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AIBU?

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Original poster

to wonder how the country will cope with hundreds of thousands more people each year?

332 replies

evilcherub · 19/04/2016 09:34

If the UK is going to continue to have immigration of hundreds of thousands every year (which is more likely if we don't leave the EU) and the Tories apparently having no real interest in building more genuinely affordable homes (because lower house prices do not bring in votes for the Tories), then where are the millions of extra people and families going to live (when there is already a massive housing crisis and homelessness is going through the roof)? Also, what about all the extra schools needed, the extra hospitals (when at the moment they cannot cope and the Tories want to privatise them anyway), the jobs etc? Unless you are well off/bought your home years ago and have a well-established, well paying job, then immigration means extreme and expensive competition for housing, school places, healthcare, jobs etc. I just don't see it ending well.

OP posts:
StepintotheLightleave · 20/04/2016 15:09

Eu has larger arsenal that can be used agaisnt us - as Blair - showed.

eyebrowse · 20/04/2016 15:24

Imagine a scenario where England (and Wales) have no new business investment coming from abroad, farmers are unable to sell their products abroad, international relationship are dominated by China, Russia and the middle East, climate change is not being addressed so we have a lot of immigration as people sail into our coastline because where they live is no longer habitable, all schooling and health care is privatised, there are no benefits for unemployed people...

That won't end well either

NoItsAVegetable · 20/04/2016 15:25

StepintotheLightleave

As I said above, I don't understand the "us " and "them" mentality.

MartinaJ · 20/04/2016 16:07

It's a bit rich to bash the English who emigrate abroad for not integrating and learning the language when simultaneously insisting that immigrants into the UK should be allowed to retain their culture, language and separate identity under the ethos of multi culturalism.

I speak English and three other European languages fluently. While I respect the culture of my country and certainly don't live in a silo, I retained the culture, language and identity associated with my native country and see no contradiction in it. In my mind, it enriches me more than it makes me feel isolated. My husband comes from another country and our daughter was born again, in a third country where we live. She feels first and outmost a citizen of the country she was born and is growing up in, while retaining the cultural heritage and languages of her mother and father.

MartinaJ · 20/04/2016 16:08

my country - as in the country I live in now. It's my home.

HildaOgdensMuriel · 20/04/2016 16:09

I feel the same way about the USA and its citizens Noits - sadly the US government doesn't see it my way.

AugustaFinkNottle · 20/04/2016 16:27

I really don't know why people have this fantasy that if we leave the EU immigration will stop. We will still have obligations to the Commonwealth, and we will still be signed up to the Human Rights Convention and will still have an asylum system. We will also be desperate to bring immigrants in to keep the NHS and various other essential services and industries going.

Anyone who is thinking of voting in favour of leaving for this reason is going to have an ugly shock if we do leave when whichever government is in power fails to wave the magic wand they are expecting.

StepintotheLightleave · 20/04/2016 16:30

I really don't know why people have this fantasy that if we leave the EU immigration will stop

Its a fantasy many people share who are far more knowledgeable than I.

Pre Blair, immigration in spite of all those thing you mention Augusta, was never such the burning issue it is today.

StepintotheLightleave · 20/04/2016 16:31

We will also be desperate to bring immigrants in to keep the NHS and various other essential services and industries going.

3 million people are predicted to come to the UK from the EU in the next few years.

We will certainly have less need for NHS staff, if it has three million less service users.

OnlyLovers · 20/04/2016 16:33

Yes, Augusta. I don't get that either.

Limer · 20/04/2016 16:41

Augusta I don't want immigration to stop. But I do want to control it. Bring in the workforce with the qualifications the country needs. Current EU regulations mean anyone and everyone can move here from the EU. That's what I want to stop.

BreakingDad77 · 20/04/2016 17:33

Augusta I don't want immigration to stop. But I do want to control it. Bring in the workforce with the qualifications the country needs. Current EU regulations mean anyone and everyone can move here from the EU. That's what I want to stop

current EU -Dublin agreement means non eu must register at first point of entry. If we leave, europe can just let them all run through their countries to legitimately pile up in northern france. So non EU migration could go up.

Limer · 20/04/2016 18:09

BreakingDad77 - Do you mean non-EU refugees?

There are already legitimate ways for genuine refugees to come here.

Same as now, non-EU economic migrants coming here by whatever means would be illegal, so wouldn't be able to work legally or make demands on the state, and would be deported if/when caught.

Myosotisbleu · 20/04/2016 21:13

Pre Blair, immigration in spite of all those thing you mention Augusta, was never such the burning issue it is today.

Pre Blair, Britain hadn't had yet this strange idea to follow lousy Bush on his crazy crusade against the "Axe of Evil", a move which lead to the turmoil in Middle East we pay the dreadful consequences today.

Immigration becoming a burning issue is indeed mainly due to the afflux of Middle East refugees Europe struggle to cope with, and not so much because of the opening of Borders to EU citizens.

Itinerary · 20/04/2016 21:33

I don't think anyone has said immigration would stop, just that the decisions about it would be made in Britain not Brussels.

AppleSetsSail · 20/04/2016 21:36

^^But no one here is arguing against asylum seekers. As far as I can tell, we accept this as citizens of a country that has destablised the middle-east.

AppleSetsSail · 20/04/2016 21:38

And Blair should be dragged into the Hague and tried for war crimes. The fact that he lives and breathes fresh air is an insult to us all.

Myosotisbleu · 20/04/2016 23:10

I don't think anyone has said immigration would stop, just that the decisions about it would be made in Britain not Brussels.

But the decisions are still mainly taken from countries as nations, not imposed by E.U as some politicians pretend to. Otherwise, Britain would have been forced to welcome more refugees for ages and France wouldn't be bombing Syria. Truth is every european country is trying very hard to do as it suits them in a strategic Union.

I see so the EU is a tool any government of the UK can use against its own people. Even more reason to remove the stick.

It's not so much about EU being a tool than how dishonest politicians twist the truth about the Union. Benefiting from an institued system while criticising it to hide your own failures is no evidence of the wrongness of this system but only of your bad faith.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2016 14:13

Seriously, do you honestly think a Tory government would have refused to follow America into Iraq? That is nonsense. The Toried have always been far more war mongering and very much America's poodle.

BreakingDad77 · 21/04/2016 14:17

Yes i am talking about non-eu but many brexiters are muddling it all up in there 'securing our borders' spiel.

EU people coming to the UK shouldn't be a problem if NHS admin are chasing payments from their respective governments, why is this so hard so sort out!!! This should be a non issue.

AppleSetsSail · 21/04/2016 14:31

Seriously, do you honestly think a Tory government would have refused to follow America into Iraq? That is nonsense. The Toried have always been far more war mongering and very much America's poodle.

Is that directed at me? Does this even matter? I hold Tony Blair to account.

Myosotisbleu · 21/04/2016 14:33

Seriously, do you honestly think a Tory government would have refused to follow America into Iraq? That is nonsense. The Toried have always been far more war mongering and very much America's poodle.

Yes, obviously Tinckly. Same thing in France where Sarkozy "l'Américain" would have happily jumped in the bandwagon would he has been in charge.
Was only pointing that the immigration crisis that we now experience is mainly due to us mingling in Middle East, and not to EU citizens freedom of movement.

Myosotisbleu · 21/04/2016 14:43

*Yes i am talking about non-eu but many brexiters are muddling it all up in there 'securing our borders' spiel.

EU people coming to the UK shouldn't be a problem if NHS admin are chasing payments from their respective governments, why is this so hard so sort out!!! This should be a non issue.*

Exactly my point about politicians being dishonest. They make a mish-mash involving refugees, terrorists and EU citizens with gross scaremonging pre-Referendum tactics.

No offense, but regarding the NHS, Inthink the whole system should be modernised to prevent people from abusing it. Maybe it's because I'm used to all the hassle of the French administration, but Inwas gobsmacked when I registered to the GP here that nobody has asked me about a valuable proof of contributing to the Health system such ascpayslip, etc...

Limer · 21/04/2016 23:20

EU people coming to the UK shouldn't be a problem if NHS admin are chasing payments from their respective governments, why is this so hard so sort out!!! This should be a non issue.

Which "admin" will chase payments for the cost of their education and the state benefits they'll receive? Which "admin" will chase payments to cover the cost of building all the housing and infrastructure they'll need? Can we also get this magical "admin" department to conjure up some replacement EU green belt land to compensate for all ours that's disappearing for ever under new developments?

Myosotisbleu · 22/04/2016 00:12

Which "admin" will chase payments for the cost of their education and the state benefits they'll receive? Which "admin" will chase payments to cover the cost of building all the housing and infrastructure they'll need? Can we also get this magical "admin" department to conjure up some replacement EU green belt land to compensate for all ours that's disappearing for ever under new developments?

Cannot help wondering who the hell is going to work in hostels, restaurants or as nurses, carers or cleaning staff if EU citizens are to be sent back home? For I have hardly met any young Britons doing so.