Saturday, June 23, 2007

TV news turn up for a Margate cliché
And BBC censor the news?


Meridian and the BBC have been motivated, into sending their intrepid reporters, to the far edges of their regions by news that the Nayland Rock Hotel is to possibly become a gulag for asylum seekers prior to forced repatriation. The Home Office ought to consult the public before changing the Nayland into a prison (open or otherwise) and Roger Gale is right in bring this to public attention.

Home Office asylum wallahs, who have been fairly negligent for years, in allowing migration to go unmonitored and unregulated, are in talks with the charity Migrant Watch over the future use, of the Hotel since numbers of asylum seeker have dropped.

It would be fair to say that, the use of the Nayland has to some extent changed the character of Margate, but this all seems to be an attempt to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. It makes a nice story for the political right, and it can be easy for journalist go into cliché mode but fortunately for us, the public, I think both Meridians Ian McClaren and the BBC reporter whose name I cannot remember steered clear.

Just a quick point this story was handled with some caution, in Meridian’s case they failed to mention it at the start of the show, but BBC as ever, is even more er cautious and have decided not to allow the public, a second sight of their report despite recently promoting South East Today: On Demand; a de facto case of censorship I think.

Returning to the story it looks as if the charity Migrant Watch is changing its role, since were informed that the Nayland Rock is no longer needed, to accommodate refugees then surely the charity does not need to be involved with the Nayland unless their about to do a 180 degree turn in purpose from assisting asylum seekers escaping tyranny to now sending those same people back to danger.

If its true that the numbers of those seeking asylum , no longer need temporary accommodation then the Nayland should revert to use as a Hotel and those who’ve been deemed, to have no right to remain here, should be deported. Still this really is a tricky subject, since I believe that our government, regularly send people back to countries like Zimbabwe and Iraq where political violence is ongoing.

To be honest I would rather see Nayland Rock used as a Hostel for refugees than to have someone sent back to an uncertain future. Since we have allowed unrestricted and unplanned migration from safe European countries why not just accept those who want to live here. The only condition I would like to see, is that refugees are fully aware of that this is a tolerant society and be educated in British social customs.

4 comments:

  1. tony i agree with most of what you say but surely the nayland rock should be a hotel and a more suitable place found for the asylum seekers.a prime hotel on margate seafront is NOT the right place..i can't imagine another seaside town where this would happen at least not on such a prime site.i was to understand that the council are looking for developers to build a hotel in margate within site of the nayland rock so why oh why don't they use nayland rock as a hotel?

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  2. Well nayland rock should be a hotel when Dreamland is a theme park again, till then there's not to much need for hotel's

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  3. Humm i disagree with that.i tried to book a hotel in may for my relatives and walpole bay hotel the promenade and the fayreness were all fully booked!

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