Dear Mark Garnier, MP

I am writing to comment on your column in the Shuttle and my absolute utter dismay at what it will lead to.

One of my key purposes in setting up the Wyre Forest Supports Asylum Seekers Group was to build a more compassionate community. We work so hard on telling the truth to our community and you come along and blow it all out the water with your ridiculous comments.

Why do you talk about our local hotels? We have never had a single Albanian in either hotel!

Here is what Mark Garnier said

Yes they are all men, locally– if you could afford to send one person to try and get to safety who would you send – 90 year old granny?, 18 year old daughter? – no you would send the fittest and most resilient member - a young male. Women who come are the victim of multiple rapes by the traffickers – our young refugees have often risked their own lives to try and protect them, often ending in severe beatings for doing so.

The delay in processing asylum claims comes from the Home Office. Their utter incompetence is unbelievable.

There will always be corrupt people in any profession, so why you are astonished there are a few dodgy lawyers, I have no idea!

You also mention a labour shortage and the 100,000 boat crossings in the same article – well I have a great idea – how about you let the asylum seekers work whilst they are waiting for our incompetent government to process their claims – labour shortage sorted and no bill for hotels – I think that’s called a win win?

Don’t get me started on your comment about accommodation – no one would mind the Bibby Stockholm or the hotels if the guys could go out to work for 12 hours and were on it for a maximum 6 months that it should take to process them - as a gas engineer said in a recent national press article – “I lived on it for 3 weeks at a time, we were only in the room to sleep and shower, I wouldn’t want to live on it for longer”.

Mark how would you like to see you family destroyed in war, spend 2 years travelling across the world being beaten and kept as a slave on route to then spend 2 -3 years in a cramped room with 1 or 2 strangers, no privacy, nowhere to call your wife and being verbally abused every time you step out the front door.

This debate is only causing tension in our society because of people spreading these kinds of messages. There are hundreds of people supporting our work locally, I get thousands of pounds donated to help. Every time I put out a plea someone steps up! The people of Wyre Forest are amazing.

Just this week we had one of our guys who has received his Leave To Remain (as many are now - because guess what? – they all have legitimate claims!). This man, has an unconditional offer at Leeds University to study a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering which he can now take up.

He had a few barriers in his way but one FB post and several people spread the word to Leeds and within 48 hours I had 4 firm offers of free accommodation so he could take up his course. People willing to take in a total stranger into their homes because they have COMPASSION. When they see a fellow human in difficulty, they open their hearts!

When will you wake up to the fact that the 100,000 in the last few years is the tip of the iceberg as climate chaos embeds, we will see billions on the move.

We need to create a welcoming society, with housing and support for everyone – we are the 6th richest country in the world - we can afford this – not showing compassion for all is a political choice.

I despair in the knowledge that you are supposed to represent me, and you do NO SUCH THING.

Sarah Frost