What was the reasoning behind post-1970s immigration into the UK?

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So I know it's ridiculous to think so now, but the UK actually used to be a country people wanted to live in!

Really? The origin country of my parents has in excess of 200 million citizens and an unemployment rate exceeding 35%. Why didn't all 200 million foreigners emigrate over to the UK like my parents did?

Reply 21

Drewski

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

Not everybody has the ability to. Not everybody wants to leave their home country. Not everybody wants to leave their families behind. Not everybody is comfortable learning a new language.

Clearly at least 60-odd% were employed, why would they want to leave their jobs?

It's not rocket science...

Reply 22

Bang Outta Order

Original post by Arthur_Morgan

In these parts, I'm an outlaw, and I have a bounty on ma head. You better keep quiet bout this or imma have to shoot ya.

....josh....shut up!? :nah:

Reply 23

the bear

in 1966 things had not really kicked off....

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/50207000/jpg/_50207137_000085182-1.jpg

Reply 24

Bang Outta Order

Erm...war and that like. 👍

Reply 25

User135792468

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

"Economic migrants"?

Wouldn't they have had to had been skilled?

Or did they just waltz into the country, pregnant on the plane and then had kids on British soil which led to a fast track to citizenship?

You don’t need to be skilled to be an economic migrant. There was a labour shortage and the British Nationality Act allowed the demand to be met

Reply 26

EtonWorldDoppler

Original post by User135792468

You don’t need to be skilled to be an economic migrant. There was a labour shortage and the British Nationality Act allowed the demand to be met

A "labour shortage"?

How ridiculous. Why couldn't that have been sorted internally?

The UK really is a ridiculous country.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 27

JoshDarnIt_

Original post by Bang Outta Order

....josh....shut up!? :nah:

Nay feller

Reply 28

User135792468

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

A "labour shortage"?

How ridiculous. Why couldn't that have been sorted internally?

The UK really is a ridiculous country.

Use your common sense.

The British Nationality Act was in place from 1948 to 1970, *tut* *tut* which global event ended in 1945? WW2 Sherlock! Thousands of men had died, even during the war labour shortages were attempted to be solved by using women hence why percentage of women in workforce increased rapidly. However women were not enough and the increasing female participation in industry meant birth rates declined therefore the British Nationality Act was introduced allowing people from the Commonwealth nations to migrate to the UK which includes many Afro-Caribbean people who are now threatened to be deported by UK government (Windrush scandal). These people filled labour shortages and remained helping to form the modern British culture, stuff like chicken tikka masala does not exist in the Indian subcontinent instead it is an entirely British dish that it merely Indian-inspired.

“sorted internally”
If you don’t have the people then you cannot magically power the industry. Why do you think so many nations are trying to increase their birth rates? With incentives for mothers while other governments allow immigration which solves the demographic problem as many migrants are from less-developed countries so are more likely to have higher birth rates.

Please don’t suggest the UK to sort its demographic problem out internally, because you sound very naive. If countries could they would sort it out internally but as you can see they can’t.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 29

NJA

One reason was that white people didn't want to do certain jobs - transport and amenities.

Photos in today's Telegraph: London 1970
Hardly a person of colour to be seen, this is partly because of the chosen locations

Post 2000, following EU accession, more than 1 million people migrated from Eastern Europe to the UK (source)
For economic reasons - better job prospects.

Reply 30

BlueIndigoViolet

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

A "labour shortage"?

How ridiculous. Why couldn't that have been sorted internally?

The UK really is a ridiculous country.

Internally? How - forced pregnancy farms with a 20 year delay before any benefit?? for jobs the population did not want to do though shortages persisted?

Gammon in the making (GIM)

Reply 31

BlueIndigoViolet

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

A "labour shortage"?

How ridiculous. Why couldn't that have been sorted internally?

The UK really is a ridiculous country.

The mechanism by which your parents who were economic migrants entered the UK who otherwise could not have and you would not be in this country, is ridiculous? 🤔

How much self hate is needed for this level of xenophobic reasoning?

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 32

thatcollegegirl

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

What as the reasoning behind "recent" immigration into the UK? Was it really needed and why was it allowed?

Or was it just an engineered invasion?

(FYI, this post is coming from the son of former non-EU/no-EEA/non-European immigrants who was born in the 90s in London, not a "racist far-right" person)

A sceptic, and my father and grandmother, would say it was down to Blair wanting to secure himself more power. The way they explained it made sense just the truth is likely to be different but possibly similar...if the Labour government bring them in and give them all these things like houses, education and NHS...who are they going to thank and vote for next time? This is all while the British are sidelined and being a straight white Male is an awful thing despite it not being a choice. You don't chose to be straight (or gay) and you don't chose to be white (or black) and you don't chose to be Male (or female). They're protected characteristics, yet are always attacked by the new left. The further integration with Europe and further immigration was bound to see Britain's culture watered down. Not saying all immigration is bad but those who don't integrate just create a breeding ground for hostility.

By the way, I'm a 17 year old A Level Politics and History student. No immature remarks. If you disagree, disagree like an adult.

Reply 33

williamho

the word 'IF' has such a imaginary world

So you think many legal European immigrants wants to come to the UK and work in the UK ?
they have to up root their lives, leaves family behind, friends etc.

why don't we turn this around ?

for an example, would you like to immigrant to Germany ? lets say you have a well pay offer to work in Germany. but you need to buy your own house, cars etc.
there are many sacrifices to be made. losing touch with your love ones etc all for a job.

Reply 34

Franchet

I think that the British industries pushed for more immigration as immigrants were cheaper workers than the locals. So it was a way to make more profit for the upper-upper-upper class. Funny to see how leftist people pretending to defend the working class defend this social dumping.

Reply 35

Spad

Immigration in the 70s actually was a on a downwards trend. Emigration was higher resulting in a net-negative figure.

We saw increasing CommonWealth restrictions on immigration with the introduction of permits in 71. We did have events such as unrest in Kenya and Uganda however these relitavely were not in huge numbers. Along with civil war in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

A lot of people actually emigrated because of the "Ten Pound Poms". Over a million actually took the plunge and relocated over there.

A lot of economic problems throughout the 70s helped fuel lower immigration and higher emmigration.

Of course into the 80s and beyond with the ever-increasing remit of the European Union and the end of the Cold War it naturally meant countries were closer together and freedom of movement was easier. That's when the trend started to go upwards.

Reply 36

EtonWorldDoppler

Original post by thatcollegegirl

I initially thought this as well, except I was born when there was a Conservative government in power and a Conservative majority in the Commons (and the Lords, I think), so...

Reply 37

Oshmit

Original post by EtonWorldDoppler

Your third statement may be true, depending on whether they immigrated before 1971. Before 1971, you could literally waltz into the country as a commonwealth citizen. It was powell and the NF who were instrumental in passing the Immigration Act 1971, which stopped unlimited commonwealth immigration.

Reply 38

Oshmit

Original post by thatcollegegirl

In my opinion it depends on the kind of country you want to live in which will influence your views on immigration. I really don't know what kind of country your relatives would like to live in, but consider that even with all these immigrants arriving, Labour lost in 2010. And wouldn't all these immigrants take many years to get the vote (if they ever even thought of voting), by which time the Blair government would be a distant memory and Brexit would be on the horizon. I know I'm poking shallow holes in the logic but I seriously don't think the Blair government was thinking of welcoming these immigrants when they pushed to add the former USSR countries into the EU.

Personally I think open borders is a matter of philanthropy. Wouldn't you like to donate to those who have less than you do? I believe that the easiest way to show charity is to share your life with those less privileged.. by welcoming them with open arms.