I think the important point to grasp is that this should not be an issue of race or ethnicity. It is an issue of numbers and resources. Any attempt to make it into an issue of race should be firmly resisted.
No country in the world has open borders. Even the EU has placed restrictions on who can take advantage of the free movement of peoples policy. For example, the UK and ROI were the only two member states who allowed free entry in 2004 from the former Socialist bloc countries. As I experienced this in my part of the UK, it served to cause great friction between communities and incomers over access to scarce resources and was of benefit chiefly to gangmasters and other employees.
Of course, no-one consulted the 'ordinary' people of the UK as to whether they wished their communities to be drastically changed. It's interesting that some of the most vocal opponents of Eastern European immigration are from second and third generation Brits of Asian or West Indian descent.
It's not just the UK which is experiencing difficulties with Eastern European migration. Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and even Spain have voiced concerns.
The problem with the UK is that welfare benefits are residence and not contribution based. After three months a migrant claiming 'self employed' status has access to the same range of benefits as a UK citizen. If the projected numbers arrive next year which is likely -and don't forget that the number entering in 2004 was widely underestimated - then this could be unaffordable.
As for the position of UK migrants in Spain...if it can be proved that no demand will be made on Spanish resources then I see no problem. Same if migrants come to the UK with a job and resources. No problem if numbers are restricted.
I would understand if the Spanish or any government put reasonable restrictions on immigration.
As I said, it's not about race. It's about numbers and resources..
That's where Gordon Brown got it wrong when he called Mrs Duffy a bigot. The voices of the Mrs Duffys of this world are too often ignored by politicians of all Parties who dismiss such views as 'populist' and unworthy of respect.
One reason perhaps why politicians are not respected....
Hi - Yes, the
'Guardian' poll results demonstrate, clearly, that the respondents are motivated by their concern about the numbers involved, NOT, by racist tendencies! Why our UK politicians fail to take note of the '
Mrs. Duffys' in our country, I cannot fathom.
One of the issues which seems to get blurred in any media discussion of British attitudes towards 'Immigration' is that there are parts of the UK which are, already, heavily populated by so-called
'immigrants', many of whom are, in fact, British citizens - namely, people from African, Indian, Pakistani, Cypriot, Bangladeshi et al descent, either born in the UK or with parents or grandparents who'd been granted the right to settle in the UK!
I worked, years ago, as a Youth Worker, within the centre of Blackburn. At that time, in the late 70's, there was huge animosity at what was described as the '
take-over' of certain areas of the city - shops, cinemas, schools etc. were perceived as being 'foreign' and many white British residents complained, vehemently, at having 'lost' their neighbourhood identity - and of having to travel much further to access traditional British food shops and pubs! One such area, in which I worked, was nicknamed
'The Kyber Pass!' This was NOT a sign of affection on the part of 'native' Blackburn folk..!
Again, during my Post. Grad. studies, in Community Education, I visited schools in both Coventry and the' Black Country'. Teachers in schools, both Primary and Secondary, with a high percentage of British Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi pupils, spoke of their pro-active, 'inclusive' lessons, which ensured that all pupils, of whatever nationality or background, could participate, equally - with attention being paid to each and every cultural festival and celebration.
But, when I consulted the white parents, they rejected such glossy and optimistic talk! Instead, they focused on the diminishing number of 'native' British pupils in their own children's classes - and they did not wish their offspring to be subjected to '
multicultural' lessons in which 'Christmas' would exactly have the same status as 'Divali' and where the folklore of India or Africa would be studied with the same zeal, and for the same class-time, l as that of Great Britain!
Such matters still rankle, in many parts of the UK, today, IMO. it's within this context that opposition to yet another influx of '
foreigners' must be judged. The concentration of naturalised Brits. from Africa, India etc. within specific parts of the UK, along with changes in the law to accommodate certain of their cultural practices, has led to the false notion that their numbers are much higher than is actually the case - and that many,many more are still to come, with an even greater impact (perceived as 'negative') upon 'native' British cultural traditions, the Laws of the country - and the NHS!
I would very much agree with OPs. here who suggest a
'contributions' based Unemployment Benefits system for the UK - but, I wouldn't wish to see claimants left without any income, once their Unemployment benefit had run out!
In Cadiz city, it's been reported, this last week, that the current 'official' level of unemployed individuals is now 17,000 - out of which some 7,500 have no current right to financial assistance! What would that mean in the UK, where citizens often live far from their families and from any possible support they might be able to provide? How many homeless and 'rough sleepers' would we be prepared to tolerate, lying prone on our streets and, perhaps, dying of hypothermia or starvation?
Regarding the NHS, i'd also support a
'Contributions' based system - but, again, with some kind of 'catch-all' for EU residents, akin to that which we Brits. are able to access, here in Spain. But, one of my concerns is to know what would happen if a newly arrived immigrant were to arrive from outside the EU, with a highly infectious and serious illness? How could we avoid future epidemics if such a person were to be refused treatment, or if future UK immunisation programmes were not to include all residents and their children?
The British Government is grappling, currently, with these issues - in advance of the anticipated 'influx' from Rumania and Bulgaria. I do hope that whatever is determined by our politicians, any new policies will be proportionate, rooted in fairness and will not lead to inhumane and degrading treatment of fellow human beings - but, I daren't hold my breath...!
Saludos,
GC
