To be shocked at the net migration figures currently being discussed

[Feelingathomenow]

Yesterday’s figures discussed by the Tories stated that since 2010 the net migration figures to the UK has equalled the size of the population of Wales. Today we were told the figures to June 2023 showed a net migration figure of nearly 1 million for that year, for the year to June 2024 this had reduced to a mere 3/4 of a million. The numbers coming in of the boats per year alone is equal to a large town. AIBU to think this has to stop. We need to immediately crack down on people allowed into this country- limit it to urgently needed highly skilled jobs and start offshore processing (or similar) of the people who are here illegally (basically like many other countries).

We just can’t cope with those numbers. - no wonder our infrastructure is collapsing, we have a housing crisis etc.

I want to hear from the government how they are going to tackle it. We have heard from the Tories now it is over to Starmer.

What are you like a 16 year old bro

My biggest gripe at the moment is the two tier system. There’s one rule for British people and seemingly very few rules for anyone else.

Just as a few examples from a large midlands town;

Half our independent shops are selling counterfeit or black market goods like foreign cigarettes. God knows where they get everything else from as it turns up in regular trips in the back of peoples boots. They did do a some raids last month on a few of the shops but despite finding loads and police / trading standards posting all over social media there wins; all the shops are still open, still operating with same people and still selling counterfeit goods.

Lots of them are not paying tax at all. On income or capital gains or anything! Yes I do know this as I have been told personally to my face. Again last week.

Employment laws and other laws just don’t seem to exist! I saw one non British construction worker being dangled out of a third story being lowered by another worker by a piece of rope round his waist over the town centre main thoroughfare. If a British firm did that we would have HSE down on us like a fucking hammer.

And the petrol stations. Once went for a piss caught short behind a petrol station in the middle of the night. Thought oh good, behind this lorry is great. Start pulling my pants down, look right and there’s 40 people staring back at me. Clearly that petrol station is in on it as there’s cameras everywhere. Honestly it’s like the wild west round here. I don’t think Westminster has any idea what goes on in the rest of this country.

Hi, Donald

Eh?

When did I say that?

You really think you did something there.

congrats.

Pleasure

I know what you mean about the shops. Because we have the same thing going on in Dewsbury, but then I would say that we need more police, it's not immigration, that's cause this. It's the f* s**, tories who destroyed the police force over the last 14 years. Would you not agree because law and order Is, but in all walks of life right now

It's not about ''Racism'' it's about WHY the UK allows so many who just are net takers, who don't contribute.

Australia toughened up - New Zealand too.

My hardworking overseas neighbour paid thousands in visas to come and work here in a skilled job.

THAT is the level of people needed, not net takers.

How many glasses of wine have you had this evening? 👀🥴

And we are talking abiut legal migration at the moment I have carers that have come to the uk this isn't illegal

Is your keyboard broken? Or do you always make so little sense?

You can be a legal migrant and still be a net taker. What don’t you understand about that?

of course there are exceptions and plenty of wonderful migrants who are a) here legally and b) contribute to our society.

there are also migrants who are a) here legally and b) do NOT contribute to our society. These are net takers and there are a lot of them. Why should the UK open up to all of these people?

You’re right, but I do think it’s also immigration. The speed at which people have been coming to this country has created a number of different societies living parallel lives. These communities literally live, work, spend, even govern within themselves. And it’s fucking crazy! I don’t think most people even see it or know that it exists.

Yeah we really are suckers. Just help yourself everybody.

I post with trepidation. I have been an immigrant (in the USA, when I married an American). I was met with friendship and was entirely legal, via the Green Card. I worked and was well paid in a highly intellectual professional world, but left when the marriage fell apart. I paid all my tax and didn't commit any crimes whilst there. I could have applied for citizenship with full expectation of getting it, but returned to the UK and family.

I have worked here, or been a parent, ever since. And now I am nearing 70, and still paying income tax on my private pension and PT earnings, I am seriously considering exploring the possibilities of emigrating again. I fancy a last adventure, and after 45 years of saving and work, I could do so via a passive income visa in several countries.

I don't have any issue with migration or migrants. Almost everyone I know well has lived in multiple countries and most of those countries have no option for retired people to stay until they die. No state pension, no welfare. Once you retire, you leave the country because your visa is tied to your work, unless you satisfy rigorous wealth and property requirements.

We considered emigrating to New Zealand about 18 years ago, and did the eligibility tests. Too old at 50, and not rich enough to qualify just on cash. A threshold I approve entirely: nowhere I want to live imports burdens.And, at the time, just too far from our aged parents, who are no longer with us.

That is quite unusual - our local care homes have to actively recruit from Nepal. You only have to look at vacancies sites and there are loads every week for carers that never seem to get filled.

I don't know how anyone, for instance, can look at Sweden and say that immigration over the last decade has been an overall positive for their society.

And ten years ago I'd have been appalled to see someone saying that. I too believed that migration was only a positive and anyone against it was fundamentally racist.

I think my eyes started opening when I saw what happened in Cologne at New Year 2015/2016 - the mass wave of sexual assaults.

And tbh seeing the changes in every major European city over the last decade.

The Normans invaded England, dispossessed the English and destroyed their culture, suppressing their language for hundreds of years.

I don't think this is the winning pro immigration (I don't think this is what we mean by immigration either) argument you are looking for.

It is in fact the argument your opponents are making. I'm not your opponent, and do feel compelled to throw this bone.

Not sure if this makes anyone feel better but may I point out that us immigrants also steal do highly skilled jobs? NHS consultants, academia, IT, investment banking, investors, etc. 🙂

And another thing is that I think figures for net migration should be published without students. Since about 2020 student numbers have increased by about 300,000. If we assume most stay 3-6 years there will be an excess with lower numbers leaving the country. Then in a few years immigration will magically drop when the “bulge” start returning home and numbers arriving stabilize or drop.

And the Angles, Saxons and Vikings invaded too. And until the 15th century, the coasts of the westcountry were regularly raided for slaves by Barbary pirates. There wasn't much concept of a nation-state until the Tudors.

@izimbra

"The vast majority of people who are economically inactive are so because they are ill or they are carers.

You're also completely ignoring the fact that a big increase in salaries of care workers and agricultural workers - which is what you're arguing for - will massively jack up the cost of social care and food!"

The vast majority of people who are long term sick is because they started off being unable to get employment and then became mentally or physically ill. Then a large number of carers are caring for people that are long term ill.

So if we got people into employment in the first place then we would save on benefits for long term sick and benefits for carers and those people would be in employment paying income tax.

I am not ignoring that this will increase the cost of food or social care but argue that on an overall economic case there are tax savings and tax generation from making sure UK nationals are employed rather than cheap imported labour.

I personally think it is unacceptable to simply write off 9 million people as unemployable. Do you?

The idea among the political class - both ends - has for a long time been that immigration is good for the economy, increases productivity, and all the rest. So they have pushed it and pushed it.

Actual people living in towns and such, in the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, have been for a long time pointing out that the effects in the population aren't so rosy. It's finally got to the point that people are starting to push back politically in a serious way.

Even here in Canada the national bank among others have finally had to admit that this level of immigration has actually been bad for the country economically. And it's become apparent even to the political classes that infrastructure can't keep up - people having no access to a GP for five years is a problem that is not helped by adding 100 more people per GP to the population.

In the UK there is the additional issue of space. I don't understand people saying, who will do the shitty jobs (lovely leftists looking to import people to do the shit jobs.) Even if it were true that no one would do the shitty jobs, it does not mean that adding so many more people is sustainable. Ultimately, people may have to pay more for some services, or go without some that aren't necessary if they aren't willing to pay wages that attract workers for them.

What I find really sad is the change in attitude to immigration. Canadians have always been so welcoming to newcomers, really generous and kind. Now with the masses of immigration people are struggling to find housing, certain kinds of jobs, doctors, places in schools, and their attitude is changing. Most don't blame the newcomers, but it certainly affects their general attitude.

Beats me

Yes that's the issue, it does happen and yet people are sure it doesn't.

So how does it happen and who is monitoring that?

As I said it wasn't about 'pretending to be gay', it was a Vietnamese man who lied to claim asylum with another reason and talked about the system not being great for his outcome either.

I don't know why people need this system, which is so obviously becoming strained and unsustainable and profiting vast organisations over another one. I could see humanitarian help happening, but this need to see people pay and get here in this way isn't the best

You know very well that this isn't the problem.

UK needs to be much more like Australia and NZ -accepting only people whose skills that are actually needed.

The 'illegal' asylum seekers, beggars, shoplifters, Big issue sellers, illegal deliveroo drivers {now doing ''crash for cash scams'' who don't have legitimate UK driving licences massively changed the mainly poorer areas of UK, some of which are now ''no go'' areas for police.

NO Country wants that, probably this is why the 'Far right' are so in the rise in parts of Europe- people don't feel listened to regarding unfettered, unvetted immigration.

The Spanish probably detest the drunken Brits - and who can blame them?.