Let the asylum seekers in

Let’s clear up a misconception. It’s often thought that Britain is letting everyone from all over the world just walk in to the country. That’s not true. It was true in the past but now Britain is getting tough on foreign immigration. Asylum seekers are rounded up and sent back home. The politicians are bowing under the weight of media pressure and kicking them out. But never has there been a time when we needed to welcome them most.

The world is in turmoil. Take it or leave it. The whole earth is wrapped in conflict and quite a lot of it is the West’s fault. We invade their country or sell them weapons. But when refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq knock on our front door we kick them out.

Imagine this: you’re a refugee from Baghdad. You have spent a year dodging car bombs and looters to raise enough money to get a ticket out. But when you get your plane ticket and arrive in the UK you are told that it is not enough. What is enough you might ask? Who knows?

My issue is this: these people have sold their soul on a chance of rescue. Can you imagine living in a country where you are in constant and real danger; no rights, no protection and no place to call home? Would you not give everything you have to escape? To pursue a better life?

Officials in the UK are quite prepared to ignore the crying children and the desperate adults. They don’t think that the children have a right to a childhood or the adults a right to a home.

The war-torn countries can kill a person’s soul; custom officials can destroy their hope.

I say we let all the asylum seekers in and be better people for it.