Immigrants but legal ones?

[Tiktakmam]

I’ve been living in the UK for 16 years, have two children, and work full-time. I consider myself integrated, living according to British values, and respecting this country. I look after myself and my home, and I try to contribute positively to the community.

Yet, many of us — especially from Eastern Europe — don’t feel entirely safe with the ongoing issues around illegal migrant boats. Even though we are legal residents, I’ve noticed growing dissatisfaction from some neighbours. When I mention that I’m from Eastern Europe, I often hear comments like, “Of course you are…” — basically implying I’m not British.

This makes me feel like I’ve somehow “brought these boats” here, as if I’m just another part of the immigrant problem. Seeing flags and attitudes that suggest “immigrants go home” is disheartening.

I also feel somewhat less confident around British people, especially in areas with mostly locals and fewer immigrants. For example, when I travel to campsites or smaller towns, I sometimes feel looked at as untrustworthy. Luckily, in London I feel much less like this.

Post-Brexit, it feels like the country has changed in ways that make life less secure, not just for immigrants but for everyone. It’s heartbreaking that all migrants, legal or not, are often dropped into one pot and judged as a single group.

I keep wondering — after so many years of people from other countries contributing to making the UK a brighter, more vibrant place, why does it feel like the country has been going downhill over time?

I feel so heartbroken, because I understand that the UK will never truly be my home, as I was not born here. Yet it hurts to realize that, with every passing year, it feels more and more like I will never be fully welcome.

Why has it gone so wrong on a broader scale? How can we have a healthier, safer society for everyone, while respecting the law and supporting integration?

I hope we can have a conversation about this that goes beyond fear and politics, and focuses on community, fairness, and safety for all residents.
Im just curious, in this era of migrant boats and heightened tension around immigration, how do you perceive or feel about other immigrants, even those who are legal residents? Does this climate affect the way you interact with them or how you feel about other immigrants, especially in less multicultural towns? What does your family of friends say?

It’s always been there in the seventies/eighties it was the Pakistani community “taking all our jobs”. After 9/11 everyone Asian was a potential bomber And then gangs and the knife culture (aimed at black people. ) And now it’s the loose term of immigrants which seems to include anyone with a different culture/skin colour and/or accent.

it’s awful and the gutter press doesn’t help riling up the stupid who seem to believe every hotel is filed with Eastern European feasting on 5* cuisine and basking in luxury.

We are not a nice country as a whole.

Please read the post before responding to it. My confusion is why anyone would believe legality would change the fact that racists believe Brits are white and hail from this side of Europe. If you are non-white, speak English as an additional language and aren't Christian, a racist British person would never see you as British in the same sense that they are, regardless of whether you have legal citizenship or not.

Racists are racist.

What is a British person? Is being white a pre requisite? And if it is, how many generations of white people born in UK does the family history need to go back to?

How so?

What differende does that make, to hardcore british who hate inmigrants opening our mouth with an accent is enough reason to make xenophobic comments- if we all had british citizenship further insults how its handed out not that it costs 3k

For racists, yes being white is a pretty requisite and it has to be for as many generations as possible unless it was to do with the sexual exploitation of slaves.

It's very simple: there's too many.

No people in history have ever consented or accepted becoming a minority in their own country and losing the dominant status in their own land.

That's happened already in areas of Britain.

"For things to remain the same, everything must change."

It doesn't matter now whether the government ignores the will of the people and tinkers with superficial changes within the existing - failed - system or decides to act. Huge changes are coming.

The only question is whether they'll come as a result of political action or violence. But the UK is now an extremely explosive mixture.

Wait till the kids go back to school the racists will be back at home

Ahhh the victim mentality.
Theres a huge amount of british people who have never worked( and i dont mean the ones with disabilities) i mean the one fully capable of work. They complain all they and want more money, they dont want to go and do cleaners job or a carers job but complain immigrants are stealing their jobs. You want the country to benefit from high skilled workers but who will do the low skilled jobs? Surely if we remove the low skilled workers who are here legally and how ilr we are left with our own british people who refuse to do this jobs, how would you get them to work. This is how we got in this situation in first place

Actually every child in the UK, no matter their status, has the right to an education. Equal access to education regardless of status is part of the ECHR, and the UK Parliament voted the key principles of the ECHR into law in the Human Rights Act of 1998.

What shocks me is seeing pro Farage posts from a
British couple and of course ,,, I am not racist where the mother is a South African, white of course, living in the UK. Maybe they deserve a Trump situation where Trump voting people are shocked when white spouses who have ,lived in the US for years are being deported. Perhaps those who have residence or 2 passports should be careful who they support as that couple aren't exactly in a shortage job

I have lived in the UK for 20+ years, all my kids born in the UK, my husband is british and we are moving from England due to 5 years of harassment,stalking and verbal abuse due to my nationality, my children have also have been left traumatized for life as they are old enough to understand people shouting at me how I dont belong here etc and they find it upsetting. I have never involved myself with the offenders we always ignore them and just call the police but its not the way to live. Even doctors have made xenophobic comments aka people like you coming here demanding things (asking for a routine bloodtest for a chronic daily medicated health issue)

Vile racism

Now that is a post designed to be inflammatory.

And in the current climate, being Muslim and a bit brown might well be enough - the previous government tried to deport someone on those grounds - when all he'd done was committed tax fraud.

I can’t believe you said that with a straight face.

Your sons might look down on women in a way that British men do not (or something). Are you aware that nearly half the men arrested for recent anti- migrant violence have previous convictions for violence against women?

People like Lowe, Robinson talk abour remigration going back a few generations.

You (and me) would not be safe from them.

Taking from the UK? As opposed to everyone here, whether they were born here or not. And is/ was the UK totally independent since the dawn of time or has it benefited hugely from colonialism and current migration of skilled individuals?

Yes it is. But that's how racists think. So why would someone who is anti-immigration find a legal immigrant more acceptable than an illegal immigrant? They are against immigration!

Why's that shocking? You can be an immigrant and still believe in a stringent and controlled immigration system, and in preserving the native people and culture. In fact, I'd say it's proof that they've integrated and are truly British and care for this country and its future.

I'm noticing the same in a different country, it's not just Britain. Many people have lost confidence in the immigration system and now bracket legal and illegal migrants together. I blame successive governments for allowing this to happen. There is also a scramble for resources in poorer economic circumstances and people already struggling are questioning the allocation of those resources. It's hard to know what to do apart from be respectful of the host country, integrate (much harder work than non immigrants tend to realise) and contribute as much as possible. Like you, I try to do all of those things.

I understand where you are coming from and sympathise with your feelings, which are well-founded, I'm sure.
However, I think the hard truth is that immigrants are always made to feel unwelcome and always have been at some point or other. I believe the UK does pretty well in terms of the way it treats immigrants , compared to other countries.
Obviously, we're going through a difficult time at the moment with so many unauthorised arrivals and hopefully it will lead to action being taken.I don't want to cast doubt on what you are experiencing.
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It wasn't clear that's what you meant. It read like you were stating your own beliefs.

I'm white, speak English and have a Christian background. I have dual citizenship, have lived in the UK for nearly 25 years and British people don't see me as British - never have and never will. I think your point about the legality (e.g citizenship) makes no difference is correct, but race isn't as big a factor as many think.

Hence the "(or something)". The attitudes immigrants display against women are seen as worse than those displayed by native men. So again, why would legality change their view that immigrant men are more dangerous? They dont think that it is only the illegal immigrants, they think it's all immigrants. You.should be arguing with the people who believe this. You're likely to know some personally.

Well if I was Spanish and having to pay to support brits I probably wouldn’t be totally happy.