Without sympathy, we will never reach a solution to the migrant crisis

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

None of us (thank God) know what it is like to be a refugee having to flee your home because of war, persecution, and famine (PA)

I read Steve Mackinder’s recent letter to The Independent with interest, and he is right to state that this is a hugely complex issue. But what I would take issue with is this government’s attitude to this overriding problem. I do get the impression that the rhetoric emanating from the government is whipped up in a disingenuous and lowest common denominator fashion, fully appreciating the implications on the public’s view of this situation.

What I don’t want is a Tory deputy chair using deeply offensive language and not being taken to task for it by the party’s superiors. What I don’t want is the immigration minister Robert Jenrick ordering cartoon characters to be obliterated from an unaccompanied children’s reception centre, because it made it feel too welcoming. What I don’t want is a Home Office seemingly incapable of achieving the necessary impetus in fast-tracking justifiable claims for asylum seekers.

What I do want is for the heat to be taken out of this situation and for proactive solutions to be established, such as more safe and legal routes to be instigated. What I do want is more “thinking outside of the box”, less grandstanding, and less counterproductive rhetoric. He finishes his letter with the statement “none of us knows (thank God) what it is really like on the south coast working with this problem”.