No to housing refugees

December 16, 2015

Is there now a change of mood re housing refugees following the Paris shootings and other recent terrorist incidents in USA and  here in the UK? When the pictures of the child washed up on the beach were seen across Europe and the World just a few months back, there was an outpouring of emotion from communities everywhere, no more so than in Britain.

The response by some European leaders to the whole refugee crisis was one of outright irresponsibility, namely Chancellor Merkel and President Holland, they both gave the green light for everyone and anyone to come to Europe, that in itself was a response to a humanity crisis and can be understood, but they went one step too far and allowed free passage across open borders without any control or checking of persons.

Fortunately here in Britain the Shengen agreement does not apply and we still control our borders, the response of our government to the refugee crisis has been alot more controlled than that of Western Europe. The  bad press surrounding the Paris shootings, mostly to do with terrorists using the refugee crisis to infiltrate Europe has had its affect,  there now appears to be a hardening of peoples attitudes in general.

So with a hardening of peoples attitudes to the refugee crisis and an acute shortage of social housing for our existing communities, it comes as no surprise when a District Council votes no to housing refugees.

A controversial campaign to house 200 refuges in Wycombe has been rejected by councillors, almost 40 members of Wycombe District Council voted against last night’s motion to consider welcoming some of most vulnerable refugees to the district.

In recent months, hundreds of residents signed a petition – which was delivered to the council in October – asking for Wycombe to react to the humanitarian crisis.

Councillors have to take very difficult decisions in such circumstances, they have to balance the needs of their community with that of others, I suppose they would have considered the situation very carefully and voted according to the facts presented to them.

 

 

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Selling an Inherited Property in Scotland: A Clear Guide

Selling an inherited property in Scotland can begin only once confirmation, the Scottish equivalent of probate, has been granted by the court. Until that legal authority is in place, the executor cannot complete a sale, so grasping the sequence early saves later frustration. Families who would rather not manage a long marketing process sometimes approach…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 3/9/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The imminent interest rate hike is going to be a real reckoner for property   When interest rates rise again, Britain’s housing market will discover what it is really worth   Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR For more than a decade, Britain’s housing…
Read More →
Breaking News

Tenancy deposit reform overlooks estimated £750m

As the Government considers reforms to England’s tenancy deposit system, The Letting Partnership is warning that one major question remains almost entirely absent from the debate: what happens to tenancy deposits that are never reclaimed? While current discussions have focused on how deposits should be protected in future, namely custodial vs insured schemes, far less attention…
Read More →
Breaking News

Application to offer in 24 hours with new Barclays Fast-Track Remortgage

Barclays launches first-of-its-kind Fast-Track Remortgage, which can provide eligible customers1 a mortgage offer within 24 hours, and completion in as little as five days Research finds those who have switched lenders are twice as likely to find the process difficult compared to those who stayed with their lender (20 per cent vs 10 per cent)…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Mortgage overpayments in a confident market

Financial experts are encouraging homeowners and first-time buyers to take a fresh look at mortgage overpayments as confidence builds in the UK property market and interest rates begin to ease. With major lenders cutting rates, improved loan-to-value options for buyers, and growing optimism in the 2026 market, mortgage overpayments are emerging as a powerful and…
Read More →
Breaking News

House price growth remained subdued in August

UK annual house price growth remained broadly stable in August at 1.6% House prices were up 0.2% month on month Headlines Aug-26 Jul-26‡ Monthly Index* 550.1 549.1 Monthly Change* 0.2% -0.1% Annual Change 1.6% 1.4% Average Price (not seasonally adjusted) £275,465 £276,581 * Seasonally adjusted figure (note that monthly % changes are revised when seasonal…
Read More →