Comments on: Immigration and responses to immigration

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:58:38 +0000

My concern is for Asylum, which is very different from immigration. Alan Dodgson says that “you wouldn’t leave your front door open for any “Tom, Dick or Harry” to walk in.” Probably not, but then we would probably all open our doors to someone we believed had suffered persecution, torture or extreme violence of some sort and needed our support. Asylum should work like that but sadly doesn’t at the moment, the main concern seems to be removing large numbers of people.

By: A. Wills

A. Wills — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:34:57 +0000

We should restrict immigration to those proven to be in genuine need or who will be an asset to the UK. It is unacceptable that the government have lost track of who is getting into the UK, and that criminals are allowed in and can remain here.
Britain is now officially the most over-crowded country in Europe, with an immigrant arriving here every minute. The NHS, schools, sewage system and housing supply will not be able to cope. Water companies are now unable to remove all the pollution and medical drugs from our drinking water supply. Race relations would be much better if the government had the immigration situation under control.

By: cheryl jones

cheryl jones — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:05:59 +0000

i have lived in my home town all my life.in the last 5 years i have seen a dramitic change in the way people relate to one another. there is a perticular area where i live that has been completely taken over by immigrants. not only have they totally claimed the area as their own but they have made it a no go area for the white population. i was walking in this area recently and walked past several groups of immigrant. both groups looked at me with disgust one group even refered to me as white trash even though all i was doing was walking past them. i feel that this is the reality of the present immigration system and the politically correc bregade. if i had responded to their comment of white trash with an equally racist remark i believe that i would have been put before the courts. i wonder how the present government would feel if they were faced with the same comments as they went about their daily lives

By: Colette

Colette — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:28:29 +0000

Immigration per se is not a problem but the way the Government has responded to it is. I’d like to think that we could welcome anyone who wishes to make Britain their home, provided they come here legally and are prepared to abide by the laws of the land. However, in an apparent attempt to avoid alienating or offending immigrants, many facets of the British way of life are being eroded. People tend to blame the immigrants themselves for this when really it is the Government that is responsible. In addition, they have made it too easy for immigrants to refuse to integrate by not learning the language, etc. (Incidentally I think this is equally reprehensible amonst British people who move abroad – e.g. to Spain or France in retirement.)

By: norman longworth

norman longworth — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:24:28 +0000

Today’s immigrants are tomorrows patriotic Brits – look back into history and see how much for example the Huguenots and more recently German immigrants fleeing from Hitler have contributed to our society. Look at how the vast influx of immigrants into the USA in the early 1900’s worked in America’s favour 2 and 3 generations later. They add energy, spice, new economic growth, diversity and a refreshing awareness of the enormous range of cultures, creeds and outlooks existing on this planet, a planet on which we must together find solutions to the rape of its resources and the effects of human ignorance and arrogance.
Solutions? Not Education, Education and Education but Learning, Learning and Learning. Not faith schools in which every faith is segregated from every other (see N Ireland) but community schools where children can learn and understand from each other in a curriculum that emphasises skills, civic responsibility and active citizenship. At the city level modern technology makes it possible for all parts of society to interact with others in other cities and regions of the world. Why not ‘cityrings’ in which say 6 cities from different continents in the developed world develop links between children, 3rd agers, workers etc and include one or two cities from the developing world, including places like Iraq, Afghanistan and China. Effective dialogue can break down many barriers especially when it is directed towards the solving of problems. It would need a couple of people in each city to drive it but the benefits could be cataclysmic. Of course there will still be the dinosaurs who can’t cope with diversity – but this is a process that will only happen over a couple of generations. Meanwhile the Daily Mail and others will still sell papers by fostering outrage and resentment.

By: elaine harrison

elaine harrison — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:37:08 +0000

i didn’t mean ‘immigration’=racism i meant those who see it as a problem are guilty of racism, and factually incorrect. i have read the above debate – and i am appalled at libellous myth about immigrants being prtrayed as ‘fact’ and terrorism being blamed on immigration/immigrants (many terrorists ar british) etc. can’t read anymore – shocked to see this on a jrf research website.

By: elaine harrison

elaine harrison — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:30:05 +0000

it is wrong to categorise ‘immigration’ and ‘responses to immigration’ together – they are polar opposites. for the former read racism

By: elaine harrison

elaine harrison — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:28:40 +0000

it is wrong to categorised ‘immigration’ and ‘responses to immigration together. they are polar opposites, and for the former read ‘racism’.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:21:36 +0000

This can all be simplified to a moralistic view. If you were to remove the boundrys that you learnt from geography then you will realise that people are people no matter where they’re from, and all deserve an equal chance in and at life. If you were to ignore the complaints from certain newspapers about immigrants “smothering our way of life” and “stealing our jobs” then you will see immigration as a morraly viable way of promoting global equality. Who are you to say what is yours?

Another interesting point about jobs is that if you were to think about it you realise that people who work harder for less money than you do deserve the jobs more than you do. It’s simply survival of the fittest.

And about somthering “OUR” way of life? We’ve had immigration for centuries. And a comparitive trickle to many other countries at that. Why is it such a major proble all of a sudden?

By: Annie Silver

Annie Silver — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:10:08 +0000

I do not think that immigration is a social evil. But I work with a group of people who are still fighting to have their needs recognised and met by the UK and Scottish Governments. The problem they have is one of communication – they cannot shout and be heard. I work in support of Deaf, Deafblind and Deafened people in Scotland. Deaf people are a community in their own right with their own language (BSL) and culture that is not recognised. There is no legislation that protects them. The authorities treat them as disabled in legislation, not as a linguistic minority, therefore only the DDA can be used to try and influence change. Whereas immigrants are seen to be in a linguistic minority and can “shout” about their lack of services etc, the deaf community cannot. When they “complain” that Eastern European migrants have more rights to services and information than they do, it is seen as racism. When the UK and Scottish Governemtns accept that sign language users are a linguistic minority and not disabled then things may change – but it may take a sledgehammer to break a nut – in the fact that Deaf sign language users are now in the process of attempting to change insitutional perspectives through the legislative route.
Immigration is not a bad thing. But PLEASE extend the same rights to information, education, and services to the deaf communiy before spending more money and resources on the immigrant population.