Sir – No doubt Mike Rose is right when he asserts (Herald, September 30) that some would-be asylum seekers are aggressive or economically motivated.

And it is reasonable in this overcrowded island, that we should be concerned about the prospect of a huge influx of refugees. I, too, find it worrying.

However, to make a comparison between Syria today and Great Britain during the Second World War is completely unrealistic. During the war, which I remember clearly (I was 11 when it ended), we were not being torn apart by civil conflict. On the contrary, we were a united nation fighting a common enemy.

Differences of class, faith and politics were set aside and people of all groups bonded together in a way I have never seen since.

To suggest that Syrians should “stay and fight” when they may have no sympathy for the government, the rebels or the Islamic State, is a vast simplification Also, when we were at war we did not see a complete breakdown of the social system. The country was highly organised and those who, sadly, lost homes and relatives in the bombing were looked after and supported. I know this because members of my own family had this experience. They were not left without food, shelter or a livelihood as seems to be happening in Syria.

If this appalling situation is ever to be addressed, we must understand its nature.

Jenny Perry
Park Road
Didcot