Social services don't pay enough.
However, I'm a European living in the UK. About all areas I have looked seem to pay less or way less than France, Belgium or northern countries.
For example, unemployment benefits are a fraction of the one in France. State pension is a joke. As soon as you start earning an average salary, child/housing benefit are pretty much inexistent, especially considering that stuff like nurseries cost 3 to 4 times more than equivalent private nurseries in France or Belgium. Public school do not offer facilities for children outside hours and start later and close earlier than on the continent, meaning you need to "go private" for that too while it is free in both France and Belgium. Your workplace rights are laughable: after 8 years my wife would get the same redundancy package than a new starter in the same company in France. The list goes on and on.
What exactly is so amazing about the UK benefits that is worth the trouble compared to staying in France ?
The real stuff that the UK has going for it is that you pay less tax, there are more work opportunities and in big cities, there is less employment discrimination. But that means that immigrant come to work not as benefit leeches as they are picture in the news.
Paying taxes provide services that maintain the sensible level of social movement and pay differential that has been demonstrated to advance entire societies.
Why do so many people want to be the richest person in a shit-hole?
No, some small percentage of it is used for "social good" and the rest is wasted or funneled to well connected / powerful political insiders and their cronies.
Edit because I'm not allowed to reply anymore to below comment: I once lived in a Communist country. Never again. I'd rater die.
Trust me, "society" was very different before the federal government had vast amounts of money to fund everything we take for granted today as "government waste."
Let me rephrase that.
With everything I listed that you don't receive in the UK, this idea that paying less tax than the French is a good thing boggles the mind. Do you think tax payer money is just burnt or something?
edit: OK in case it requires more explanation: I don't mind paying more for more, but if I receive less then at least I want to pay less. And by "I", I don't mean personally receiving more or less. As a middle classer I know that I'm more likely to be a net positive contributor to the tax coffer and I'm ok with that.
Does it really matter? It's sufficient if many believe it. Apparently I could be wrong, but also you yourself are not taking a clear position if that's the case or not.
In a nutshell, beggars can't be choosers.
What that statement generally means is that beggars can't generally afford to turn down charity, hoping for others to give something better.
But in this case this is not what we are talking about, but a situation where someone has to decide which country they will try to apply for asylum in, amongst multiple possible options. In that case, they most definitively can choose to some extent, even though the alternatives may have different perceived risk profiles.
And as with everything else, of course some people will choose badly.
One option, getting asylum as soon as you can, is your right, and the other option - crossing the border with forged documents to get asylum elsewhere - is a crime.
Yes, you may prefer A to B - but if one of them is permitted and the other is not, then there is a big ethical difference, and simply choosing whatever benefits you most is not appropriate.
Person A can choose.
Ergo, Person A is not a beggar.
Of course they can choose, but they have to stop playing the "refugee" card.
Even if you can find a job in English (which is possible, things like startups or video game developers are sometimes in English), you will need the local language to talk to shop keepers, repair men, salespeople, any government worker, etc. Basically all the day to day bullshit errands you need to do are only doable in the local language.
Nordic countries are probably OK with English only since a huge % of the population speaks English. Everywhere else though, no chance. The English speaking % is far too low.
In Nordic countries at least, that is indeed not a problem. Literally everybody speaks english at some level, and the whole especially in the larger cities you can often end in shops or restaurants where the people that work there only speak english.
> it sickens me how these "refugees" are choosing what
> country to stay in despite the fact they say they
> escaped war and torture
Why is it sickening? Surely it makes sense for any person to choose the best option of those open to them?
Does having a degree make you a better person or a more functional part of society? Does not having a degree bring bad rep?
And.
Why do you think these people don't have degrees and can't be functional members of society? Do you think they're stupid because their country was at war? or are they stupid because they have no means to just catch a plane and get a visa?
Your comment is extremely unfortunate.
I think it would be safe to say that in case of the parent commenter this is true.
It seems obvious that he/she is educated and actually wants to be a part of society.
You can either argue with me based on facts or at least come up with some thoughtful insights but not with "I'm loosing faith in humanity".
I can't answer that. However, I can say that having a degree makes an Syrian immigrant a better person or a more functional part of a Western society.
A degree in the Third World is often associated with education (duh), work ethics and a sense of civility. I know this might sound elitist as heck but what use would a developed country have for someone without any of those qualities?
>Why do you think these people don't have degrees and can't be functional members of society?
Simply because they couldn't even be functional in their own society.
I never said they were stupid but if Third Worlders were so bright, why isn't the Third World developed?
Unfortunate? What's unfortunate to me is that I have to point out why countries like my own are far behind. Like it or not the reason for that regression is people.
Here is the thing, our values are not "get a degree". Our values are respect, treating and considering each other as equals, help each other, you know, stuff like that.
Unfortunately you seem to be very far from understanding it. Hence why you'll have issues in Europe. You're welcome to come and learn about our values, but be ready to respect everyone equally regardless of their origin, studies or money.
Good luck in your life.
I used "refugees" intentionally to refer only to immigrants with solely economic motives not all refugees.