Without sympathy, we will never reach a solution to the migrant crisis

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

None of us (thank God) know what it is like to be a refugee having to flee your home because of war, persecution, and famine (PA)

I read Steve Mackinder’s recent letter to The Independent with interest, and he is right to state that this is a hugely complex issue. But what I would take issue with is this government’s attitude to this overriding problem. I do get the impression that the rhetoric emanating from the government is whipped up in a disingenuous and lowest common denominator fashion, fully appreciating the implications on the public’s view of this situation.

What I don’t want is a Tory deputy chair using deeply offensive language and not being taken to task for it by the party’s superiors. What I don’t want is the immigration minister Robert Jenrick ordering cartoon characters to be obliterated from an unaccompanied children’s reception centre, because it made it feel too welcoming. What I don’t want is a Home Office seemingly incapable of achieving the necessary impetus in fast-tracking justifiable claims for asylum seekers.

What I do want is for the heat to be taken out of this situation and for proactive solutions to be established, such as more safe and legal routes to be instigated. What I do want is more “thinking outside of the box”, less grandstanding, and less counterproductive rhetoric. He finishes his letter with the statement “none of us knows (thank God) what it is really like on the south coast working with this problem”.

But I would counter that, by pointing out that none of us (thank God) know what it is like to be a refugee having to flee your home because of war, persecution, and famine – often with the safety of your children on the line.

Until we try and inhabit their mindset, until we lead with empathy, there will be no sane, sensible, or sympathetic response to this humanitarian crisis – something this paper has identified in its rightful desire to highlight the plight of Afghan refugees.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

Is a ‘coalition of the willing’ the answer?

The nation seems more or less united in its dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the migrant situation. At the same time, we appear to be very sharply divided in our views on what they should be doing. Some feel frustrated and angry at their failure to stem the flow of migrants, while others are outraged that they are trying to stop it.

The arrival of migrants on our shores will always entail some cost for their subsistence and accommodation. Given the intensity of disagreement over their coming, it would be hard to argue that there is a consensus in favor of us all taking on this burden collectively through taxpayer funds.

On the other hand, the forcefulness with which the case for the migrants is pressed suggests that their supporters feel they represent the opinion of a substantial minority. In these circumstances, would it not be appropriate and feasible for a “coalition of the willing” to provide for the migrants?

If this is not so, what are we to make of the pro-migrant campaigners’ position? Can it be “let everyone come and let someone else provide for them”?

We need to hand responsibility for migrant welfare to charitable funds. By this, I mean money freely donated by individuals. I don’t mean government grants or contract payments funded through contributions made by individuals under threat of imprisonment for non-payment of tax.

John Riseley

Harrogate

TikTok Terror

I would think those "ringleaders" who organised the TikTok-inspired looting in Oxford Street, London last week could be easily identified by their electronic footprints and the matter sorted. Just like a burglar may be caught out by left fingerprints, or a speedster identified by a car number plate.

What these flash mob events are doing is destroying high-street shopping and will likely move us closer to an exclusive shopping-from-home society.

These mass looting events could be better deterred and even prevented with stricter laws around social media data. TikTok needs to take responsibility and hand over all information to the authorities.

Louis Shawcross

Hillsborough

What good is 900 new beds?

In The Independent’s recent article, we learnt that the government is going to finance 900 extra beds for NHS England. As we already have beds in corridors, where are they proposing to locate these beds? Maybe in the 40 new hospitals we were promised.

Wherever they go, where will the staff come from to cover this extra bed capacity, given the current staffing crisis? No doubt the current overworked staff will be told they must just become more efficient and loom after even more patients every shift.

On the other hand, if patients are dying in A&E the demand for beds decreases.

Geoff Forward

Stirling

Common sense in the UK? Not likely!

So the government sees the rise of gender-neutral toilets as removing “the fundamental right for women to have privacy, dignity and safety” and wants to crack down on it. They appear to be linking it to trans rights, presumably because they see it as beneficial electorally.

In visiting Tallin in Estonia, probably a decade ago, and long before the current debate around trans rights was even getting started, I visited a gender-neutral public toilet in a shopping mall. It was in a “T” shape with floor-to-ceiling enclosed cubicles along the top of the “T” (there were no urinals) and a shared hand washing area on both sides of the centre leg. It worked perfectly, and after an initial surprise, I realised how utterly sensible it was.

What immediately struck me was that there was none of the usual queuing and both men and women were behaving in a perfectly civilised manner as they washed their hands and departed. I had hoped that this common-sense idea might catch on in the UK, but I should have known better!

Arthur Streatfield

Bath