Exclusive Match of the Day presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker has agreed to take someone in who has sought asylum via the charity Refugees at Home.
When it comes to television, Gary Linekar is frequently seen as the perfect host and now the Match of the Day presenter is about to entertain guests of a much different kind.
In a few weeks time, he will welcome a refugee to his Surrey home but many would be horrified by the idea of taking a stranger into their home, but he insists it will be fine.
Gary Lineker offered to help through a charity called Refugees at Home but Gary has no idea who he will be welcoming or where they’ve come from.
Before his application is accepted he has to have an interview and home visit by the charity which has helped find interim accommodation for more than 2,250 refugees and asylum seekers.
He was asked if he was worried but he said that he wasn’t at all because he’d had so much connection with refugees over the last couple of years and that he’s met scores of young refugees through football projects and they’re genuinely nice kids and they appreciate any help they can get.
He said that he was sure it would be fine and that he’d been considering doing something like this for a while and he said that his kids are all grown up so he’s got loads of room now, so if he can help on a temporary basis then he’s more than pleased to do so.
He said that he’s got four lads in their 20’s, so he’s used to young men being in the house and that he’s sure that the refugees will behave better than his lot.
Gary Lineker’s comments to refugees led him to make a video for the International Rescue Committee charity on fish and chips. He said it’s not as odd as it sounds and that this most typical of British foods was introduced here in the 16th century by Jewish refugees from Spain and Portugal escaping persecution by the Spanish Inquisition.
And he explained that most of the things we think of as quintessentially British are often brought in from different shores, even St George is Turkish and he just believes that we owe a lot to refugees and that most people are descended from refugees at some point.
And that they’ve given so much to this country and still proceed to do so in terms of the jobs that they do and that we’ve seen throughout the pandemic in the NHS, carers and key workers.
But not everyone is going to agree with him because people out there are saying that they’re illegal immigrants and not refugees.
They come through dozens of safe countries to get to the land of free housing and benefits, with handouts galore. We have always had immigrants come from different lands to England but the difference back then was they were given nothing for free and many had to go to poor shelters and were given slop and had to work extremely hard to get where they wanted to be, there were no handouts then.
Now they’re treated like celebrities while pensioners starve and they get free dental, free medical and now they’re being put up in a celebrity home. But I suppose it is heartwarming to see such concern for the homeless, but what about the homeless of this country?
