Opinions about Immigration into the UK?

Reply 20

SHallowvale

14

Original post by democracyforum

What about race ? Culture ? language ? social cohesion ?

Why is only the economy important ?

...what about race, culture, language and social cohesion?

Reply 21

Rakas21

21

Original post by theclicheblonde

It's been in the news alot lately, just wondered what other people's opinions are?

Provided immigrants desire work in the UK i fully support them in their quest for prosperity given that statistical data indicates that they not only have a higher employment rate as a whole (less old people) but they typically raise the birth rate and make a positive fiscal contribution.

With that being said however i do believe that our immigration system needs reform, namely that we should extend preferential labour agreements to other developed nations and within Europe we should push for an immigration cap until the per capita GDP of a nation passes $20k. In terms of preferential labour agreements i would push for a simplified visa process with people simply purchasing a 3 year work visa for £10k, after 3 years they would have to prove they were in education or work for a minimum of 2 years. At that point they would either be deported or granted permanent citizenship.

Reply 22

StrangestThings

10

This country can not cope with an influx of people. I agree that for now we should only allow skilled workers in while we get the country sorted. I also feel that by allowing so many people in we are losing our identity and culture because we try to be so politically correct. If people want to be in this country they should respect our cultural practices and traditions. By all means celebrate yours but not at our expense.

Reply 23

felamaslen

15

Original post by democracyforum

What about race ? Culture ? language ? social cohesion ?

Why is only the economy important ?

I've been confused about that too actually. I've often heard the same person be both pro-immigration and anti-free market! This seems like a contradiction in terms. I am pro-immigration because I am pro-freedom (although I am not pro-forced multiculturalism; I am pro-equal treatment and anti-coercion), but I am also pro-free market. I don't see how an anti-free marketeer (e.g. a socialist) could possibly raise economic benefits as an argument for immigration, it would be disingenuous for them to do so.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 24

tory88

18

I don't have a problem with immigration, I have a problem with the welfare state. When initially instituted, most benefits were only available to those who had paid national insurance. That's the system I would return to - unless you (or your parents) have paid national insurance, you cannot claim most benefits. That way, the costs of immigration would reduce drastically, and the advantages remain the same or similar, which can only be a good thing.

I think immigration is massively beneficial to the country, provided immigrants work.

Reply 25

Xtasyy

Original post by StrangestThings

This country can not cope with an influx of people. I agree that for now we should only allow skilled workers in while we get the country sorted. I also feel that by allowing so many people in we are losing our identity and culture because we try to be so politically correct. If people want to be in this country they should respect our cultural practices and traditions. By all means celebrate yours but not at our expense.

Currently this country cannot cope without an influx of people. Unskilled immigration is only a symptom of a combination of larger problems rather than being the problem itself. If unskilled immigration stops today, some new jobs would to some extent be filled by British youth but on the other side it is highly likely that illegal immigrants also benefit from this and hence their proportion would increase. Illegal immigrants are usually repressed by their employers and ignored by society. In this case, it will be harder to prevent or deal with any social or culture clash, we don't know how many there are, where they are from, where they live, what language they speak, what's in their mind... As long as there is an immigration cap between those legally coming in and those estimated leaving the country, the government cannot not be trusted with dealing with illegal immigrants. Companies are likely to close or move elsewhere if the increase in the cost of labour is not correlated with productivity or compensated with something else. You may feel attached to some British companies and consider them part of the British identity, or you may think that prosperity is part of/influences cultures and identities...
Overall unskilled migrants save more jobs than they take, they are just delaying a fall in our living standards, they are neither the problem nor the solution of the country's problems. Highly skilled migrants, however, tend to create jobs and should never be restricted to come. They could have been part of the solution but the government sees immigrants as numbers and has set a cap of non EU immigrants coming in. As it is inhumane and illegal to cut even further the number of asylum seekers and close family members (partner and kids if any) from coming here, those highly skilled already holding a job offer are the ones mostly affected by the cap. We also sent the wrong message to the EU countries, the hysteria we had about immigrants claiming benefits is actually an advert to those looking to claim it.

Reply 26

Skip_Snip

3

We have plenty of unskilled workers here as it is, so there's not much point bringing in more unskilled workers, or people who'll just go straight on to benefits; not to mention the limited space. A system like in Australia would be good.

Reply 27

lilymoran

16

Over the next years the babies born just after WW2 who made up the Baby Boom will be increasingly taking their pensions.

For years now it has been obvious that we need a lot more young people to work here to support them.

Michael Portillo said as much on Thursday night. Even Nigel Farage agrees that immigrants are an economic advantage to this country. ( Though he thinks we have to sacrifice this advantage and keep them out - not sure about that logic.)

It's not as if there are only so many jobs here in the UK and when they are filled that's that.

Each person who works here grows the economy and buys goods here and does jobs that need to be done.

The problem is getting the planning right. Organising the jobs, making sure there are enough school places, enough houses,, a minimum living wage to protect lower paid workers.

If we could find / borrow the money to throw at the bankers we can find/ borrow the money to invest for the future. Every businessman knows you have to borrow to invest for the future. The argument is where you get it from - mansion tax, increasing the staff who collect tax from the avoiders, making banks lend etc. etc.

What we should be doing is discussing all these things and getting a move on. If we think that impoverishing a huge number of people by cutting wages while the price of housing, utilities etc rise is the way forward, we're mad. That way people can't contribute properly, can't buy goods and services etc. The more frightened people are about their job security etc. the less they will spend. (Japan shows just what a downward spiral this can be.)

When his competitors asked Henry Ford why he was raising the wages in his factories he was very clear-' so that they can all buy my cars'.

Reply 28

Escalator100

Original post by theclicheblonde

It's been in the news alot lately, just wondered what other people's opinions are?

Despite years and years of delusional stories that anyone who notices the immigration or rapidly changing demographics has something wrong with them, most immigration has been a disaster because it turns parts of the country into other continents, causes huge amounts of conflict through multiculturalism, reduces labour wages, puts huge burdens on public services. If course there is good immigration but the hoarded that come through the tunnel are not good immigration.

People been saying like lemmings that immigration is always good. People almost seem afraid to question immigration. Why? We need to drop the romanticised notions of many countries and accept the reality.

Reply 29

Tom78

18

There's a **** load of useless British nationals here anyway why not let people who might provide positive change in.

Reply 30

Tom78

18

A breakdown of the entire subject of Politics for those who read the daily mail and/or vote for the right:

-Welfare system
-Migration

That is all

Reply 31

Rlove95

18

I think immigration has benefited this country a lot more than it has disadvantaged it.

Reply 32

Ravi Kumara

You rape our land so of course we are gonna come over to your tiny island init.

Reply 33

RF_PineMarten

18

My opinion on immigration is that it isn't a brilliant idea to allow an influx of even more people into this country when said country is already densely populated, overly urbanised and imports 40% of its food from abroad.

I also believe that it is extremely unhelpful for some supporters of uncontrolled immigration to play the "racism" card in the immigration debate, when very few proponents of tighter immigration controls consider race to be a significant or relevant factor. I've outlined my position above - notice how race does not come into it anywhere.

Reply 34

RF_PineMarten

18

Original post by pickup

Over the next years the babies born just after WW2 who made up the Baby Boom will be increasingly taking their pensions.

For years now it has been obvious that we need a lot more young people to work here to support them.

Michael Portillo said as much on Thursday night. Even Nigel Farage agrees that immigrants are an economic advantage to this country. ( Though he thinks we have to sacrifice this advantage and keep them out - not sure about that logic.)

So we bring younger people into this country to support an ageing population. Those people will age as well given time, then what do we do decades down the line? Bring more in? What about when they age as well? Surely that cannot be a sustainable cycle in the long term?

Farage does not want to "keep them out" at all, you're oversimplifying it. All he wants is for us to be able to control (not stop) immigration in the same way that pretty much every country in the world does. I cannot see how that is unreasonable.

Reply 35

KICHMYARSE

12

Everyone is welcome given they meet at least one of following conditions.

1. they have a job that pays more than 14k (before t)
2. they are a full-time student at a recognized institution.
3. they have seed money to start business.

and all applicants must maintain the minimum bank balance at all times.

This is to prevent them from committing crime or engaging in illegal activities.

So basically, I think the present system is more or less fine. The number is coming down.

The EU immigration is a different issue as they are completely undocumented.

Reply 36

lilymoran

16

Original post by RFowler

So we bring younger people into this country to support an ageing population. Those people will age as well given time, then what do we do decades down the line? Bring more in? What about when they age as well? Surely that cannot be a sustainable cycle in the long term?

Farage does not want to "keep them out" at all, you're oversimplifying it. All he wants is for us to be able to control (not stop) immigration in the same way that pretty much every country in the world does. I cannot see how that is unreasonable.

I think the system has always been that the young 'support ' the old. The post war generation though was particularly big. Of course the GDP is a lot larger than it was decades ago too.

However we cannot manage without immigration. It's not as if there are only so many jobs here and when they're full that's it. Each person that works here whether it be in manufacturing, services, etc. generates wealth, pays taxes etc. creates more jobs.

The problem is not immigration at all but a lack of political will to invest our money in the right places , to create jobs, build houses, schools etc -- ie planning. Is it because the Government is stupid or is it because they don't think it's the role of Government to intervene? In other words they want a smaller state and, incidentally, lots of unemployment will have the bonus of their friends being able to depress wages and get bigger profits.

Unfortunately the plan isn't working on their own terms. The national debt has grown hugely. It's only the deficit which is slightly lower, but we don't mention the debt anymore because it's so big when it should have gone down.

If we can throw money at schools so that the company directors can cream off thousands we can spend that money on state schools instead. If we can spend money giving banks billions , we can choose to use it elsewhere instead. If we can borrow money to give to banks, we can borrow money to invest for the future. Isn't that what all business do? Isn't that what everyone who takes out a mortgage does - borrow to have a better future?

Reply 37

Carol R. Lawson

13

Original post by theclicheblonde

It's been in the news alot lately, just wondered what other people's opinions are?

(My view) INCREASE immigration and Multiculturalism in uk!
It aLways seems like older people resist it but a strong economy needs lots of immigration to support it, so they should encourage more people to live here from other countries but build more houses to occcupy everyone.
Maybe new towns and cities are needed so there's a better supply of housing, shops, roads etc to attract more immigration!?
Its wrong to exploit people though, like with low wages so the Government must always make sure its fair for everyone who comes to the uk and they don't just stay then leave!

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 38

Monkey.Man

Original post by Carol R. Lawson

INCREASE immigration and Multiculturalism in uk!
It aLways seems like older people resist it but a strong economy needs lots of immigration to support it, so they should encourage more people to live here from other countries and build more houses to occupy everyone.
Maybe new towns and cities are needed so there's a better supply of housing, shops etc to attract more immigration!?

there are more ways to strengthen an economy than by overpopulating the country, aren't there? what if we lowered taxes? what if we made free trade agreements with other countries? what if we ended foreign import tariffs? we could turn this country into a land of concrete and get rid of our environment, sure, but why would you prefer the former?