Spoken word poet Hollie McNish spells out what's wrong with most of the arguments used against immigration. She cites as her inspiration a book by economist Philippe Legrain called Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them.
Spoken word poet Hollie McNish spells out what’s wrong with most of the arguments used against immigration. She cites as her inspiration a book by economist Philippe Legrain called Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them. (Hat tip: Adam Mordecai)
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85 Responses to “Next time someone claims that immigrants are destroying Britain, show them this”
gavinrider
So, Mat, was my response a little bit too coherent and fact-based for your liking this time?
No smart-ass dismissive put-down to throw out just so you don’t have to try and justify your pompous left-wing arrogance?
jsgt
Abu qatada is your government creature; funny when people invoke “abu qatada” or “hook man”, yet little they know these are just ammo for smears and to be used for their phony “war on terror”.
If Abu whatever were indeed dangerous terrorists, why the government keep them around free to roam and used as an excellent material for PR? Against the Muslim communities?
No one EVER heard of these intelligence assets/ creatures in their native countries.
OldLb
You’ve ducked the question.
Is or as is now the case, was, since he’s gone, Abu Qatada an economic benefit to the UK? ie. Paying more tax than he costs in services, dependents included.
Clearly not. On benefits, huge legal bills, no tax.
He’s an extreme example of a migrant that’s unacceptable both economically and for the trouble he has caused.
At the other end, Abrambovitch spends lots of money in the UK. Adds huge amounts to GDP. So presumable a benefit to the UK (Unless you are an Arsenal fan).
Somewhere in between there is a line. Good or bad for the UK.
Not all migrants are good for the UK, and since lots won’t pay the tax to cover the cost of them being here, its a large number.
Rhyannon
The problem is there are too many immigrants. Too much of a good thing often has consequences and consequences with a dire effect. We cannot cater for every person coming into the country, nor can we support them with resources we do not have. The fact of the matter is that many people who have British roots going back generations cannot get a job or a home in the city their family has helped build.
I have walked into a foreign recruitment agency in my hometown and asked to apply for a flower picking position. I was refused on the basis that it was a recruitment agency for immigrants only. As jobs are scarce i thought it discriminating that I was not allowed to apply.
I have applied for at least 5 jobs a day since January 2013. I have had interviews but no job offers other than voluntary work. I have a solid CV with experience in the roles i apply for. Honest hard working British people are being forced to live as ‘lazy benefit taking people’ as there is no choice in some cities in this country! There are no options and no way out for people like me as the job market is too crowded. Citizens with the right to work in the UK are being pushed to the back of the list and ignored. This is especially so with the housing allocation list. It is a very real and prevalent problem that will ultimately lead to the demise of a country I was once proud to call home.
Many Brits are at the end of their tether. The country has offered all it has to give.
Stricter rules need to be enforced in order to save the country and its people. Immigrants who work and pay their way should stay. Immigrants should be deported if they have a child when they do not have a job to support that child. (I am British and cannot have a child as it is impossible to get a job to support a child let alone accommodation in which to raise it) Immigrants should be given a time scale to get a job before deportation.
Rules like the above would mean that deprived British people would have a job market, employment, accommodation and hope for their country.
I am not a racist and so have named ethnic communities as people. I have working immigrants as friends and enjoy their company. I write my views not to separate people by race or colour. People are people. However, there should be two types of people in a situation like this. The people who should have the right to do certain things in a country they are seeking help from (based on their situation and certain factors in their life) and people who have no right to do certain things at all. For the greater good.
Gavin Rider
Here are a few more statistics from the latest Labour Market Statistics (ONS, July 2013).
“between January to March 2012 and January to March 2013:
• the number of people in employment in the UK increased by 423,000 to reach 29.60 million,
• the number of UK born people in employment in the UK increased by 192,000 to reach 25.33 million, and
• the number of non-UK born people in employment in the UK increased by 225,000 to reach 4.26 million.”
So, the number of foreign born workers getting jobs in the UK continues to outpace the take-up of new jobs by UK-born workers, which seems odd if there really is equality of opportunity.
In percentage terms, employment of UK-born workers increased by 0.76% over the past year, whereas employment of non-UK-born workers increased by 5.58%.
I find this rather startling, and not in a good way.