I really liked my neighbour until she said this

[neighbourhoodwatch]

I've recently moved to a new area and was talking to my neighbour, who I really like.

Somehow the conversation went to GPs and how you can never get appointments and basically have to beg to be seen nowadays.

She was saying how it didn't used for be that way... before...

She then went on to say that it's because of all the immigrants that have come into this country and how our country is too small to hold all these people.

She also talked about the illegals coming in on boats etc and how terrible it is.

I am immigrant. I didn't come on a boat and I have a good job etc. But essentially I came to this country. I've never claimed benefits or anything like that. I'm on a high salary etc and studied here etc etc. So, I'm well established. Essentially whenever people say stuff like that, alarm bells start ringing for me.

Am I seeing it too black and white ? It's just difficult when someone says stuff like this to someone who also came here..... as an immigrant...

You don't think the ops neighbors opinion is racist then?

“When people expressing concerns (however ignorantly) like your neighbor are not listened to and just written off with a slogan of DailyFail Reader, Brexiter, racist, and not engaged with, then they are sitting ducks for the far right who do listen and give them all the time they want.”

I think this is very true.

For what it's worth, I don't hate my neighbour now. I'm just disappointed and honestly I do feel a bit like she probably must think of me as a foreigner, rather than just her neighbour and I don't like that feeling. I speak with an English accent, have spent the majority of my school life and university as well as working here.. I just want to be her neighbour. But somehow now I feel she thinks of me as the foreign neighbour. This is totally my own hang up. However, her comments caused that reaction in me, no matter how unreasonable that is. Anyway, totally going off topic there.

For what it's worth, most countries on earth don't like immigrants and feel threatened by foreigners coming to their land. It's not an exclusively British thing. It must be a primeval thing in people. Lots of European countries are seeing a huge resurgence of the right wing parties because the French, the Germans and the Italians are also sick of immigration. They don't all just come to Britain, they also go to those countries.

OP Write her off. There is no smoke without fire. It is both racist and Xenophobic and she is not worthy of your time, emotional, or mental energy.

I would say the same about the people who agree with her sentiment that have commented on this thread.

As for taking the time to educate her - Definitely do not do this. It is absolutely not your job. If she comes to you for advice (highly unlikely), tell her that there are plenty of resources books, videos and podcasts available should she wish to search for them

People who come to this country from other countries are not the problem. The elderly are not the problem. They are just easy targets.

It’s up to you who you interact with but diversity of opinion is a good thing even if the MN libs don’t like it

tbh, some of the most anti-immigrant statements I've heard came from... immigrants. The neighbours who came from Italy in 1960s talking down the "blacks" (Bangladeshis who arrived in 80s). The Indian corner shop lady despairing of Albanian(?) (shoplifters) asylum seekers. The Bangladeshi 6yo child telling me to be careful of Pakistanis. Just listen to half the stuff Priti Patel says. Dominic Raab (son of Jewish refugee) opposed immigration, Michael Howard (son of a Romanian immigrant) carried on about bogus asylum seekers.

It does revise how you see people, of course. A friend once loudly publicly declared her support for BNP. Room went silent. Same friend is the most tolerant open-minded take-people-as-they-are person I know. I would have guessed she didn't have a single prejudiced bone in her body. But she said that. Sometimes good people get bad ideas.

It's hard to say without more context but I'd wager more xeboophobic than racist. I would like to see those solid figures though.

So what is the problem?

Sorry to be blunt but your neighbour is a brainwashed, ignorant racist. I despise people like this, makes me ashamed to be British - and waiting lists are nothing to do with immigrants it's to do with 1. NHS being understaffed 2. NHS being underpaid so no one wanting to join 3. Covid and 4. (Ironically) half the staff have had to leave due to racists voting for Brexit and the UK losing all it's talented, experienced EU national NHS staff who contributed loads more to this country than I imagine your neighbour does. Rage! Avoid. No point arguing with such people.

Aren’t you on twitter ??
I get these kind of comments all day long. No matter how much tax I pay or private medical treatment I take or prep schools I pay, Skin color matters to such morons.

I also get comments like “please return to your lands” with an explanation of how white British will be in minority in few years time. My usual reponse is if it was ok for British to colonise half the world they should equally be ok to accept people into their world.

Margerine78 why are they a brainwashed ignorant racist?

So if you are from another country and you come to the UK you’re considered a immigrant, if you’re from the UK living in another country then you’re considered a ex pat…. But really you are a immigrant in just the same way, but it’s they just reserve preferential language for themselves.

Ooh this was done before most of the population were born and alot of people here were living and working in terrible conditions and this needs to be taken into account.

Could you please post those figures I mentioned previously? I genuinely haven't seen any from a reputable source and am keen to see where people who have opposing opinions to mine are getting their information.

I'm not sure what figures you are referring to, but I don't tend to run round gathering up resources for people on Mumsnet. Sorry. There's plenty of resources out there if you want to research 🤷‍♀️

Because the shortages of e.g. Dr appts are less to do with immigration and more to do with underfunding/cuts, but racist people ignore the facts because it fits their narrative.

The reason we have such high pressure on services is a lot to do with increased life expectancy, not the incoming working age people. Racist people blame immigrants for things too simplistically.

@Loics Some figures here ;

www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-immigrants-idUSKBN26L2F4

You don't think a massive increase in the population has impacted on this carefullycourageous? Anything else but this?

That was my point. People are adamant that illegal immigrants are destroying the British economy and infrastructure. I am well accustomed to academic research through work, however I can't find anything reputable that backs up these claims, hence why I asked for your source. 🙂
If you want to discuss the infrastructure of the country, you should be prepared to back your opinions up, surely?

Well lapun means old in the country I worked in for many years. There are racists but not every person who discusses immigration levels is racist. I know most of you are well educated and so am I but I am also socially Conservative and a member of the party. What surprises me here after reading many repetitive comments there is no practical discussion of the costs and pressures involved in high levels of immigration that I read until I got bored.
There is housing, health and social integration to think about. London is very highly populated and the lack of accommodation is a problem. Added to that the current government is lacking in practical solutions or policies to solve these issues. The current national politicians of both major parties are pretty useless.

You could say that older people who went through world war 2 had better lives after that. But currently, we are in the midst of an economic downturn, prices are through the roof with inflation and still daily arrivals across the channel are housed in hotels waiting for Home Office officials ( who mainly work at home) to examine the cases of asylum seekers and others who have come to the UK seeking a new life. I am elderly and am as tolerant as most are. However, I have to say (having been an immigrant to Australia as a child); that the Australians told you that you should fit in with the Australian way of life or leave.
My current worries concern the number of young single men who are of the Muslim faith who may or may not have families where they originated. Some, not all are pious religiously and in some towns and cities they have committed some heinous crimes in UK, particularly among young vulnerable girls. Then we have had a much higher crime rate and some social problems that are faith related. Some of you here use very foul language against people who think we should control our own borders. That has lead to fear among some of the population to ever criticise any opinion that does not agree with “woke” opinions. Maybe some of you could join the Free Speech Union. We fight to protect the rights to be able to speak freely. I joined after some people attacked JK Rowling for her beliefs about gender. Like her I know that men and women are biologically different, yet some people have lost their jobs for voicing that opinion…are they sexist ***? What about the teacher in Batley who is still in hiding and cannot work because a gang of mainly men without children at the school, who still protest there? They do not accept British values but because I say that, you feel that you can dismiss any of us who speak out as racists. Well, I am appalled that so many of you think it is alright that you feel you can use any epithet you like to dismiss the opinions of those who disagree with you. This next door neighbour may be racist. We do not know but as educated women, surely the OP could have engaged in conversation with her and found out why she held her opinion. It is not rude to disagree in a calm manner. So could you all please not dismiss anyone who wants to control immigration as being racist. That is a flawed argument. You

I'd like to know why discussing the infrastructure of the country not being able to support a hugely increased population is racist?

Just over 10 million over the course of 50 years. There are lots of reasons for this increase, not just an increase due to immigration. Between 2011 and 2021 , the net migration figures for England and Wales was around the 200,000 mark each year.
Ask yourself why there aren't enough GP's, why additional ( not shiny new replacement Academys ) schools are not being built ? Why has housebuilding increased but no new additional services are provided or the infrastructure increased, instead it is just supposed to absorb these new estates and their inhabitants.
No more hospital beds in the local area, no more or very little additional funding to the local social service departments/primary care teams, even if developments are designed for the older demographic.

For interest;
The previous government went out to consultation in May 2004 on proposals to exclude overseas visitors from eligibility for free NHS primary care. In his foreword, the then Minister of State for Health (John Hutton) said:
“We must remember that the NHS is a national institution and not an international one. It is there to provide free treatment for those who live here and not for those who do not. Our aim must be to maintain the principle of providing services free at the point of delivery – but to ensure, in the process, that these services are provided only to those who are properly eligible to receive them. We wish to see close links established between free use of the NHS and UK citizenship or residency.”
The Labour government reached no conclusion and took no further action on the matter. The Coalition government eventually issued guidance in July 2012 which appears to have gone in exactly the opposite direction. It grants access to GP’s services for all foreign visitors and also to illegal immigrants.

The incompetence of successive Conservative and Labour governments , the class system, a rose tinted view of colonialism, social media to name a few.

@roxyro Actually there are many people in this country who are genuinely concerned about mass immigration without controls.

Can you explain how there is mass immigration without controls in this country ? Especially as we have now left the EU so there is no longer reciprocal freedom of movement for EU citizens. Which nationalities are coming here without any controls ?

People keep arriving in boats on the coast from France claiming asylum

I think there are different kinds of immigrants. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. The OP obviously went about it the correct way. I have friends from Poland that live permanently in the U.K. they have good jobs and they pay taxes here, that contributes to the nhs.
but on the other end of the scale there are other migrants who come to the U.K. on boats, they are often trafficked here by vile criminals who have no concern for their safety and just want money.
I was on holiday in kent a couple of years ago. Sat on broadstairs beach. A huge dinghy washed in and a load of men jumped ashore and scarpered up the beach and everyone was shocked. Either way, none of this has anything to do with the nhs x