Immigration comment from colleague, AIBU

[user2726182]

Name changed.

Myself and a couple of colleagues were talking about the upcoming general election, just about the debates that were on television last week.
Colleague stated she was voting conservatives because she wants brexit (fair enough) but then went on to say it's because of immigration and doesn't want anymore people coming in to the UK because we're a 'small island' and can't home any more people, she went on to say refugees are fine but that's it, then said 'I'm not racist' but just my opinion.

Now my grandparents were immigrants and I wouldn't be here without them coming from Asia, I was a bit offended by her comments.

Aibu?

I honestly think this country should close the borders and only allow in educated individuals or ones with a trade like Australia.

I am an immigrant and the view above does not offend me. On the contrary, I agree with it and it is good sense and self-preservation.

But then, I am an educated immigrant who didn’t get smuggled into the country in a lorry, but went through a legal route, applied for a visa etc.

Why would anyone want to open borders? It’s madness.

@messolini9 don’t really “squat” though do they? Most people are retirees who take their money and buy or rent a property and contribute to the economy abroad.
You are correct @Redheadwonder - but that wasn;t my point, which was about double standards & the 'Little Englander' mindset.

A lot of people do come here for benefits and free healthcare alone, NOT ALL before anyone rushes down my throat. But a lot do
Oh, is that a fact?
Can you quote the numbers?
Yeah - thought not. You just read it in the Daily Mail & think it's true.

I'm mixed race, one of my parents is an immigrant. I wouldn't be at all offended by someone believing that lower levels of net migration would be beneficial and I most certainly wouldn't be looking to pull them for a chat to tell them off for it. It's fine to hold that opinion and it doesn't make her racist or a bad person.

@messolini9 don’t really “squat” though do they? Most people are retirees who take their money and buy or rent a property and contribute to the economy abroad. A lot of people do come here for benefits and free healthcare alone, NOT ALL before anyone rushes down my throat. But a lot do.
There’s a reason why immigrants go across other European county’s like France and end up in the uk. I don’t see what else is so appealing here for them?

Most immigrants are NOT entitled to free use of the NHS or benefits, that is a fallacy. If the NHS/government are not charging people, that is their fault. There is a health surcharge for people working here legally. And there is a handy EU law that the government failed to implement saying we can deport EU migrants who don't have a job within x amount of months.
And most people who want to come to the UK come because they know a little of the language and have links here. If France had colonised most of the world and forced them to speak French, then French would be the major world business language and people would be stopping in France and Belgium instead.

Now that I think about it if anyone is a racist it’s the colleague who look at you, not an immigrant - just not white. We get this othering quite a bit with my husband who is about as British as they come.

Well its not actually a sensible discussion you want.

People want their prejudices backed up.

You can tell them time and time again, immigrants are net contributers, commit less crime than general population and are actually holding up healthcare- but why isnt that the actual narrative we hear?

I always kind of think that if people say they’re not being racist... then they are...

Because thinking the countries infrastructure isn’t set up to deal with immigration levels isn’t actually a racist thing to think, so why add anything about race?

not sure whos arguing for 'open borders' to be honest?

You need to tell her that immigration won’t stop. Free movement from Europe will. People who meet the UK’s criteria for work permits will likely be even more encouraged to come — this will effectively mean more immigration from Commonwealth countries not less!

I’m an immigrant, not from EU and I went through the lengthy immigration process to come here (eventually became a citizen too.). When I came on fiancée visa, we had to go through hoops and I had no access to nhs or public funds - friends who have come since need to pay an nhs surcharge with their visa. We have no problem with this. Brexit to us just means equality of immigration process and allowing Uk government to make own decisions. We think immigration control is needed and that does not make me or my fellow immigrant friends racist (in fact, we’re different nationalities and races!).

I’m married to a Brit who is a minority too. We’re Happy for any person of any race, religion or orientation go through the process.

I just think the government should have some control and record of who is here. No reason there couldn’t be a point system as per Australia. Saying so doesn’t make a person racist.

The UK does have a points system.

I can sort of see her point in that we ARE an island and certainly not one that's getting any bigger. Saying we need stricter controls on immigration because this country is struggling to support it's current population, isn't racist.

It is not racist to say that one would prefer a lower level of immigration.

Presumably everyone thinks that on some level, unless they would be happy to give space to every single person from the whole world.

If they would not be happy to say that-in theory and without any caveats such as not everyone would want to come-then they are in favour of some sort of control.

I can sort of see her point in that we ARE an island and certainly not one that's getting any bigger. Saying we need stricter controls on immigration because this country is struggling to support it's current population, isn't racist.
No it isn't racist. But prefacing it with "I'm not a racist but..." means I would very suspicious about what she is actually referring to. I've never heard those words come from somebody who later on didn't turn out to be a real xenophobic or racist arsehole.

Look forward to seeing you all in the fields picking that fruit thats rotting on the vine. Dig for victory and all that shite.

But the fact is that many people believe that the Country is "full". It's not hard to see why they think this, roads are bad, full of cars, can't get appointments at hospital or doctors, no dentists, ageing and decaying infrastructure etc.

I don't know where other people live but in South London I never had one GP, dentist or even vet who didn't have an accent. I shudder to think how long you'd have to wait for NHS treatment without all the lovely immigrants working there.

Lots of them about sadly.

She isn't a racist for being anti-immigration. Immigrants come from many races. She would only be a racist if she talked about specific groups of people and she hasn't done that.

I can understand why it upset you but you have two choices here. Prepare what you want to say for next time she brings up immigration and tell her about your family background. Or you can decide not to let her bother you and carry on as normal.

No, @Sheofmany names, I think people preface non racist remarks like that because they have been conditioned to think that saying anything at all about closing borders makes them racist.

They're quite often not but are frightened of being thought so, so therefore feel the need to preface it with that remark.

Ime, anyone who prefaces a comment with "I'm not a racist but..." is invariably a racist.

We need immigrants in the UK. The birth rate is lower than the ideal and with longevity increasing there won't be enough people to look after us old farts and to pay the taxes we'll need to cover our pensions and healthcare.

Unless they bring in euthanasia, of course. I'd volunteer to go at 80 if they doubled my pension up till then!

She’s an uneducated moron and she’s racist too. YABU for being her friend in the first place

@Patroclus

Oh yes the open minded non-racist view that we need immigrants to do all the jobs that we deem too low for ourself? Couldn't possibly want immigrants to do a plethora of jobs at different levels, we're more worried about field picking.

She is rank report to HR

Most people [British ex-pats] are retirees who take their money and buy or rent a property and contribute to the economy abroad.

This is not true. It is just the lazy stereotype trotted out by the media, usually accompanied by a photo of some retirees tucking onto a full English breakfast or chugging wine at a pavement café in Spain.

Out of over one million British ex-pats living in the rest of the EU, only a couple of hundred thousand are retirees. The vast majority are working - in factories, offices, hospitals, schools, hotels and shops, in agriculture or logistics - just as they would be if they lived in the UK. Likewise the majority of British ex-pats in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US and elsewhere in the world.

I am an immigrant and don't agree with an open border policy but think there should be something in place for legal immigration similar to the system in Australia. Does that make me a racist?

As for people from UK going abroad, that's not an issue as long as they go through the proper channels for said countries immigration controls.