More Immigrants Coming From Outside EU.

According to a 2006 article featured on the 'Migration Watch' website, authored by its then chairman, Andrew Green, the fact of many migrants coming from Europe to settle here is not the problem. In his words, it is migration from outside of Europe that is the problem.

After the UK, as a member of the European Union, flung its doors open to accept people from Europe in 2004, there was a surge of people coming to our shores. Europeans came looking for a better life and jobs and most of them were Eastern Europeans.

The UK as a member of the European Union, had to accept the free flow of people across the continent, just as all other EU members have to do. Of course, there have been many Brits going the other way into mainland Europe. The presence of Poles in our communities, as well as from other parts of Europe, has met with mixed feelings, amongst Native Brits. The usual tirade came that foreigners were stealing our jobs or they were here to claim benefits. In fact, it has been shown that Poles and other Europeans, hardly ever access our welfare system and in the main are hard workers. Domestic jobs, factory jobs, NHS jobs, farming jobs, retail, hospitality etc all have their fair share of European workers. Native Brits may moan, however, it is the same old story that Brits may complain about these people, but it is rank hypocrisy in many cases. Rank hypocrisy, because many Brits, will not do the jobs that these people do, so therefore, there is a need for these immigrants.

With the UK, voting to leave the EU back in 2016, it seems the flow of migrants coming from Europe has slowed. Many of them living here often feel they are not wanted, so, therefore, many have returned. There have been racist attacks on Polish people, probably drummed up by the likes of Nigel Farage and UKIP. That said, many Europeans, now living here, have put down roots, they work here, their children have been born here, some having married, Native Brits. They are determined to soldier on and make a life here, despite all that has befallen them since being in the UK. Poles now constitute one of the biggest foreign populations in the UK now, with Polish being widely spoken. With all the shenanigans going on over the EU now (today being 29 March, we were supposed to be leaving) and despite assurances from the government, many UK based Europeans, feel their resident status here, is uncertain, and, who can blame them. It is likely, that many Brits who have settled in the EU, probably have the same fears.

There are more people coming here from outside the EU. Their origins are mainly from Commonwealth countries, like India, Pakistan, African nations etc. Before free movement of people from Europe began, people from the British Commonwealth have been arriving here in their droves for decades. This will continue whether we are in or out of the EU in the present and future. Like the EU residents of the UK now, many came for jobs, Native Brits did not want to do and the same thing of stealing jobs was said about them. Andrew Green, was correct, to highlight that there are more immigrants here from outside of Europe than are arriving from Europe.

Wherever immigrants come from, some Native Brits do not mind them, others, on the other hand, feel the opposite. These worries are brought about by high numbers of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis for example, creating ghettos, having little contact with Native Brits. In certain areas of the UK, immigrants and their descendants, notably Pakistani communities, outnumber the native population. While the UK, in general, remains a majority white European nation, in some areas now, particularly in the inner cities, these areas no longer look British. While there are in the main good relations between Native and foreign UK communities, there is also tension and how this will bode for the future, remains to be seen.

It would seem in this politically correct society we now exist in, the debate on immigration, has only focussed on migrants, from Europe. The BBC and other media outlets, mostly report on the effect of European immigrants on our country. Many times, the fact there is more immigration into the UK from non-European nations is mentioned, but it seems, never debated.

It seems if a debate were to be held on the subject of non-EU immigration into the UK, it would be shut down and labelled racist. Just because in the main, many non-EU immigrants like Carribean people, Asian people, etc are non-white and also in many cases non-Christian. Obviously, it easy to see why debates like this could be seen as derogatory, however, if there can be debates on EU immigrants there should still be a debate on non-European immigrants

We have got so used to being told we live in a multicultural society and we should celebrate the diverse UK. That's all well and good, what about if you don't want a diverse Britain? People of this view, are not necessarily racist, they are just showing concern that Britain (as they see it) is not Britain, any more. However, anyone holding this view is labelled a racist, an Islamophobe, a Nazi etc. People of this view are shut out of any debate, and if they do appear on debate programmes about immigration, they are deliberately outnumbered by people holding the opposite view and shouted down.

Allowing some opinions and shutting out others, does not make a healthy society.