The cruelty of the British state
Voters upset by the treatment of Ukrainian refugees are getting what they asked for
BRITONS WHO have offered to host Ukrainian refugees face a familiar obstacle in the form of the Home Office. But they also have support from some unlikely allies. The Daily Mail, which has railed against asylum-seekers for years, is leading the charge. “Britain is only granting ONE visa for every TEN refugees” shouted the newspaper recently; it would normally only complain if the ratios were reversed. Conservative MPs have attacked Priti Patel, the home secretary, for failing to let people in, rather than for failing to keep them out. Scepticism about refugees has melted among the British public. Support for resettling Ukrainian refugees in Britain (at 76%) rivals the approval ratings for the queen.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Of moral panics and ethical spasms”
Britain April 9th 2022
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- The cruelty of the British state
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