Migrants entering UK carry diseases and must be stopped, caller fumes

25 July 2021, 14:46

Iain Dale clashes with caller over migrant crisis

By Seán Hickey

Migrants crossing the channel are carrying measles, ebola and HIV into the UK and must be stopped, this caller claims.

Marie phoned in to Iain Dale amid a conversation on the migrant crisis, as the UK plans to send more money to France to prevent refugees crossing the Channel.

The caller was heavily opposed to the idea of Britain becoming home to more asylum seekers: "So many people come here and they haven't been inoculated against most of the diseases – they carry diseases: ebola, HIV and others."

"Oh, for goodness sake" Iain interrupted.

"Are you seriously trying to convince me, or a lot of the people listening that the people coming into this country, are carrying ebola?"

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He told the caller that it was "a lunatic thing to say." She replied that she wasn't implying that all refugees carry disease, but a significant amount do.

"It just took one or two people to spread Covid Iain, you know that." She reminded listeners that "we had eradicated measles" but in recent years "they've come back."

Iain couldn't believe his ears: "It's all the immigrants fault then?" He wondered.

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"I am not racist, I am not colour prejudiced in any way, shape or form but our country cannot house anyone anymore!" She countered.

"We haven't got the housing, we haven't got the NHS capacity."

The caller then described an encounter with a refugee who arrived in the UK she had met and how she wanted to embrace the woman.

"You have put your finger on it there, where you look at an individual and your heart breaks but describe them as the collective, as asylum seekers or immigrants, your mood appears to change."