Esther rantzen

• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 April 2011     17:59100290
  #1      
  make your own minds up on this report
  
  
  
  by Graham Tutthill
  
  gtutthill@thekmgroup.co.uk
  
  Television journalist and campaigner Esther Rantzen has spoken of the contribution immigrants can make to Britain, while acknowledging it's not the same story for all of them.
  
  Miss Rantzen was visiting the Dover Detainee Visitor Group when she spoke of her family's roots and the fact that her great-great grandfather was an immigrant - legal or otherwise!
  
  She spent some time talking to staff and volunteers at the group's offices at Poulton Close, Dover, and having lunch with them, before going on to the Dover Immigration Removal Centre on the Western Heights to meet some of the detainees and the officers who guard them.
  
  The visit was organised after Miss Rantzen met representatives from the visitor group at a befriending and mentoring awards ceremony, connected to ChildLine, and she was invited to come and see the work they were doing.
  
  "Life was hard for my great-great grandfather and his family, but it was easier then to get into this country," she said. "So I and my family owe everything to Britain.
  
  "We want the best for those who are persecuted, or come from backgrounds of unspeakable violence, torture and imprisonment.
  
  "I think we underestimate the contribution that asylum sesekers and others are making.
  
  "Many of them are not allowed to work, so they raise money for charity, paying back what they owe to this country."
• Brian Dixon

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 23 Sep 2008
  • Posts: 23,940
  6 April 2011     19:21100303
  #2      
  howard,saw the report on meridian [6pm] tonight.an intresting insight,seeing the the ofending building is on the hill behind my house.
  allso over the last couple of years we the local and not so local peelers running aroud aycliffe rounding the little blighters up.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 April 2011     19:30100307
  #3      
  brian try to equate what ms rantzen said about the hard working people that would like to work for nothing here, just to contribute to our economy with the fact that 50% of inmates have been convicted of serious crimes and the other 50% are here illegally.
  
  i suppose at the end of the day "that's life".
• Brian Dixon

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 23 Sep 2008
  • Posts: 23,940
  6 April 2011     19:35100310
  #4      
  howard,i understood what you and easter said,but the report did go on to say that some of the inmates have been there for 3 years waiting to be removed.
• Guest 645

  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 4,463
  6 April 2011     19:41100314
  #5      
  There would have been very little immigration control when Esthers relatives came here. Not sure what the answer is rearding the detention centre..speedier removals and more co-operation with other forces would be a start. Make all appeals only to be lodged from abroad...that would stop the immigrants being admitted or detained whilst awaiting a hearing. At present it's used as a time wasting exercise to gain more time in the UK.
  Marek
  I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 April 2011     19:51100318
  #6      
  the 3 year bit is ludicrous and costs us all a fortune.
  
  the inmates must be delighted, if they are truthful in saying that their lives are in danger in their country of origin.
  
  another factor is whether they have admitted where their country of origin is.
• Ross Miller

  • Location: London Road, Dover
  • Registered: 17 Sep 2008
  • Posts: 3,709
  6 April 2011     20:12100325
  #7      
  Over the centuries immigrants/in-comers to/invaders of this country have made a massive contribution to our nation whether they be Vikings, Normans, Huguenots, Eastern European Jews, The Windrush Generation from the W Indies, Ugandan Asians, members of the Commonwealth, Yanks, etc.etc.
  
  We need to think very carefully before we deride and decry all immigration and/or asylum seeking to this country.
  
  Yes we need greater co-operation over border controls with our neighbours, speedier removals of those denied leave to stay, appeals from ones home country, removal of those who refuse to disclose their country of origin to the country they entered the UK from (thus requiring greater co-operation) etc.
  "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
  
  "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
  While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 April 2011     20:14100326
  #8      
  the issue is not about immigration but about criminal behaviour.
  
  my comments in post 3 are direct from the home office today.
• Jan Higgins

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 5 Jul 2010
  • Posts: 13,931
  6 April 2011     20:20100327
  #9      
  I think the big difference between then and now is that then they had a genuine reason to come here and wanted to contribute to their new home.
  
  Now a great many come here because they see this country as an easy touch and they have very little intention of contributing anything if they can get away with it.
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  I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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• Guest 696

  • Registered: 31 Mar 2010
  • Posts: 8,115
  6 April 2011     22:15100338
  #10      
  I wonder how easy it is to emmigrate to Canada, Australia or New Zealand. It's no-where near as easy as emigrating to Britain.
  I found that the blog of Charlie MP had a dedication to the topic of immgration that seemed quite agreeable.
  
  Otherwise I tend to agree with Jan.
  Chanters, Drums and Drones Potty Time http://youtu.be/99fMqpjnXYA
  Rule Britannia!
  Kent First http://youtu.be/04F3mAP3fV4 Keep banging on http://youtu.be/qYCU_SKmkGQ
• Diana Woodridge

  • Location: Dover
  7 April 2011     12:32100416
  #11      
  Many immigrants come here and work hard, however, many of them send money home, which is not contributing to our economy.
  As an ordinary person, not political, I sometimes feel that I am in a foreign country nowadays. Many of the people surrounding me when I go into town are not speaking English. It feels really strange.
  Can we help feeling resentful when we know that SOME of the immigrants are claiming all the benefits they can, and not only that, being housed etc before our own people.
  I have never been racist, having worked since my late teens with many people of infinite cultures and colours, but I still wonder if it is the right thing to allow so many immigrants into the country when we can barely manage to sort ourselves out.
• Mark Clements

  • Location: Dover
  7 April 2011     18:11100505
  #12      
  Thinks France could do more to stop ilegal immigrants coming here .