The Great British bunch of migrants (part 2)

• We’re not only an island, we’re part of a planet

Britain is a potpourri of nationalities which makes Britain Great. We may be an island, but we’re also part of a planet. 

The British have probably been the most prolific migrants in the history of the world. British people have gone to live in all parts of the planet, and still do. 

Currently, we are Europe’s number one exporter of people to the rest of Europe, and the third biggest exporter of people to the rest of the world.

According to World Bank estimates, between 4.5 million and 5.5 million Britons live abroad, which is about 7-8% of the UK population. To put that in context, only about 0.8% of Americans, 3% of Spanish and 2.1% of Australians live abroad.

So we go there, and it’s not surprising, that people from across the world come here. It works both ways. 

Our great country has benefited from people from other countries coming to settle here, just as other countries have often benefited from Britons living there. 

Some people say that Britain is overcrowded, but you only have to fly over the country to see that most of the land is countryside, with huge swathes of natural open spaces. 

A recent survey showed that only 2.27% of England’s landscape is built on, and elsewhere in the UK, less than 1% is built on. 

This country has a plenty of space. So should we really be so tight-fisted about offering refugees a place of safety?

Last year an estimated 26,000 unaccompanied child refugees arrived in Europe, having fled from war and persecution. 

Many have already died on their perilous journeys. They are alone, without any parents or relatives to look after them. They are vulnerable to being abused and exploited by criminals. 

Many of these children will never see their parents again. It’s a stain on our continent – the world’s richest – that so many destitute, unaccompanied child refugees are not being helped or protected.

All EU countries should be doing much more to take-in and care for these children, who are all innocent, and who all need a chance and a place of safety.

‘Save the Children’ is currently campaigning for the British government to take in 3,000 of them – they believe that’s a fair share when taking into account Britain’s size, population and economy. 

Britain has enough space, and the British people have a big enough heart, to show the world that we do care about other people on our planet. Let’s ensure that our government knows this and acts upon it.

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Related articles by Jon Danzig:

• The Great British bunch of migrants (part 1)
• Asylum and the rights of unaccompanied children 
• The photo that alerted the world
• Labour leader visits Calais and Dunkirk refugee camps
• Danish police seize refugees' belongings
• List of the latest articles by Jon Danzig

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→ We’re not only an island, we’re part of a planet – please shareTHE GREAT BRITISH BUNCH OF MIGRANTS (part...
Posted by Jon Danzig on Monday, 1 February 2016

Great #British Part 2: The #migrants who helped make #Britain Great. Please share my blog: https://t.co/KehtteKZVI pic.twitter.com/2fGpWLSHwR

— Jon Danzig (@Jon_Danzig) February 3, 2016