Why is there so much more anti immigration sentiment NOW?

Probably not helped by Muslim rape-gangs

It’s because the government has fucked the economy and now we are all poor and blame it on not enough to go round.

It's probably partly because all of the major political parties are talking about clamping down on immigration, and using immigration as a distraction from the fact that our public services are fucked - which everyone has noticed but actually has nothing to do with immigration.

Also massive dickheads like Elon Musk stirring up intolerance again so everyone looks the other way while rich get richer at the expense of ordinary people. They want us to blame each other rather than look to the real reason our country is in the shit.

Perhaps because when illegal immigrants are treated like precious children the many people who have had to put in the effort to immigrate legally are treated with suspicion.

Btw, regarding the thread title, ‘Why NOW?’

Concerns about the increasing population have always been there, always since Blair opened the floodgates. Here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4359756.stm - 2005

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6961675/David-Cameron-net-immigration-will-be-capped-at-tens-of-thousands.html - 2010

https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/reports/britains-70-million-debate/ - 2012

https://theconversation.com/the-huge-political-cost-of-blairs-decision-to-allow-eastern-european-migrants-unfettered-access-to-britain-66077 2016

And there was that small matter of Brexit.

It’s just that politicians lied, reneged, lied some more, poured out propaganda and forced political correctness down our throats, and the rich middle classes benefitted from low labour costs and high rents from their tenants so joined in.

Pretending that this is a new issue is just yet more gaslighting in that time-dishonoured tradition of perfidy, aggression and betrayal of the British working people.

Yes maybe some people who came over in the 60s & 70s see themselves as the 'right' sort of immigrant? I believe Kemi Badenoch was born here but grew up in Nigeria & she is saying others don't have the same rights as she does. So that seems a bit ridiculous that she wants to stop others from doing what her family did 🤷🏻‍♀️

Back when we were pretty much open for EU migrants I knew a number of women from Poland/CR who were disgusted that others from their country were coming. There was very much a superior 'I got here first so must be better' and 'I'm alright Jack' attitude. They also didn't like more of 'their own' children to compete with theirs in school, I assume it was a case of wanting to better themselves to the detriment of their counterparts.

Most of the posts on this thread are sensible.
Isn't it 1 in 6 people in the uk aren't uk born, and that it'll move to 1 in 5, then 1 in 4, quickly if predictions are correct. It all comes down to money, most things do, if a person can't get a school place, a doctors or dentists appointment etc, their frustration may be directed at immigration.

The religions and cultures of many countries have positively medieval attitudes to women and that’s the issue. It’s a complete culture clash

The bigots often don't even know what religion or culture people come from, they just see Black/brown = Muslim, ergo rapist/paedophile/groomer/council house 'stealer'. They might be doctors, surgeons, engineers who have been born and raised in the UK, but on the merit of their skin colour alone they are "illegals". It's an embarrassing time to be on facebook at the moment.

@CharSiu - that is literally a different country you are describing. And a very small minority of people of that country. The 1960s were over 60s years ago. The Commonwealth is not a cultural touchstone, and most of our current migration comes from Commonwealth countries now.

The idea that there is much in common aside from a colonial past is now throughly ridiculous. This is not white guilt but reality. Today's migrants do not come to the UK thinking about Britain like that, and the ones that did, who were a product of old empire attitudes are now a very small minority.

The idea Kemi Badenoch loves this country more than anyone else is absurd. Who is she to say what counts? She sounds more like an American when she says she will die for this country.

Many older immigrants had grown up in commonwealth countries like my family. My Father loved everything British, even had a tweed jacket and tried to be like an English gentleman. The religions and cultures of many countries have positively medieval attitudes to women and that’s the issue. It’s a complete culture clash.

@converseandjeans Kemi Badenoc is from an ex commonwealth country, probably loves England more than some English people, too many are riddled with white guilt which is the issue here. I’m totally against open borders and would have a points system like Australia, plus no legal documents or a criminal record or you commit a crime, you are out.

Did not read the whole thread @GreyWasp but in my opinion there's a difference between illegal migrants and legal migrants.

And some people are often mixing the two. That is a problem.

I have paid loads of visa fees , surcharge , and taxes to stay in the country. I CANNOT be placed on a comparison with a person who crossed the channel on a boat.

There are several like me. There are several of the other category. Mixing them and seeing both in same light is wrong.

Always make me laugh when people who are pro open borders are horrified when decedents of immigrants aren’t. “How dare these people have an opinion that isn’t the same as mine”.

@BlueSilverCats

Yes maybe some people who came over in the 60s & 70s see themselves as the 'right' sort of immigrant? I believe Kemi Badenoch was born here but grew up in Nigeria & she is saying others don't have the same rights as she does. So that seems a bit ridiculous that she wants to stop others from doing what her family did 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's mostly a self preservation thing. The racist/xenophobic idiots don't really care about papers or bother to ask any questions. They just hurl(or worse ) their abuse. It's easier (and sometimes a sing of "assimilation ") to hate on the "wrong" kind of immigrant and distance yourself from them. Sometimes it's essential for their safety. The media encourages the division too.

@bombastix

Really? What does that actually mean?

Well I was replying to @CharSiu who is saying white people are less bothered/upset than people who are from families who came over as immigrants. I was surprised as I would have assumed they would be more sympathetic.

I guess years ago Great Britain was considered to be a place worth going to. I don't know that this is the case nowadays.

Really? What does that actually mean?

The top three countries by absolute numbers entering the UK are all Commonwealth countries. That is since Brexit when migration has suddenly become much greater.

I think people are kidding themselves to imagine that there is some sort of residual British ideal that migrates over. Maybe in the 1950s when Britain still had an empire. Now? No way. And even then, you might be discussing a tiny minority of such countries where people were educated with some of those ideas, people who must now be retired.

Because they're the current targets of the "2 minute hate"

@CharSiu

My Dad arrived as a documented immigrant from a commonwealth country so had some British ideals

I think those who came over legally from Commonwealth countries do seem to dislike people arriving with no papers. I guess Commonwealth countries have some shared values.

Well, there is a shift. Btw I agree with this, if it actually means British doctors get hired. What does "boost" mean. What is the point of training them otherwise? From the Telegraph;

Streeting: NHS is too keen to hire migrant doctors
Health Secretary pledges to boost ‘home-grown talent’ as data show medics trained overseas are coming to UK in record numbers

@converseandjeans my local hotel is a migrant hotel, No locals don’t like it and that includes my non white face and that of the neighbours I know who are also not white. The white ones seem the least bothered. Two reasons I feel, white guilt which I think needs sorting out as it’s one of the main reasons there are issues. Also settled migrants liking the way the UK is. My Dad arrived as a documented immigrant from a commonwealth country so had some British ideals not the medieval thinking that dominates some of these countries, especially their attitudes to women.

Thank you for your considered feedback. It seems like you have a fair amount of emotion under there and I appreciate you putting so much energy into my post.

I didn't compare the two, you aren't reading what i actually said.

The fact is throughout history there has been anti "other" rhetoric, this is not new and ranges from low level "they're taking our jobs" to using rhetoric to justify horrific acts. It's not neither/or.

I simply point out that anti immigrant rhetoric (aka. othering) can lead to atrocities and we should never assume that relatively innocuous sentiments can't lead to terrible events. Anyone who wants to ignore that is, in my view, naive at best and actively minimising those events at worst.

It was not one man's lunatic fantasies, the people were complicit in his actions and that was based on "othering" people. This isn't controversial. In fact, basic knowledge of that time - that one gets in secondary education - makes that clear. It does not take much effort to read about this.

I am also intrigued as to your assumption about my own background including my ancestors of that era.

It'd be helpful for you to reflect on what meaning you placed on my wording, as I was very specific in what I wrote. I suspect you won't because in the bad guy in this exchange but what can I do :)

W blessing.

So even the dead 'immigrants' are upsetting the locals.

It's very closely related to the area where you live IMO. Here (rural SW), the population is 97% white and predominantly Methodist. PoC are the minority, but a 10 acre piece of agricultural land has been bought as a Muslim cemetery to serve an area west of Gloucester, which is 150 miles away. Locally, it is not popular.

But you’re one of the highly educated ones who sees through it all, right? 🤔

I would challenge the idea that RW press dominates this country, especially when one considers that MSM itself is dominated by the tv and related internet sites. The BBC, for instance, is markedly left wing, and as the national media outlet it continues to dominate.

Do you make a habit of questioning the education levels of anyone who disagrees with you? There are extremely erudite individuals who question the effects immigration has on society, Wes Streeting has started questioning the “white privilege” narrative, it is becoming increasingly accepted that certain cultures clash with accepted British values.

Anyone who can apply critical thinking realises that the level of net migration is not sustainable and is affecting the quality of life here.

What does show a lack of intellect is the inability to form a coherent argument against any of the above points and resorting to trying to shut down debate by using one of the magical words, in this case “racism”. However, magic only works if all parties believe in it. Luckily words being used to shut down debate are becoming impotent as more people move into reality. Unfortunately, due to the misuse of words like racism, the power of these words no longer exists where it is important and accurate to use them. It’s essentially a case of “The boy who cried wolf”