OK - Britain is a small country

[friskyfox]

So why are we taking in more immigrants? We now have an influx of Romanians and Bulgarians coming here. Before anyone calls me racist or the like, I am 100% not. It just annoys me because we are a tiny country. Why are countries like Australia, NZ, USA, and Canada more selective and Britain is not.
thelink

not sure what the argument is? that the country is too small? arse - really! pah arse.

buildres are fucked off cos they can't charge extortionate rates that they used to cos eastern europeans will work for cheaper. isn't that just a free market economy?

"lets sort out the existing porblems first"

thats such a huge statement that means nothing at all. who is going to sort it out? who is going to pay for it?

yuour arguments are pants - put something a bit more cohesive together.

besides - i am sure people who 'do' property are making a killing in eastern europe - at the expense of the locals and their community.

well the borders are no longer open to thousands of junior doctors from the Indian subcontinent, who have supported the NHS for the last God knows how many years, who have usually been schooled and trained in English,and whose children have been born in the UK.Because they're not European, they no longer "count"

You can't get away from the fact that these people are now doing a hell of a lot of work in this country - you see it everywhere - restaurants, hotels, plumbers, builders etc. There are still many jobs unfilled. So if they hadn't come who would be doing them? We should be thanking them for coming and sending some of the lazy Brits elsewhere.

ok so you come here and do what when your ILLEGAL - which is very different from the previous argument of legal imigrants.

so illegally - chances re your going to do something ilegal to keep you. prostitution, robbery drugs etc etc.

i am sure no one is arguing that illegal imigrants do not conribute to this country and economy.

polish buildres however pay tax. contributing to this economy - our schools, hospitals. becuase they contribute - which is a lot more than some lazy are mother fuking brits do.

Theoretically, the EU means free movement of people (us as well, remember), but even that is restricted for some new member states here

OK, so my DH has been essentially out of work for years. He has his own company doing electronics stuff but the work has really dried up and means him working away from home so he really wants something, anything closer to home. There are jobs round here that he could do standing on his head. But he's got no EXPERIENCE of that specific type of work. Or he's TOO OLD, or the WRONG SEX (OK so they can't actually say that anymore, but it's true nonetheless). These are some of the reasons why so many jobs are unfilled and it's utter bollocks IMO.

Tm do you really blame migrants for that or are you just having a rant?

No I don't blame migrants for that specifically. I was just backing up the point that I made earlier on. Namely that some of the arguments as to why we need migrants for economic reasons are spurious to say the least.

And as I said, I am not against immigration as long as it doesn't give employers an excuse not to employ our own jobseekers. But of course, many migrants will put up with ridiculously poor pay and conditions.

As an immigrant myself I am curious how you would decide who should be allowed to stay and who should be refused? I bet you are more rascist than you think you are.

The thing is that most migrants come here to work and are not fussy about what they get so they fill the jobs that are available. Why don't the British unemployed do that?

Until people stop reading the Daily Mail these opinions will be allowed to perpetuate. Economic Migrants are not the same as Illegal Immigrants.

Is that aimed at me PPB? Because I came on here to refute the claim that there is a skills shortage in Britain. Plain and simple. I have no axe to grind about immigration.

I am lazy in thinking here you are right and my arguments should be backed up with a bit of oomph as well. I should research a bit more really. I don't want a row

On the Polish builder thingy;- My DH has been hit very very hard by polish workers indeed, but hey he can sign on when there is no more work, so that's alright then. He has never charged an extortionate price for anything BTW and has never ever taken anything from the state, he is 55.

But eventually these 'cheap builders' will become immersed in our society and need to charge a living wage when they settle and get bills, have to pay insurance, have children etc, so it wont last forever.

I'd be happy to serve Paul Dacre with a deportation order.

Someone mentioned racism. I guessed that would come up.

I agree Ready, If you read the DM you could be mistaken for thinking that immigrants (legal or illegal)/asylum seekers/refugees/benefit cheats/serial killers/rapists were all one and the same

I don't think any one person should be refused. I think everyone should be refused until further notice

I don't advocate the 'send em back' line either. Just think we should concentrate on making life better here and now for a while instead of taking on the worlds problems.

It's impossible to discuss immigration without the R word coming up UCM! It's a convenient way for politicians to duck the real issues IMO.

You are probably right UCM. At the moment we are benefiting from cheap labour so we can have all our cheap products and services. But eventually perhaps it will dilute the economy and we'll have to reduce our standard of living because of it.

Absolutely hippmummy - It's a worry that because the DailyMail is not a "red top" people give it more credence than it deserves.

Here Here Snafu - Paul Dacre is a disgrace!

But again, UCM (and I don't want a row either ) - how are we 'taking on the world's problems'? It's an honest question.

And what's 'until further notice'? I know your tongue is slightly in your cheek when you say that but, truly, when do you think that we'll have everything in the UK so sorted and lovely that we can then 'afford' to let migration recommence? When did this golden age of equality and prosperity exist previously, that we've now lost? (And wouldn't that - shock horror - just encourage even more of 'them' to come here anyway?? )

Do you not think that the USA/Australia/Canada have big social problems as well? Poverty? Crappy housing? Poor education?

if you were only allowed to live in this country if you were deemed worthy, were of good character and made a solid contribution to society, half those born here would be pushed off beachy head.

isnt it so easy to lay this countrys ills at the door of the newcomer?!!

Snafu, I read some stuff on here which made me think this.

As for taking on the worlds problems, that was a generalisation really.

1 million kiwis live outside of NZ.

1 in 10 British people live outside of Britain.

The immigrants that last the first 12 months probably stay. Which must be economically useful.

I'm not sure that NZ is very selective, except at times when the net gain is very high and it can afford to be.