If you are against immigration, what do you think about net contributing immigrants?

[IceLollyMolly]

I don't have the nerve to post in AIBU! I am a recent immigrant- I don't even have my ILR yet- and came in on a skilled worker visa in 2020, as did my DH. Both of us are high earners and pay a lot of tax. Both of us fill positions that were first advertised to British people, but could not be filled.

Lately, of course, there has been a lot of press about high immigration and how it should be curbed. There seems to be a simmering resentment against all immigrants, spearheaded ironically by Tory immigrants.

So far, I have not taken anything from the state and am unlikely to. I have private health care, and am pretty healthy anyway, so rarely use it. I have not given birth here or used state schools. If I ever had to go on benefits, I would likely return to my home country where I had a good standard of life, just not the international workplace I have here.

I am aware that the country needs both high earners and low earners- I am not saying I am more important than a care worker- but I sometimes get tired of the narrative that all immigrants are low paid unskilled workers taking jobs from British people, and a drain on the system. I am by no means the only one in this position. I work for a company that recruits globally. But many are now going to the US or Canada as they think they will be more welcome there.

I think that by paying high taxes, my colleagues and I are giving back more than we take. We are of course not eligible for benefits until we get our ILRs. Am I wrong? I also think the British economy should encourage high earning immigrants and global talent by making immigration easier and cheaper. My ILR next year will cost £2885 per person and may take 6 months! I think that is rather unfair. Prepared to be told I am being unreasonable even though this is not in AIBU.😊

For me it's the numbers. It's far too many and there is problems with enough housing and environmental concerns

Agree about the illegal aspect

Fucking appalling example. Seriously sort yourself out.

Actually I do mind the low paid ones, especially with our system already under the pressure it is.

If they are low paid, or have dependants, then they are a net drain on the system that we can ill afford. Some of the figures re: how many are on benefits and in social housing, when people whose families have paid into the system for generations can't access them, are shocking.

Yes this as well

@JRSKSSBH I totally agree with you and am also regularly astounded by people’s inability to see long-term, unintended consequences of things.

A Labour MP stood up in parliament this week and essentially called for the introduction of a blasphemy law. The fact the Keir Starmer didn’t immediately shut that down was equally horrifying.

Personally I think that exchange should fill everyone with horror. But it is a completely predictable consequence of the country’s shifting demographic, and ever increasing numbers of people with competing cultural values. Bleak indeed.

Sadly non-white people are often told we’re not actually human, so the example isn’t a surprise sadly.

Why is it a problem for Irish people to want Ireland to be actually Irish?

Please be specific with your issues here. It seems a reasonable request to me.

A lot of people like to say Britain was built by immigrants (a malignant lie imho) but you cannot say the same about Ireland, they don’t owe anything to anyone other group of people.

I worry a lot about a growing number of future voters who do not share British values and what this will mean for my daughters. I don't believe it is racist to ask questions about what it means for women in the UK, to have immigrants settle here from countries with cultures that are inherently misogynistic and dangerous for women and girls, and allowing them to vote and elect representatives to shape our country.

I think there are probably ways to mitigate the effects of the economic impact of immigration, and some of that impact is positive, but I don't see a real solution to the issue of integrating cultures in a way that is safe for British people - particularly women and girls - and does not diminish British culture.

For me it is nothing to do with money - that is what Governments do not understand. We have 18m more people in the UK than when I was born (obviously a lot of that is of course just population rising of course from those already here too and I have children so am partly responsible for that). Too many people.

I would rather we were much worse off and had very few NHS and care home staff than have so many here.

That is so offensive and ignorant. Signed, a martian

People keep saying that they are offended but they never say why …