Immigration becomes an issue when migrants, whether they are legal or illegal, claim benefits. There is racism to think about too, but this only turns into a threat during recessions or when the economy is not doing so well, jobs are hard to come by and we are all asked to tighten our belts.
Whenever there's talk of immigration, the British Empire and Commonwealth invariably come up too. It's true that Britain built its Empire on the backs of other countries' assets and there is an argument it has to be accountable in some way. However, this happened centuries ago and should others really have to spend the rest of their lives answering to the acts of ancestors? Besides, nobody can blame the British Empire for atrocities of recent years like the genocide in Sri Lanka or corruption at state level in Africa or India. Also, let's not forget that the British donate generously to and support overseas charities. And if we are going to put the past behind us, maybe we should do the same with the seventy-year-old second world war and focus on what's happening in the world today. By this, I don't mean forget veterans, just the battles.
As an immigrant myself, I am in two minds about illegal immigration. On the one hand, I feel incensed that people come to the UK without the right papers when my father brought his family here legally. What gives people the right to claim benefits and take employment from others? On the other hand, genuine asylum seekers need to go somewhere. I doubt though that the majority of illegals fit into this category. There's also the question: should a country have borders? Why not lose borders altogether and let people move freely? This is a whole new topic in itself so for the moment, I'm working on the assumption that we need to have separate countries.
Like illegals, EU migrants also fall into the category of being a burden on the taxpayer when they come here to claim benefits. I believe you should work legally in a country for a certain amount of years, maybe two, before you can claim benefits from that state. Poorer countries in the EU should be encouraged and supported while they generate more wealth, but not by us paying benefits to their nationals. It may cost the same to support Romania or Bulgaria while they develop economically but I would rather do this than have a surplus of claimants in the UK.
Andrew Neather claimed the last Labour government let in three million migrants to meet a skills shortage. Given that this is how my father came to England, who am I to deny others the same opportunity. My only comment is that the population and economic situation now is different to how it was decades ago but it's not the migrants' fault the government let so many in, in such a short time. So they have a right to be here and live peacefully.
Where those who came illegally are concerned however, there's a cost to tackling the problem. A 2006 article in the Independent claims an amnesty would save £6bn. (£5bn for avoided cost of deportation and £1bn as lost taxes if they became visible to HMRC). This is a short-term argument. It also ignores the extra burden on the Health service, Housing and Education. Except for serious crimes like murder we seem to equate everything with money these days. Principles come at a price but that should not be a deterrent to dealing with illegality.
There is a limit to what we can afford. Only paying benefits to migrants who have legally worked here for two years, including those from the EU, is one solution. As for illegals, deportation is an obvious answer, but although we can't take on the world's problems, the thought of sending people back to extreme poverty does not sit easily with me. I would however happily pay to deport those who indulge in burglary, muggings or organised crime while here.
Whenever there's talk of immigration, the British Empire and Commonwealth invariably come up too. It's true that Britain built its Empire on the backs of other countries' assets and there is an argument it has to be accountable in some way. However, this happened centuries ago and should others really have to spend the rest of their lives answering to the acts of ancestors? Besides, nobody can blame the British Empire for atrocities of recent years like the genocide in Sri Lanka or corruption at state level in Africa or India. Also, let's not forget that the British donate generously to and support overseas charities. And if we are going to put the past behind us, maybe we should do the same with the seventy-year-old second world war and focus on what's happening in the world today. By this, I don't mean forget veterans, just the battles.
As an immigrant myself, I am in two minds about illegal immigration. On the one hand, I feel incensed that people come to the UK without the right papers when my father brought his family here legally. What gives people the right to claim benefits and take employment from others? On the other hand, genuine asylum seekers need to go somewhere. I doubt though that the majority of illegals fit into this category. There's also the question: should a country have borders? Why not lose borders altogether and let people move freely? This is a whole new topic in itself so for the moment, I'm working on the assumption that we need to have separate countries.
Like illegals, EU migrants also fall into the category of being a burden on the taxpayer when they come here to claim benefits. I believe you should work legally in a country for a certain amount of years, maybe two, before you can claim benefits from that state. Poorer countries in the EU should be encouraged and supported while they generate more wealth, but not by us paying benefits to their nationals. It may cost the same to support Romania or Bulgaria while they develop economically but I would rather do this than have a surplus of claimants in the UK.
Andrew Neather claimed the last Labour government let in three million migrants to meet a skills shortage. Given that this is how my father came to England, who am I to deny others the same opportunity. My only comment is that the population and economic situation now is different to how it was decades ago but it's not the migrants' fault the government let so many in, in such a short time. So they have a right to be here and live peacefully.
Where those who came illegally are concerned however, there's a cost to tackling the problem. A 2006 article in the Independent claims an amnesty would save £6bn. (£5bn for avoided cost of deportation and £1bn as lost taxes if they became visible to HMRC). This is a short-term argument. It also ignores the extra burden on the Health service, Housing and Education. Except for serious crimes like murder we seem to equate everything with money these days. Principles come at a price but that should not be a deterrent to dealing with illegality.
There is a limit to what we can afford. Only paying benefits to migrants who have legally worked here for two years, including those from the EU, is one solution. As for illegals, deportation is an obvious answer, but although we can't take on the world's problems, the thought of sending people back to extreme poverty does not sit easily with me. I would however happily pay to deport those who indulge in burglary, muggings or organised crime while here.
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