Comments on: Seven things the government did in 2016 to devastate the lives of migrants and refugees https://leftfootforward.org/2016/12/seven-things-the-government-did-in-2016-to-devastate-the-lives-of-migrants-and-refugees/ Left Foot Forward is the home for UK progressives. We provide evidence-based analysis on British politics, news and policy. Mon, 05 Dec 2016 15:04:03 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.5 By: Martin Grubb https://leftfootforward.org/2016/12/seven-things-the-government-did-in-2016-to-devastate-the-lives-of-migrants-and-refugees/#comment-849822 Mon, 05 Dec 2016 15:04:03 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=117141#comment-849822 Aisha Dodwell should not be criticised for expressing concern over the appalling problem of refugees and there is much in what she said but she does deserve criticism for damaging her own case by the failure to understand the difference between the mass movement of refugees/asylum seekers, which is a moral issue, as opposed to the mass movement of labour which is an economic issue, which for the UK continues to have distorting economic effects, particularly for housing. For many years this has had the effect of making the moral political climate for accepting refugees/asylum seekers increasingly difficult, particularly if the pressures on housing that economic migration brings are denied. Evidence of these pressures is documented in an enormous range of academic and government reports generally only read by those of us who contribute to them and certainly never by politicians or the commentariat who would therefore be unaware of the findings of the recent major report (Building More Homes July 2016) from the the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee (with a Labour/Lib-Dem majority). This very substantial report took expert submissions from all academic institutional and government sources and eventually reaffirmed the already academically unchallenged conclusion that population demographics, of which immigration is the most substantial constituent, would increasingly be the major exacerbating factor in the housing shortage, especially in London. The evidence also indicated that no effective solution to the housing crisis via building would be found for decades as no rate of housebuilding could either practicably or statistically keep pace with the ONS predicted demographic growth. The result is that desperate constraints on household formation will continue to get worse with consequent increasing social disruption and overcrowding. It is instructive to note that both Labour and Lib-Dem MPs have chosen to ignore the existence of this research by their party colleagues in the Lords.

Therefore in response to Ms Dodwell’s incredulous observation that she had even heard the claim that migrants contribute to the housing crisis she should know that the rumours are correct. All evidenced based research has, without exception, already come to that conclusion for some time. Therefore a policy which acknowledges a UK housing crisis but then says ‘if you come to the UK we will build you a house’ is totally beyond parody but in this age of the total disregard of expert opinion in favour of preconceived baseless opinion it will probably continue to flourish.

]]> By: Imran Khan https://leftfootforward.org/2016/12/seven-things-the-government-did-in-2016-to-devastate-the-lives-of-migrants-and-refugees/#comment-849561 Sun, 04 Dec 2016 15:42:14 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=117141#comment-849561 Global Justice Now is a financial scam. Check them on Wikipedia and http://www.companycheck.co.uk. They are all on whacking great salaries.

]]> By: Anon https://leftfootforward.org/2016/12/seven-things-the-government-did-in-2016-to-devastate-the-lives-of-migrants-and-refugees/#comment-849518 Sun, 04 Dec 2016 11:10:30 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=117141#comment-849518 The author is one of the many who are undermining democracy and claiming otherwise.

Global Justice Now is not an accountable or elected body, and are therefore not democratic.

She, and her colleagues, are not above any national law – some of the ‘issues’ that she raises are illegal, and the bodies that are enforcing the law are perfectly reasonable in doing so.

This website is not representative of the working UK people – it is the mouthpiece of open borders ideology.

If Aisha Dodwell wishes to change the world, put herself forward for election and persuade the population to vote for her policies.

]]> By: Imran Khan https://leftfootforward.org/2016/12/seven-things-the-government-did-in-2016-to-devastate-the-lives-of-migrants-and-refugees/#comment-849431 Sat, 03 Dec 2016 23:46:54 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=117141#comment-849431 I agree GodfreyR. The most ridiculous part of this article is claiming that warships were sent to the Med to bring down a supposed network of criminal smugglers. The ships saved thousands of people who were then brought to Europe where they remain and the peeople themselves admit they all paid the criminal smuggles who the writer claims don’t exist! Even by the standards of this blog unbelievable.

]]> By: GodfreyR https://leftfootforward.org/2016/12/seven-things-the-government-did-in-2016-to-devastate-the-lives-of-migrants-and-refugees/#comment-849335 Sat, 03 Dec 2016 10:33:31 +0000 https://leftfootforward.org/?p=117141#comment-849335 We have absolutely no responsibility for these people.

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