AJS wrote:What utter tripe.
If you want to flee political persecution or war in your home country, go to the next safe place. If you want to go and live in a specific country apply for a visa.
I will second that.
I have long lost any empathy for these 'refugees', it seems to me that many migrants jump on overloaded small boats, arranged by people-smugglers, who move a mile or two offshore of Africa, then wait for the 'cavalry', in the form of RN ships to come & 'rescue' them from 'imminent' death by 'drowning'.
They then claim 'asylum' , get taken aboard RN or Italian ships, processed & landed on European soil.
Long ago, the U.N set up 'safe' zones within Syria to protect civilians, the question that needs to be asked, as well as answered is, " If the 'cordon-Sanitaire' has been effective for the Syrians kept their for so long without imminent threat to themselves, their spouses or children, why is that situation not equally acceptable to these spurious migrants that have landed on European shores from those same areas in Syria long after the initial cordon was set up?
It's not only these Syrians, or those coming here for spurious reasons from other countries that are to blame, the greatest condemnation must lie on the shoulders of European politicians that abuse the system for corrupt reasons, along with massive abuse of Law of the Sea & Search & Rescue.