#Migrants v #Refugees

Understanding the difference

I’ve been asked in the past why I support refugees but not so much migrants? It’s not that I don’t support migrants, it’s the different reasons as to why one wants to flee their country.

Migrants have a choice, while they may want to travel and live in other countries they haven’t been forced from their homes.

Refugees on the other hand are fleeing their country because their life is in danger, so that’s the difference.

I’m not saying that migrants are any less suffering or otherwise to anyone else, but there is a line that some have crossed, it’s for this reason the general public are up in arms and there is so much controversy.

While we appreciate that there are many countries less fortunate than our own, it is up to their Government to rectify those issues.

Poverty is real, homelessness is real, hunger is real. We must remember that those three subjects alone are happening in the majority of countries, and the U.K are not without their own issues.

Most migrants want to flee for several reason; economic collapse, a better education for their children and while some only spend a limited time in the U.K before going back home, the majority don’t.

Some go off the radar, simply just disappear, so we are left with many migrants living/hiding in the U.K because they haven’t come here legally.

We can understand the publics reaction and anger because their first thought is; ‘Why are those born and bred in the U.K not being attended to first’? (Housing, education, hunger, homelessness).

The U.K and I imagine some other countries are up in arms about the housing situation because homes are being build and given to migrants when their own families have been waiting a lifetime, so yes, we can understand the frustration.

Refugees on the other hand are fleeing war torn countries where their lives at in danger, they are in danger of being killed, in an ideal world they would prefer to live happily and quietly in their own country and environment.

One has to remember for refugees who are fleeing their own country, they do so with (In the majority of cases) Nothing but the cloths on their back.

Can you imagine how that must feel? We as a nation must have empathy and compassion towards others, especially those who are in danger of their lives being taken from them.

So, we must consider the facts before we go jumping on social media or any other platform bad mouthing those who are suffering the effects of conflict and or persecution, it’s their lives that are in danger.

Refugees are protected from being sent back to countries whereby their live can be whipped out, if we turn them away then we have had a hand in sentencing men, woman and children to death, think about that.

Ask yourself, if the U.K became a war torn country and people were being killed every day and you and your family are also in danger, what would you do?

If another country opened its doors and said we will look after you and your family, would you stay and risk being killed or would you go?

I know what I would do, I’m pretty sure you too would take your family and run for dear life.

https://www.unhcr.org/uk/