A petition that is calling on the UK Government to “swap” Katie Hopkins for 50,000 refugees from Syria, has managed to pull in more than 60,000 signatures. The change.org petition, set up by journalist Ben Fletcher, states the UK could fit more refugees in if The Sun columnist were to depart.
The petition reads:
“It has become fairly clear that the UK needs to do more to help and save the lives of innocent refugees making their way to Europe in order to flee the situation in their home countries. It is also clear that more and more people are wanting the UK Government to take action to give this help.
“The UK, however, has currently not got the space for refugees. No, this is not because we are full. It is because Katie Hopkins’ massive head takes it all up. So I propose we swap Hopkins and send her to Syria, a country where I am sure she would be welcome, and instead take in 50,000 refugees.
“The facts are they deserve a lot more than she does, and it would be a win win all round, we help people and save their lives and at the same time get rid of the UK’s contribution to the hall of national embarrassments.”
The petition is also encouraging people to donate to one of the charities that are trying to help the people fleeing their country.
Hopkins, the controversial TV personality, is under fire for the comments she made in a column which ran in The Sun, under the headline: “Rescue boats? I’d use gunships to stop migrants.” Hopkins reacted to the death of hundreds of refugees—the refugees had tragically died when their boat capsized earlier this year—by advocating using gunships to stop people attempting to reach Europe’s shores.
In the April column, Hopkins wrote:
“No, I don’t care. Show me pictures of coffins, show me bodies floating in water, play violins and show me skinny people looking sad. I still don’t care.
“Watching them try to clamber on to British lorries and steal their way into the UK, do I feel pity? Only for the British drivers, who get hit with a fine every time one of this plague of feral humans ends up in their truck.”
Here she is on LBC, saying that she would make a bonfire out of all the boats.
In a strongly worded statement, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the column, in which Hopkins described migrants as cockroaches, resembled pro-genocide propaganda.
“Under the guise of freedom of expression, [negative coverage is] being allowed to feed a vicious cycle of vilification, intolerance and politicization of migrants. This is not only sapping compassion for the thousands of people fleeing conflict, human rights violations and economic deprivation who are drowning in the Mediterranean. The nasty underbelly of racism that is characterizing the migration debate in an increasing number of EU countries has skewed the EU response to the crisis … and could sadly result in further massive loss of life.”
Instead of apologizing for her shameless and offensive remarks, she’s remained as vocal as ever on Twitter. She has even tweeted the link to the petition, and is winding up Twitter users by belittling their efforts to have her kicked out of the country.
Petitions are great.1 click & you’re like, literally, clicking your mouse. Once. That’s empowerment Right there!Boom https://t.co/KAfDqRdnaG — Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) September 5, 2015
Well done mes anges, you are really making a difference with your actions…..no, I mean – really. https://t.co/QP3feHvD7P — Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) September 7, 2015
In later updates, Fletcher insisted the petition had a serious point.
“I was honestly not expecting this to get much more than 100 or so signatures. I am glad that people are sharing this and it is getting more people talking about the need to do more for refugees, that was always the aim, it was never meant in bad taste… There is however a serious point behind this petition and that is that there are thousands and thousands of people who need our help.
“This is not a political issue, this is not a religious issue, whatever the cause for the current situation no excuse exists for not trying to improve it, it is a human issue and as humans we all have a responsibility.”
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