to get to the like of Jordan or Saudi Arabia which are close and stable?

One of the main reasons, is that its virtually impossible for refugees to be granted visas or ever attain citizenship in these countries.  Saudi, UAE, Jordan Kuwait etc all have extremely tight emigration laws.  The student population of these countries are currently putting pressure on their respective governments, mainly via social media to do more regarding taking on refugees

[give her dixie]

http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/grosse-ile-canadas-island-famine-memorial/

When something like this happens it is worth remembering our own tragedy.

In 1847 the shipping season in the St Lawrence opened as usual with the thaw in mid-May. The Syria was the first ship to arrive. She sailed from Liverpool on 24 March carrying 241 passengers and anchored at Grosse Ile on 15 May. Six days later, 202 passengers from the Syria were ill. The quarantine hospital on the island, built for 150 patients, could barely accommodate 200, and was already filled to capacity.
Douglas was astonished by the 'unprecedented state of illness and distress' on the ships; he had 'never contemplated the possibility of every vessel arriving with fever as they do now', all of them carrying passengers 'in the most wretched state of disease'. On 23 May, he reported between fifty and sixty deaths per day. By the end of the month, 900 people had died and a thousand more fever cases were on the island, housed in hastily erected sheds and tents. Douglas was resigned to the prospect that many more would fall sick and require treatment. But since 'I have not a bed to lay them on or a place to put them in', he was obliged to flout the quarantine law and confine all passengers on board the ships at anchor in the river. By 31 May, forty ships lay off Grosse Ile, with 12,500 passengers, old and young, healthy and sick, dying and dead, crammed into grossly overcrowded quarters, packed as human ballast in the holds of merchant vessels built to carry Canadian lumber to England.
Stephen de Vere from County Limerick, landlord, magistrate and social reformer, was no ordinary emigrant. He took passage on an emigrant ship to provide a first-hand report to the Colonial Office. His account of conditions on the ship which, he was assured, was 'more comfortable than many', is a funeral dirge:

Hundreds of poor people, men, women and children, of all ages from the drivelling idiot of ninety to the babe just born, huddled together, without light, without air, wallowing in filth, and breathing a fetid atmosphere, sick in body, dispirited in heart...the fevered patients lying between the sound in sleeping places so narrow, as almost to deny them a change of position...living without food or medicine except as administered by the hand of casual charity, dying without spiritual consolation and buried in the deep without the rites of the church.

Thanks Muppet for this story. I got it weaved into this story in todays Belfast Telegraph

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/i-cant-sit-and-do-nothing-tyrone-lorry-driver-on-calais-mercy-mission-31501044.html

[muppet]

Nice one. I thought the name of the ship was quite a co-incidence.

[haveaharp]

Good post Easytiger. Heard about this campaign
http://www.newstalk.com/Co-Clare-man-starting-campaign-for-Irish-families-to-foster-or-adopt-refugee-children

This is a noble idea, and I am glad it is free (afaics) from a political agenda.

However, this is where an image can mislead. The picture has had an amazing wordlwide reaction, with even right wing Tories backpedalling on immigration.

But it is about more than children.

Those children have families and while couples might feel they can offer to take in a child in a crisis, would the family of that child be willing to give him/her up? Would the offer of fostering be extended to a whole family, or is it really subconciously an offer to the child in the image?

Fairly sure I read somewhere that Syria doesn't allow international adoption. Something to do with sharia law. Not sure if those rules would apply presently. Fair play to the fella from Clare.

[Dire Ear]

For those in Tyrone-----------If you are in and around Greencastle please take a moment to read and share.

SYRIA CRISIS APPEAL
THE WORST HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN A GENERATION
Cork Calais Refugee Solidarity
An aid lorry bringing much needed aid to Syrian refugees will leave Newry on Saturday 12th September. We are appealing for donations of:
• Sleeping bags and blankets
• Towels
• Tents, especially 4 man +
• Heavy duty rubbish bags
• Torches, candles, batteries
• Medicines, first aid kits
• Bicycle puncture repair kits and tools
• Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower gel, razors, toilet rolls, tissues)
• Winter clothing for men, women and children
• Hats, scarves, coats, gloves

This is a simple way to show solidarity with people who are suffering enormously. Now is a great opportunity to make use of any unwanted clothing etc. Alternatively, add a few inexpensive toiletries to your weekly shop - all donations will make a real difference to these people.

Donations can be left at Green Elves Playgroup (Mon – Fri, 9am – 12)

[Hereiam]

What about the poor people of Gazza. They had nowhere to run.