Do you think its fair enough to blame the immigrants?

[MarBell379]

Theyve always been blamed I'm afraid. Its not a new thing.
Personally I dont have any problem with anyone who is working and paying taxes, but I do understand the gripe that immigrants are taking jobs. Sometimes people from other countries are happier to work for less money, and the expansion of the EU has made this very apparent in some trades.

I think the Government have it wrong though, and are exacerbating the problem by not ALLOWING people to work when they first arrive.
In the case of asylum seekers for example, unless there is a specific reason for people NOT to work, I'd like to see this turned around completely and employment made compulsory. Even some sort of community service would be something, as they are a drain on the state (and all of our taxes) from the day they arrive.

[joebloggs]

uncontrolled immigration is a problem, nearly everything the gov does has some sort of controls on it. Before the east Europeans joined the EU, the Home Office said that immigration of new workers from the region would run at the rate of 13,000 a year., nearly 1,000,000 came over a few years. the gov will not admit it by not controlling the number of poles who came here, but it's obvious because they put a limit on Bulgarians and Romanians coming here.

[adam&chryss]

Some of them do pay taxes like me. Some of them spend money in our country, again, like me.
Some of them pay taxes and send their money home to their own country instead of spending in our shops and such, unlike me. It hasnt happened since the recession, its always been there.
Sure theres Brits abroad but I dont know of many that claim any benefits in their new country or that send most of their wages back home.
Of course its not all immigrants, just a certain type.
Anyway this is my country and i`ll say and beleive whatever I like.
As far as im concerned there are enough here and we should shut the borders to anyone not related to someone already here.

[Northerner]

People who move to this island (and that is basically what the UK is) have always been met with suspicion or worse. First it was the Irish, then the Afro Caribbean's, then the Indian/Pakistani immigrants. And if you go back far enough you might find the same bad feelings towards gypsies, Jews (who were from another land) and so on....

My parents are from Ireland, although my mother was born in London as her father was in the British Army during WW2 but returned to Ireland after the war had finished. And I am pretty sure if I go back far enough through my genealogy, I might find ancestors from all over the globe within my family tree.

And I truly believe that no matter what we look like, we stem from people who have travelled far and wide. All of us!

However, psychologically this country is far more isolated than other nations. Despite claiming to be an open society who welcomes immigrants, the truth is less flattering, we have always resisted "new blood". The same can be said of all of our European neighbours, particularly if the immigrant in question looks different from the natives.

But at least in the modern age we have overcome some obstacles with racism and tribalism, but of course more needs to be done. As an example, this year we got to see our American friends swear into office their first President of African descent. But people from my city seemed to vote in large numbers for the BNP, electing Nick Griffin into office at the European elections. So it seems that we might have made some positive steps as a people but still lack the ability to fully let go of those negative tendencies such as racism.

But I live in hope for the future! I pretty much knew that if I have children they would likely be of mixed race (I am mainly attracted to women of colour). Yet I have a sibling who has considered joining the BNP (seriously racist), and will no doubt get a shock if the day comes when I introduce them to my half pinoy child. Though, I also think some people need to be shocked into seeing sense.

I could not imagine a more boring place if this country was without it's immigrants. No Curry, no Pasta, no Pizza, no Reggae music, no China Town, no Curry Mile... And so on, until I run out of gigabytes left to store the stuff immigrants have given to this country! Yes, there are downsides economically to mass migration, but hey. Money is man made and fake! Community, love and family are what really matter!

Anyway, I had better stop before I start a new Religion

[aposhark]

...........I could not imagine a more boring place if this country was without it's immigrants. No Curry, no Pasta, no Pizza, no Reggae music, no China Town, no Curry Mile...

Good post.
One day if you go the full distance with your Filipina, you will be walking through "Curry Mile" (area near Manchester full of Indian restaurants) with love in your heart, and a smaller bank balance as most of it has gone on flights to the Phils to gaze into her eyes. Her immigrant ways will captivate your heart and you will know that most people do not have these enriching moments

Then she will say something that you don't understand at all as she will forget you are not Filipino, and you will laugh out loud and think to yourself "Ain't life grand".
Then she will go very quiet because she will be convinced you have laughed at her and you will know again the richness of cultural differences.
But still, you will kiss her goodnight, and those eyes will still twinkle at you

[Arturo]

Theyve always been blamed I'm afraid. Its not a new thing.

The Poles weere in fact, accepted and respected during and after WW2.
Where I loved as a kid was an ex anti aircraft gun station. Afte r the was it was turned into a Hostel for Italian ex prisoners of war and Poles had a section. Everybody was friendly to them.

When the Poles flooded the UK a few years ago.it was simply because they were the first of the new batch of members of the "European Union".

The fact that they arrived in busloads and started trading as plumbers and electricians and charging less than "Brits" made them at first welcome...then the papers announced that they were claiming low pay benefits, Family Credits etc,. and families still in Poland were getting these payments, totalling £8Million a month! tended to piss people off a bit.
After that an dteh amouunt of publicity given to illegals waiting in France an dthen finding out from TV, that terrorist suspects were also illegal started a lot of bad feelngs. Remember the policeman shot dead in manchester.... the muslims were illegal I think.

In times of crisis, people look to cast blame - and because its known that the UK is soft on immigration and there are about 1 million illegals in th coutry.... its an easy target.

[GaryFifer]

Correct me if I am wrong, but during the Thatcher years, did the government cut Border patrols and Immigration for saving costs and efficiency

[KeithD]

Correct me if I am wrong, but during the Thatcher years, did the government cut Border patrols and Immigration for saving costs and efficiency

Actually the UK has NEVER had any border control until the last few years when Labour put them in place, but only because of public uproar, and so they could win at the last election.

[adam&chryss]

As I said the borders should be closed to people NOT related to somebody already here. I beleive being married is being related?
If their own country can`t provide for them I dont see how its my problem to sort it out.
We are always being told to keep our noses out of other countries business and I couldn`t agree more.
My local paper always has articles about people of "eastern european" appearance stealing from peoples handbags and stuff while shopping.
I think they equal out with the ones that want to earn money and improve their life.
I agree with everything Chryss has had to prove to be here and I beleive that ALL foreigners should have to do the same regardless of their country of origin.
If that was the case I dont beleive for one minute that we`d be in this situation of easy pickings for immigrants.

[joebloggs]

just to be a ..

it's not true that the majority are here doing low paid jobs that brits don't want to do..

2007-2008 - 86,0000 work permits were issued, and you don't get a work permit to pick fruit and veg, and remember Europeans don't need a work permit.


hsmp or tier 1 are skilled workers, they don't need a job offer to come here, as long as you the the points to apply,you can come here and apply for any job you want.

as for doing the jobs brits don't want to do, the care home my mom is in, i would say 50% are whiteys.

people will do any job as long as you get fair pay for a fair days work, enough to live on, not survive on. as for the standard of living in the uk, remember your parents and their parents fought for them standards as well as the unions, remember what the tories said, it would cost 100,000s of jobs to bring in the minimum wage..

you have to protect your one workers and jobs,just like any other country would do.