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?

Educate. Like certain dictatorships used to 'educate' those who stepped out of the approved line of thinking?

What nonsense. Having a conversation during which you give some actual facts to someone who is expressing an opinion based on an apparent misunderstanding of the facts is hardly fascist indoctrination.

The issue with OP's colleague is not the matter of open borders, but her apparent belief that Brexit will be a magic wand to stopping immigration; also that it is desirable to stop it, bearing in mind our dependence on immigration to run the NHS, the care industry, seasonal farming and the like.

I'm a second generation immigrant BTW. But as said, my parent/GF came here to fill a skills shortage.

I don't agree with immigration to the level it is and a punitive welfare system. Let's recognise that there isn't a job for everyone and those not working shouldn't be punished.

,"our dependence on immigration to run the NHS, the care industry, seasonal farming and the like"

But that's only under the present system. If we had a welfare system that backed seasonal work and a better housing system, we wouldn't need cheap labour from elsewhere.

But except for Doctors, I'd dispute the NHS one. That seems to be about who we give the jobs to, in my region.

@Beveren most people who state their option don't want to hear more BS.

You see it constantly on here. Anytime someone says they vote Tory there are loads of posts convinced they just don't understand!
And that by spelling it out they will see the light and vote better.

Brexit will have an affect on immigration. Most people I've heard talk about it understand that the walls won't shoot up and the island won't be forever cut off from the world.

It's about quality of people over quantity.

Saraclara, there are means and ways to control immigration to fulfil the needs you need it to fulfil, whether it is astrophysicists you want or care assistants. The key word here is CONTROL over immigration. Obviously, it is not going to stop, as the majority of the world has much lower standard of living than UK citizens, but at least the country will be able to exercise a choice of who it lets in and how many.

As farmers have discovered, that model just doesn't work. Care homes and the NHS already struggle with staffing, and if fewer people are inclined even to try to come to the UK due to no freedom of movement, that will only get worse.

most people who state their option don't want to hear more BS.

More BS or more facts? Brexit supporters in total denial about our reliance on immigration, and who really believe that on Brexit Day the borders will close completely and their inconveniently tinted neighbours will have to leave certainly aren't too interested in facts.

A lot of people are sick to the back teeth of the virtue signalling and holier than thou attitude.

As a poster said the reason that the Brexit result was such a shock to remainders is because all they hear is their own voice.

It's not racist to say you're not in favour of uncontrolled immigration, and just throwing "racist" around willy nilly has truly devalued its meaning.

Some areas of the UK actually need new immigrants to sustain their population levels. The problem we have is that ,due to successive governments failure to invest in these areas, most migrants tend to congregate in and around big towns and cities. This creates the illusion that "the country is full" in these areas and leads to opinions like the OPs colleague's.

Meanwhile some of those in the neglected areas, who actually need migrants, look around at the few who have moved there and blame them for taking jobs/houses/benefits, rather than blaming the government for their failure to invest.

If the government actually bothered to try and encourage migrants to move to areas where they're needed, by investing in jobs, housing, transport etc I'm convinced we'd not be having these discussions.

I have no problem with immigration in respect to ethnicity or where people come from. I have a problem with expanding population and that out services cannot provide for the amount of people living here.

Oh and no, I'm not a Tory voter or a Brexit supporter, but I still think immigration numbers need to be controlled until we can provide for all the people currently here, that or are we going to have a birth policy where we can only have 1-2 children each?

YABU. Why OP are you offended by someone who expressed an opinion about population, immigration and scarce resources?

Do you think space and resources are limitless? How many people do you think the country can support then OP?

I think you should tell her brexit won't stop immigration esp from ourside the EU. And when she is ill in the hospital she had better hope for mercy from those pesky immigrant nurses and doctors who are the majority.

I'm an immigrant and I probably agree with the point of her statement (not the words or tone used)

@MaButterface "she had better hope for mercy from those pesky immigrant nurses and doctors who are the majority."

The majority? Where did you get this statistic from?

YABU. Sorry. Immigration is a sensitive topic but not a racist one, unless someone makes it so.

To be fair Brexit has already had an impact on immigration, the number of people coming from European countries has declined significantly and the number from the rest of the world has gone up hugely, since the referendum. The amount of immigration is about the same , just where the immigrants are originating from is different.

Do you think space and resources are limitless? How many people do you think the country can support then OP?

Devereux1 I understand the space issue, I think most people on Mumsnet can see the impact of additional house building on their local environment, which is absolutely supported by the current government. Can you explain which resources you are talking about though ?

frumpety - I expect she means resources like hospital care, getting a place at a local GP and local school. People are quick to say that immigrants don't get allocated social housing quickly but I see it all the time. I met a lady a few months ago through my job who had come from Africa via a European country, was a lone parent with a child . She told me she had come to the Uk for a better education for her child. She worked very part time something like 16 hours and claimed all sorts of benefits, housing benefit, working tax credits etc.

@frumpety

Yes, I was asking the OP about space, population and resources. I mean every resource this country functions on. What resources did you think I meant?

In the city where I live there is also a large Somali population who are mainly concentrated on one council estate. I don't understand how this is possible when there are literally hundreds of other families waiting for social housing. How can people say it doesn't happen?

This is a very popular opinion OP, hence Boris, Brexit etc. Must feel shit to be on the receiving end of it

Supply and Demand- the basics of all economics. Uncontrolled Immigration is not sustainable!!!
This does not make people racist- Jesus get a grip!!!

People do not come to the UK for benefits- they come here for the benefits of being here.
The nhs and the education system are free- that is a benefit in itself. Neither can sustain the current immigration numbers.

Sorry I wasn't clear , so immigration levels have with the odd small blip, remained fairly static, where those immigrants have originated from has changed, as I have mentioned. So the levels of immigrants from non EU countries is significantly higher. Something not effected by FOM.
The population has been increasing at a steady level since after WWII, the population increasing isn't a new thing, can it be blamed entirely on immigration is what I am asking ? It seems a particularly pertinent question to ask on a parenting website
This isn't new knowledge, successive governments have had the wherewithal to plan for this known and predicted increase in population and provide the infrastructure and ensure resources are available to all. They haven't, is this the fault of the population, where ever they have come from ?