Do you really want us to leave...

[guest2013]

I'm European.
Last night I stupidly allowed myself to rise to someone telling me to go back to where I came from.. it ended up with about 6 people arguing with me and they were adamant that foreigners are to blame for the country's problems.
It's absolutely shook me to my core.. I feel very strange today, I've never, in my 8 years here had any negative comments. Lucky I suppose.
Are people who think this way unreasonable? Are there any exceptions where immigrants are a negative thing?
Do any of you think this way?
I'm not looking to carry on arguing but this is a safe way to discuss and I would respect your opinion.
Thanks

No, not at all. Most of the best friends I've made in adult life have come over here from the EU. I feel absolutely awful about the whole Brexit thing.

Please don't feel unwanted - the only people most of us want to see leaving are the bigots and racists!!

Do I want you to leave? Absolutely not! Do I want the Eastern European men who abuse black people (who were born in this country) on the train each morning (including making monkey noises) to leave? YES.

Op you have been here for 8 years so what do you think? Last night you bumped into yes - nasty people - they exist everywhere I am sorry you had to go through that. I would have walked away. But in 8 years - with no issues I think is your answer.

Before the vote I was watching the news and British ex pats on the Spanish Costas were being interviewed on their views.

They had already said how much they loved living there, that it was a lovely little bit of England in the sun (all English pubs serving full English breakfast and Sunday roasts) loads of other retired Brits to hang out with (so they weren't bothered about social integration) but that they were voting 'leave' as they thought there were too many immigrants abusing our welfare system who didn't bother to learn the language and not enough jobs for young people.

I was spluttering into my tea and getting a right old rage on their utter idiocy when to the credit of the news reporter he basically pointed out all of the parallels and that local communities here (Spain) may feel similarly. The look of confusion / disbelief on her face made it all worth it.

OP ignore the idiots, some people are just idiots who don't understand that 'closing our borders' won't stop illegal immigrants sneaking in and that migrant workers etc contribute to our society far more than they take away

I have no problem with people here and I understand why more people want to come. I am concerned however, as to where it will end. We are a small island with limited resources. Old age care is a huge issue etc. We can't keep welcoming in people with open arms, however much we would like to.

Depends on the deal we get with the EU. If the EU refuse to allow UK citizens to remain in their countries post brexit then I would hope we'll respond likewise, but that's nothing personal.

No I most definitely don't want you to leave. I am so sorry that you have been made to feel this way. And so ashamed that you were treated that way.

Please stay.
Continue to enrich our country ❤

I voted Brexit and I strongly believe we need much tighter controls over immigration into our country as we are very heavily populated, but we absolutely need some immigration to fill skill gaps we have and I have absolutely no issues with people already living here being able to remain. I'm sorry you were made to feel this way and that is unacceptable behaviour in my opinion.

They're just being idiots, they have always been around it's just that sadly a lot of them now feel they have a mandate to spew bile at people, the vast, vast, majority of people are not racist.

I've had a few go back to your own country over the years and they've always been as a last resort by people desperate to have the last word, I've lived here since I was tiny so most people can't tell, many years ago as a teen working a summer job in a cafe, a what appeared to be a normal middle aged lady got very angry because she changed her mind on how she'd like her change and she went ballistic, in the end she looked at my name tag and it turned you have to give me the 50p you're in my fucking country why don't you fuck off back to where you come from, it went weird from there! thankfully customers went and got security and she and her grown up son were escorted from the building

No. I want you to stay. I want all the petty bigots to leave. Or move to Kent so the rest of us can avoid them.

I also think those that voted out for immigration will probably be bitterly disappointed, non eu numbers net are very high and the government has control over those numbers.

That's horrific, Guest. I hope you're OK.

There's no excuse for that behaviour. None whatsoever. Your acquaintance was well-meaning, but it's not a reasonable explanation.

One of the appalling side-effects of Brexit is this emboldening of attitudes. People brush it off, and say it's not racist, but it is. How can it not be?

What's worse is that it has been legitimised. The right-wing press have been steadily using this language and these attitudes since the late 1990s, and now it is seen to be acceptable to harangue people who are immigrants, or even deemed to be. And now politicians can use this language openly, when 20 years ago they would be rightly pilloried.

It's not acceptable, and we shouldn't accept it. Call out and challenge your friends and families if they start using such language. I do.

The alternative will be worse, believe me.

No, I don't want you to leave. My own community would be a shadow of its wonderful self without the crazy fabulous mix of people from all corners of the globe. The only people I know who voted out are my parents but they don't want you to leave either. That wasn't the reason they voted that way (I have no idea why they did but it wasn't that). I'm sorry these people were so awful to you.

Please don't leave.
I have argued on here many times that Brexit has somehow made it ok to be openly racist. It's not. We are all immigrants. My DNA is part Irish with some French as well.
We will sink without immigration. The majority of people who come here are of working age (see the NHS) and will be paying tax and will be supporting our retired population. Immigration is a net gain for us. Check the government's own figures on this which are in the public domain.
Rain that's probably what they said to the Jews. Shameful

Don't go.
It means we will be left alone on this tiny, rainy island with all the nutters and Teresa May.
Please stay xxxx

No I don't want you to leave and I voted Brexit.

I knew that this could be a byproduct of a Leave vote - an increase of racist remarks and EU nationals feeling unwelcome - and that was the thing I wrestled with endlessly.

I voted purely because I don't believe in the EU and I know plenty of people who voted the same way for the same reason (though most people I know voted Remain).

I'm so sorry this happened to you. You are welcome and wanted.

Empty vessels make the most noise. That in reference to the person you were speaking to, not myself hopefully.

I don't want you to leave because:

I don't believe I or anyone else should have the right to say who can live in the UK and who can't.
I believe immigrants are no more or less likely to be either an asset or a burden to society than someone who can trace their British heritage back to the dark ages.
I believe everyone should have the right to go wherever they want in search of work, security and happiness.
I don't believe there is any moral difference between someone migrating from Newcastle to London or from Poznan to London.
I believe that pretty much every area of business, industry and our public services would collapse if we removed all the immigrants working in them.
I believe the stress and pressures on the NHS and education system have got nothing to do with immigration and everything to do with underinvestment, mismanagement and lack of planning.
I believe people who think anything in the UK is so bad it merits taking a blind, irreversible leap into the unknown are deluded. We have never had it so good.
I believe the recent years of austerity are nothing to do with immigrants and everything to do with the banking crisis a few years ago. How have so many people forgotten that? It was the bankers running our financial institutions like casinos that caused the recent economic blip, not immigrants.
I believe people have forgotten about the demographic time bomb. We are an aging population. Barring some sort of forced breeding program, the only way to ensure a large enough working age population to support pensions and services for retirees is through immigration.

And finally, I believe that whilst having a strong opinion on immigration doesn't been someone is a xenophobe or a racist, it doesn't mean they aren't either. It is quite clear we have a lot of racists in our society. They can try and hide behind UKIP soundbites as much as they like but it doesn't wash.

Please stay, some people are idiots! I don't think a lot of people realise that 1000s of years ago their ancestors were probably immigrants! There was a video on fb a while ago, Sorry if someone has already mentioned it. They got a load of people from different backgrounds to do a deal test and they found out where in the world they'd come from, there was a woman very racist on there, found out she had about 20 ethnicities in her death and her ancestors were immigrants. She was shocked to say the least.
I know plenty of people who want immigrants to stay, you have enriched our economy, helped keep jobs open etc etc. Ignore the idiots who only believe what the read in the daily fail.

Deal test = dna test!

I'm really sorry that a bunch of truly horrible petty close-minded xenophobic people made you feel unwanted. Believe me, the rational people want you here.

I'm so sorry, OP. What an awful experience.

Try not to let this knock your confidence.

Ask yourself this: who would openly target and abuse an individual who is clearly not to blame for the country's problems? They're clearly ignorant. Their opinions don't trump the vast majority of people in this country who are tolerant people.

Don't let this change your view of the country we all share. I love this country - I have a firm belief that we are inherently a good and just collective people and we will not descend in to the madness of racism and bigotry. Ultimately we will pull through.

There will always be awful people but they are in the minority. Their voices aren't any louder than our's and we'll keep striving for a better, fairer world for everyone.

I feel quite emotional writing this. Keep speaking out, OP. Never feel ashamed and rise above at all times. This experience will ultimately make you stronger. It won't crush you.

dowhatnow
It seems to have escaped you that many care workers are immigrants. It seems one area where there are always job vacancies. It is low-paid, hard, often dirty work which British people, understandably, don't tend to want to do, especially if they have other options. Immigrants are part of the solution to the old age care problem, unless benefits are scaled back so much that locals turn to care work (with creative childcare solutions) rather than starve.

FWIW I've even seen racism at one of my children's primary schools. The family have a traditional Somerset surname with a z in it. One lots of parents decided this meant their were forrin and started having a go at them. Really, it's nothing to do with what you are, it's all about how miserable they are. I find it helps if you see racists as a kind of charity case, and then you tend not to get sucked into exhausting circular arguments.