Surprised their isn't already a thread on this, as I think it deserves one.

Firstly, RIP the thousands who've died, and good luck to all those who thankfully have survived. Christ knows what they've been through in their lives but I'm imagining they weren't exactly upping sticks from Persian palaces.

Secondly, what do we do? There is clearly very little appetite in this country to help them out, even if the only other options are to send them back to warzones, persecution, poverty etc. or to stick them up in some poor country like Greece who, to be fair, aren't really in the position we are to take in a few thousand asylum seekers.

Well, whatever we do surely has to be better than what we're doing at the moment, which is turning a blind eye to the whole thing. I brought this up a while ago on here, but our Government's withdrawal of funding from Operation Mare Nostrum was invariably going to lead to a tragedy like this. Lady Anelay in the government said that it acted as a 'pull factor', yet according to most charities, since the operation was removed, more people are attempting the crossing and more people are dying. Katie Hopkins got grief for calling these people 'cockroaches' but if we are refusing to help them, house them or even rescue them then isn't she basically just spelling out our policy on this?

I just think it's a classic example of where UKIP's rhetoric is worryingly affecting our policy. The government want to be shown as being tough on migrants, to the extent where we regard thousands drowning to death in the Mediterranean when fleeing from war as a necessary sacrifice. If Cameron did the sympathetic thing and offered to help, he'd get crucified by most. Similarly another legitimate measure for dealing with this problem - raising foreign aid funding to provide these people with temporary residency closer to home - is one of the policies UKIP want to get rid of!

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

If we hadn't already let everyone who wants to come here from Europe in, then we'd be in a position to offer them a home here. Same goes for Syrian refugees.

Which is completely irrelevant. We also were directly involved in creating the situation in Libya that these people are fleeing from, and as such bear some consequence for the now failed state that has occurred. The factions we supported and armed and helped to victory are now fighting and persecuting other factions in a bid for power.

Including factions now affiliated to IS and Al-Queda.

There is a big gap between granting them asylum (which some probably are entitled to) and washing your hands and letting innocent people fleeing persecution and war drown.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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Technically if they're refugees, then we are legally required to provide sanctuary under International Obligations of Asylum.

Problem is, to apply for that Asylum they have to get to the UK first (or obtain refuge in the Embassy - which isn't an option for 99% of Libyans - as they'd have to get across rival factional front lines).

So in order to claim asylum, you're basically dependent on people who can smuggle you out of the country....

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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Create mayhem here too..... nice!

Actually I didn't, even at the time. During the whole 'Arab Spring' I was generally skeptical that the outcome would be in the best interests of the West and that it would essentially play into the interests of Islamist and Islamic Fundermentalist groups over secular authorities.

Whilst I'm no fan of Gaddaffi, the authority of state existed beyond the one man, and even then it was just a man. In the process of the revolutionary war, the apparatus and infrastructure of state and capacity of authority of state was destroyed.

Long term, he'd long since been isolated as a threat and ultimately established as an 'inconvenient' ally, given the rise of Islamist groups and the decline of leftist national liberation movements. The misguided idealism of 'democractising' the world led us to create yet another 'recruiting' ground and failed nation for our enemies to benefit from.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]