Just a bit more from me then we�ll have to agree to differ.
I am by no means uncaring. On the contrary, I care in particular for people already here in the UK. I care for people who are told that because of lack of cash the NHS (to which they have contributed) is unable to fund their live-saving drugs, or treatment to prevent them going blind. I care for Ghurkhas who, having fought for this country are no longer welcome here. And so on. I find it hard to swallow these stories when we welcome (and fund the existence of) anybody arriving here who does not particularly like it where they come from.
I see asylum as an anachronism (definition: from another age; a leftover) because it stems from a time when we could manage to accommodate such unfortunates. Now, because welfare eats up more than 25% of public spending, and because many public services are stretched to breaking point, I�m afraid we cannot.