Are people that want zero immigration racist?

[equalstime]

People that moan about migrants coming to this county - taking our jobs - taking our houses - draining the medical system - not settling in the first country they reach for asylum- they're racist right?

There will always be an element of migration and when you take account of UK born people that leave and non Uk people that enter our country, the net figure is no doubt reasonable. They are often willing to work and contribute to our society and economy - so why the hostility?

Why not accept as a country that we have en element of migration and embrace that, if not because your views are racist?

Lol you think they had a point?

'I hate how anyone who expresses concern about immigration is labelled racist. Now let me share my racist comments'.

I would also be very happy to see the 700,000 empty homes we apparently have in the UK commandeered and given to immigrants or anyone else in need of a home. But I hate to see green fields concreted over and filled with houses when we’re facing a massive climate crisis.

I've heard it's a bit of a myth about fields v brownfield sites and it's actually the brownfield sites that are more diverse with nature and the farmers fields that are the monoculture. I'll try to find a link.

All racists will be against immigration. That does not mean all those against immigration are racists.

But there is a huge amount of misinformation around. For instance, the lack of infrastructure (schools, GPs) is not the result of migration. It's the result of pack of government investment and long-term planning. People are abandoning healthcare and education because they have been treated poorly for over a decade My parents are in a rural area with incredibly practically zero levels of migration but the GP wait time is the same. If we have a minimum wage that's high enough for everyone to pay tax, then we have resources to expand schools etc when needed.

Similarly, uncontrolled housing on green field sites is a priority of the current government because of pressure from developers. The people moving to all the new builds bear us are white London retirees. New housing could be concentrated on high density developments on brownfield sites and the fact it's not has nothing to do with migration.

Thank you for proving the OP's point

I think you've proved my point if anything. Racism is hating/discriminating against people based on their skin colour. I explicitly stated it was sad to see people segregated by skin colour. I also said expecting zero migration was unreasonable.

I think controlled migration is good for a country. I was brought up in a predominantly homogeneous country and I see the downsides of this. However, there's a balance to be struck. It's a numbers game. Otherwise you tip over into division and, as I said, a breakdown in social cohesion. This is bourne out in the research. So perhaps get down off your reactive high horse for a breather!

@IScreamMonday I agree to an extent, but if there’s a huge influx of people into a country in a short space of time then it’s not easy to quickly provide the infrastructure, doctors, nurses etcetera to match that.

The foreign-born population increased from about 5.3 million in 2004 to nearly 9.3 million in 2018.

Four million in 14 years - that’s an enormous increase.

Well I voted for leaving the EU and I have never advocated zero immigration.

Should be a points system like Canada or Australia IMO.

I’m not very well versed on these matters admittedly, but how come in the 1980s the UK economy was booming and yet we didn’t need enormous numbers of immigrants to prop it up? What has changed between then and now? Cheers all!

No it isn't racist. You're called a bigot nowadays if you feel protective over your people and your culture but that's only if you're white. Others are allowed to prioritise their own without being labelled racist. Also, many of these immigrants are white or at least white adjacent so it's more xenophobia than racism.

"Too many people", or rather egregiously underfunded public services? You can hardly blame the latter on immigrants.

Immigrants are more likely to work in the NHS than UK-born residents. Around 20% of GPs trained outside the UK.

In the years following arrival to the UK, immigrants use inpatient hospital services around half as much as UK-born residents of the same age and gender.

The increasing number of returning UK expats, retired and often in poor physical health, is placing increased pressure on the NHS.

Often the people coming in are propping up the infrastructure though e.g. about 24% of GPS are foreign-born because it has become unattractive as a medical profession in the UK. Migration isn't totally random, people often move where there is demand for their skills. So it's not migration creating demand but responding to it.

See my post above. Providing enough public services, housing, infrastructure and everything else for an extra 4 million people in the space of 14 years is a huge ask (if not actually impossible!)

Thank you. I’ve stated this before to be called racist or a Nazi.

I see what you’re saying. But also, the more people who settle here to “prop up the infrastructure”, the more infrastructure, roads, housing, schools, hospitals and everything else we actually need.

You know being a brexiteer means supporting leaving Europe and Europe is rather white.

The main thing that needs to happen is that there are less births across all ethnicities. The world cannot support 8 billion people. Anyone having over replacement level - 2 - is making a morally dubious choice. Immigration is realistically neither here nor there.

Zero immigration is not possible or desirable, however, the present rate of immigration is untenable -

For example, Stoke-on-Trent MP Jonathan Gullis told the House of Commons in 2021: “The stark truth is that our city has now reached its limits…. people are looking for two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes and young families are struggling because we do not have one-bedroom sheltered accommodation for the elderly population to move into. Our schools are at absolute capacity, if not over capacity, and we have a public transport system that has, quite frankly, been well and truly left behind.” (see Hansard).

Stoke-on-Trent MP Jonathan Gullis told the House of Commons in 2021: “The stark truth is that our city has now reached its limits…. people are looking for two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes and young families are struggling because we do not have one-bedroom sheltered accommodation for the elderly population to move into. Our schools are at absolute capacity, if not over capacity, and we have a public transport system that has, quite frankly, been well and truly left behind.” (see Hansard).

And during the summer last year, Torbay Council leader Steve Darling raised concerns about the amount of local housing available. He said the city did not have an adequate support network for refugees arriving from Afghanistan, adding: “In Torbay this summer we have seen record numbers of homeless households in need of temporary accommodation, as well as seeing record numbers on our housing waiting list.”

This country needs young working people. It needs immigrants. There are 70,000+ vacancies for nurses right now that can’t be filled.

Why is wanting what’s best and right for communities and individuals- and that includes safe migration and acceptable level of support for all concerned, racist? Does it seem silly to you to be concerned that people should have these things? 💐

@IndigoC It needs immigrants. There are 70,000+ vacancies for nurses right now that can’t be filled.
Yes, but they won't be filled by people coming over the Channel by the boatload who can't speak English.

A lower birth rate with little immigration means that hospitals won't have the staff to care for an increasingly elderly population increasingly in need of medical attention. Care homes will close as they won't have staff to look after the elderly.

There won't be enough people of working age paying tax to pay the pensions of those who are retired. Many people of working age won't be able to work as they will be caring for elderly relatives.

I think the general consensus is that uncontrolled immigration should stop.

Yes there are immigrants that benefit our country immensely, but there are also those who illegally enter the country. (Asylum seekers are supposed to claim Asylum at the first country they enter)
Then there were the EU rules when we were part of it that said you could live in any country within the eu as long as you have an eu passport or identity card and live exactly the same as a citizen( benefits/housing/work/nhs). Some people hate the fact it was so easy to do so and blame the people who took the opportunity rather than the system that allowed it.

There are also those of the opinion that if you come to live in a country you should embrace the customs and social niceties of that country not act as though you are in the country that you came from.

I think it's everything to do with race!

Look how differently refugees from Ukraine have been treated to refugees from Africa!