I'm very serious about Al-Jazeera, Robcoupe20VT; do you often actually watch it? What you may find difficult is that the coverage is not pro-British or US, but it is generally remarkable in the quality and breadth of its programmes.

I think oxfordsteve you are getting sky news confused with Fox news .Do you watch alot of sky news then .

No i will give al-J a miss .

"Al Jazeera has been criticized for being state media owned by the government of Qatar.[12][13][14][15][16][17] Al Jazeera has been accused of being pro-Wahabi as well as being pro-political Islam (Including the Muslim Brotherhood), and having a strong anti-Iranian and anti-Shia bias. Compared to all the other networks, Al Jazeera seldom broadcast extremist Salafi's attacks on the cultural heritage in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, which can be attributed to the Salafi beliefs of its owners and executives. The network also downplays atrocities committed by the extremist groups, and instead highlights actions taken by the Western governments. It also never broadcasts anything even remotely critical of Qatar's ruling family, including human right violations or the abuse of immigrant workers in Qatar. Al Jazeera can be recognized as an apparatus of the Qatari elites to exert influence over the region via propagation of political Islam combined with Salafism, hence being accused of supporting terrorism. In 2010, United States Department of State internal communications, released by WikiLeaks as part of the 2010 diplomatic cables leak, claim that the Qatar government manipulates Al Jazeera coverage to suit political interests.[18][19][20][21][22][23]

Al Jazeera's Shia Beirut correspondent Ali Hashem resigned from Al Jazeera after leaked e-mails shows his discontent over the outlet's "unprofessional" and biased coverage of the Syrian civil war in light of the Bahraini uprising, which was not given the prominence of the Syrian conflict on the network,[24][25] one side of the conflict which was partly funded by the state of Qatar, who also fund Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera's long-time Berlin correspondent Aktham Suliman left in late 2012 "It wasn't just because the broadcaster seemed less interested in reports from Europe. Rather, Suliman had the feeling that he was no longer being allowed to work as an independent journalist. "Before the beginning of the Arab Spring, we were a voice for change," he says, "a platform for critics and political activists throughout the region. Now, Al-Jazeera has become a propaganda broadcaster." "Al-Jazeera takes a clear position in every country from which it reports -- not based on journalistic priorities, but rather on the interests of the Foreign Ministry of Qatar," he says. "In order to maintain my integrity as a reporter, I had to quit.""[2] [26] He writes, "The news channel Al Jazeera was committed to the truth. Now it is bent. It's about politics, not journalism. For the reporter that means: time to go. [...] The decline 2004-2011 was insidious, subliminal and very slow, but with a disastrous end."[27]

Walid Phares indicated that the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera television network became the “primary ideological and communication network” for the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists during the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya , Yemen, and Syria in 2011.[28] He noted that after democratic forces had initiated the rebellions, Al Jazeera played a “tremendous role”[28] in supporting the Islamic forces that then seized the revolutions.

Al Jazeera has suffered the exodus of numerous prominent staff members. Reporters and anchors, particularly in cities like London, Paris, Moscow, Beirut and Cairo have left Al-Jazeera, despite what are seen as luxurious working conditions in centrally located offices. And despite the fact that the network is investing an estimated $500 million (€375 million) in the US, so as to reach even more viewers on the world's largest television market—one in which its biggest competitor, CNN, is at home.[2][29][30] Among the largest walk-offs, was that of 22 members of Al Jazeera's Egyptian bureau. The group announced their resignation on July 8, 2013, citing biased coverage of the ongoing Egyptian power redistribution in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood.[31][32][33][34][35][36]"

The problem with news is that it's nigh impossible to get a balanced view from one source alone. Given any connections with the government at the time the propaganda machine whirrs on relentlessly, and as Jim says we may not like what we hear. We are brought up to protect and support one's own country to the hilt and carefully directed news effluent can do wonders in support of this.

A few years back UK was the recipient of news concerning South Ossetia and Georgia. The Russian parent of a pupil assured me that her father, living in a remote area which received both Georgian and Russian broadcasts, was hearing two completely different stories which in turn were at odds with the UK media "facts"! I lived in Nicaragua in the late 70's during the approach of the downfall of the US-backed dictator at the hands of the Sandinistas and still have several copies of "La Prensa" from those moments which I can assure you were not in agreement with the government's paper "Las Novedades".

So it's really hard in my opinion to get a good overview on the present Chunnel issue - all we do know is that folk are making considerable effort to extract themselves from their own country, which if things were right, they wouldn't do in such numbers.

I don't think there is a b&w solution - just as in a workplace you get hard workers and slackers plus a few in between, tow-the-liners and rebels, you will never tidy up every loose end. The point being a country will always let someone through who will "scrounge" but maybe many more who won't.

Personal experience of immigration and refugee-ism I would have thought is the most accurate but one would need to collect many such instances to even begin to see a pattern.

From my own experience, being even temporarily without a country to be allowed in, is not a nice state of mind so my heart goes out to all those so desperate out there. What to do with so many wanting to enter the UK is what we elect governments for and (while we are still in the EU) it seems to be perplexing the majority of each head of its states.

I didn't say it was positive? This was down to the sheer grit and determination of her farther to carry his family through hell for 15 years to lead them to country where they could start a normal life. Sweden happened to be the country that became home, but it could well have been the UK.
Her personal determination to make something of her life should be a shining example of what you can do given the opportunity.

We have a single photo in our photo album of my wife's childhood in an Iranian refugee camp, just one compared to the hundreds I have (we are both the same age), it is a picture of her sat on the floor of the 3m x 3m room that was home to her entire family. On the wall are two pictures which have been torn out of a magazine, one is of Charlie Chaplin, the other looks like an old Malbro advert with a cowboy smoking a cigarette, not much but it brightened up their home. The one mattress the whole family slept on is up against the other wall to clear the floor space, they are all sat peeling vegetables.
Imagine only having one reminder of a f**ked up childhood to look back on. Isn't it just as unfair that they were driven from their homes as it is they aren't allowed a new home. Same goes for these poor people crossing Europe looking for a new home.

I'm just trying to give you a view from the other, less fortunate side of life.

What many of my fellow little islanders don't seem to accept is that Britain is and has been for thousands of years an Island of immigrants. Even the original ancient Celtics Britons are said to be of Greek decent. All of us most certainly have a family tree that includes many elements of this diverse background.

I find it intriguing that many of my countrymen often express their wish to have the freedom to live anywhere they choose, but find it so abhorrent that others should also wish to make that choice for their lives.

These migration problems have been escalating for some time but the world has stood by whilst radical ethnic and religious cleansing policies have taken hold. As said previously the problems are GLOBAL and the people wanting opportunity are only HUMAN.

Very true Jim, at least one television news tv station actually shows footage of whats happening in the world. Watching BBC news in the morning is like suffering a deja vu moment every half an hour with the same news regurgitated every half hour, sky not much better with its dolly girl line up.Quite into Al-Jazeera now, bet they don't give Cilla 15 mins airtime tonight at 6pm like the BBC will !!

point taken and a good point too. Think most are worried about numbers though, I meet many who express a wish to get out of this country, but will probably never be brave enough to go. If the country wasn't in such austerity measures , with no shortage of hospital beds, homes, docs appts, school places etc etc then maybe we would be more welcoming.Old Bob down the road moving to France to retire isn't the same as 3,000 africans wanting to join our ranks, with thousands more to follow.

FFS Jim, thanks for your point of view but to dismiss a view that we need a managed asylum system / process that we can support and fund on an EU wide basis seems obvious to me. I don't doubt the migrants, refugees, call them what you wish have all have stories that would makes us shiver at the thought of what they have endured. Should we simply lay on a bus service?

Were going around in circles ...I never said you said it was positive i am expressing the story you told us about your wife was positve in my view . Anyway its not unique for immigrants or immigrant children to have shitty lives . It happens in this country everday and all around the world .

Do a search and you will find out its bias . Run by the goverment of Qatar . So if you like your news from a country that has a bad reputation for human right ,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Qatar

Cooperman - I'm very sorry, my ffs was not aimed at you at all! It was after writing a long reply which then vanished into the ether. Apologies.

Robcoupe20VT, my wife runs a publishing company and in the last 2 years we have published two books about the media in the Middle East with a third due in a few weeks, written by academics and journalists from the region. One of my jobs is to proof read them, so I'll see your Wikipedia and other unattributed sources on Al-Jazeera and raise you a bit of personal insight.
I'm not claiming that Al-Jazeera is unbiased, merely that it provides a refreshing look at the world from a non "western" perspective. If you look at a lot of the accusations leveled at it, you'll find that many are politically motivated.
As Edinburgh eloquently points out, the truth is an elusive creature, but seeing alternative viewpoints can sometimes help you avoid spouting shite produced by Murdoch's minions. Only sometimes though.

Jim Clennell i suggest you log on to Wiki and change what has been written about Al Jazzera if you dont agree with it .I think you will find Murdoch does not have any say in what sky news produces . His company last time i heard had a 37% share in SKY .I get my news from alot of sources BBC,LBC 97.3,SKY, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS and MSNBC .I can take or leave whats on most of these channels have to offer .I could never watch a channel owned by a government with its own agenda that commits so many human rights abuse's .No thank you

Well, I could try and change all the wrong stuff on the Internet, but then again, I have a few other things I've promised MrsC I'll do, so perhaps I'll just carry on not believing everything because it happens to suit my world view.
As ever, this is a pointless discussion; I have tremendous sympathy for the people of Kent, but I'm not naive enough to believe that the whole thing is the fault of the refugees. The UK, the EU and the people killing each other, driving thousands of their fellow countrymen to flee in terror in search of any kind of safe life all share the blame. I just don't want to make it worse by stigmatizing those in the most need. Unlike certain broadcasters and their disciples.

These threads always fall apart.
No one can accept another's view point in a subjective Manor. It always has to be aggressive, no wonder the world is in so much shit.

No Jim Clennell you dont seem to understand . I posted a link to Wiki which anyone can change .It would be physically impossible for you to change the whole internet .You know it and everybody knows it that the refugees/economic migrants/asylum seekers are safe in Calais . They dont have to worry about any wars or live under the fear of being kidnapped .

Yet again I'm reminded why I rarely don't post much on these type of threads, apart from the one way of thinking from the usual suspects, some seem to take things so personally & as pointed out go into aggressive mode.

I remember a time down the pub before all this gadget electrical 'puter malarkey, expressing our thoughts on current affairs face to face. No hiding place back then.

In an attempt to get this thread back on track and inject a little (un-PC) humour...

The Frenchies seem to be unable (or unwilling) to prevent the immigrants entering their country and I suspect they wouldn't be overly bothered if they all managed to get to the UK

So - lets do the same and solve TWO problems in one go, with the following sequence of events:-

1) Legislate for Scotland to have really attractive housing and welfare benefits for asylum seekers
2) Give Scotland the independence that Nicola Sturgeon is convinced they all want (despite the referendum....)
3) Put all the immigrants on a train at Calais but keep going after Folkestone - all the way to Glasgow / Edinburgh / insert your own Scottish city / town / hamlet

The biggest UK expense will be rebuilding Hadrian's wall to keep them all in, but there will be plenty of cheap labour on the Scottish side....

They wouldn't want to come here because of the weather, it's been crap lately, even worse than usual.....

Calais is a bleak hole in the winter months . I have seen how these people are having to live. Not pleasant in any way.

Calais is a bleak hole in the winter months . I have seen how these people are having to live. Not pleasant in any way. [/quote]

Joe, I'm talking about summer weather. Never seen so much black clouds at this time of the year, & the rain just never stops at the moment. Two days after the longest day we had our house lights on at 8pm, normally still quite light at midnight. Yes I know it's a different story about these sad desperate people.

Good old News Thump.

That's not even satire, it's total garbage.

The idea of living in a shanty town of tents, makeshift shelters and no sanitation can't sit well with anyone, basic shelter, etc was something that the Sangatte camp provided but it became a focal point both politically and physically for all that was wrong with french provincial thinking at that time.
Now they seem happy to turn a blind eye but the local population must be sick to the teeth of the place becoming one big toilet.
One thing is certain in that they will keep coming, another 1800 were rescued from boats off the Italian cost yesterday so in a couple of weeks time they will further swell the numbers at Calais.
God knows what the solution may look like but I doubt riot police and pepper spray can be accepted as the norm!

I had to browse Stormfront for 20 mins after reading that, just to restore my political balance for the day.

I think you find they have sanitation ,running water ,doctors come to the camp ,charity organization deliver food ,electricity and even wifi as reported by the BBC yesterday . It most likely better conditions than their home .

From what I have read they have pretty much built some basic latrines (holes in the ground) one or two standpipes and get a meal a day from a charity organisation, not read about power or wifi which seems far from likely, volunteer doctors visit and provide basic health checks.
Hardly a home from home but likely safer than what they left behind.

They are camped on the dune rough ground between broom and gorse bushes. Don't look nice on a cold rainy December evening.

Well put things in context closer to home nearly 8000 people sleep rough in london every night 2014/2015 . So BBC are making up stories ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u5QT5D2yqE

Interesting interview with an Ethiopian who has made it to UK on ITV news tonight. He stated that British benefits are spoken about among the migrants, and that is why many of them want to come here. Obviously right wing propaganda, commissioned by the Daily Mail to whip a storm of I told you so... unless of course it is actually true and he wasn't a plant?