are you worried about immigration?

[victoriapeckham]

This is a tricky one but I ve Just seen that Channel 4 programme Immigration is a Timebomb which has left me feeling uneasy about Islamic immigrants. The Tories are really making it an election issue with their 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking' posters. Now the police are saying 200 Al Queida trained terrorists are wandering about Britain, do you think immigration has gone too far?

[Gobbledigook]

Being poorly paid is an excuse for turning to crime is it? Plenty of people are paid a pittance and lead a perfectly law abiding life.

[Gwenick]

gobble - how many people do you know who are workign legally for £1 a day, for a 12hr shift????

[welshmum]

The Tories can't win the election by banging on about the state of the economy so they've gone back to something they know guarantees them constant coverage in the Daily Mail/Sun.
They've also bought in a man who helped John Howard win 4 or 5 elections in Australia. This chap masterminded the strategy around the treatment of the immigrants on that ship the Tampa - where they were said to be so desperate to get into Oz they were throwing their children overboard. A story that was later proved to be untrue.
This is what you have to watch out for individual stories blown up out of all proportion from which no real conclusion can be drawn - save the drive to scare us all into believing our country has gone down the tubes.
Ask yourself 'What is my and my families real experience of terrorism, immigration, health, education, the economy?' and vote on that - not what you are told is the reality. If it's not your reality - don't buy it.

[Gobbledigook]

None personally but there are people living on the streets that don't go robbing and mugging and they earn nothing.

[SecondhandRose]

What about the huge rises in TB in London, Enfield has an incredible TB rate. We are going back full circle back to Victorian times when this was rife. HIV is another problem with immigrant workers who come from certain African countries.

[Gwenick]

the British illegal immigrants! just found this while looking for something else!!! Ok they're having fun while doing it - but it's still illegal!

[Gwenick]

and I'm yet to see the 'facts' that these illegal immigrants are responsible for so much crime anyhow......

[SecondhandRose]

Health - my experience is watching my Dad die of MRSA in a dirty hospital when he went in there with something completely different.

Education don't use it after my son was accused of having ADHD. Economy, we are taxed up to the eyeballs. Thankfully no terrorism personally except what we read and hear.

[Prufrock]

Firstly welcome back bossykate. That sq bird was OK, but we missed the real thing.

I am not at all worried about immigrants. I am very worried by the governments policy on them. It seems to encourage ghettoisation rather than integration. I find it appalling that both Labour and the Conservatives find it morepolitically expedient to scare people and encourage blame to be put onto immigrants than provide a positive view of the need for them, and the huge contribution that they have made, and could make to our society.

I also think politicians should educate people more about the difference between asylum seekers and immigrants - they are not the same (although I would welcome both)

[Gwenick]

oooo prufock - you must have been reading my mind - I was just about to comment about the media using the terms "illegal immigrants", "aslyum seekers" and "immigrants" interchangeably too!

[colditzmum]

Secondhandrase - it is sad that your dad died of MRSA, and I feel for you, but I don't think immigrants were directly involved.

[welshmum]

Am sorry about your dad Rose - and if you think that situation wouldn't have happened if another party was in charge then I think that's what should influence your vote.
I do think we would be a better people if we voted according to what we had experienced - not according to scare stories in the press.

[motherinferior]

The rise in TB is not simply an 'immigrant' story. According to a BBC story from a couple of weeks ago: Last year 185,000 people were tested for TB at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, only about 200 were found to be infected.

And Dr John Moore-Gillon, of the British Lung Foundation, said: "TB is not simply imported, we are seeing a rise in many sections of the UK-born population as well."

[Flossam]

Gwenwick my DP is a policeman.

But it does seem like compared to other places it is relatively easy to access this country. Which them makes me wonder why people have to come here illegally at all?

[piffle]

the 200 al q terrorist walking around are not specified to be immigrants are they?
Islam is a huge religion, (potentially the worlds largest in a decade it has been reported) in varying degrees of application, some more orthodix then others, same as Judaism and Christianity. I think learning to live and work alongside Islam is as much a necessity as excluding Jonny Foreigner on the count of religious allegiance!
My mother and my husbands parents are Irish and were openly hated upon arriving here.
Tolerance is absolutely the key and why does no one ever ask why the heck are we a terrorist target, why is the US so hated amongst Islamic fundamentalists.
Look at adjusting foreign policy, sticking our military might and diplomatic force in the RIGHT bloody countries, instead of poaching economic targets, which will pay back the cost of the rescue mission.
Immigration is fine, by all means restrict immigrants to a points system as NZ and Australia do, this will NOT affect humanatarian refugees, which is what fuels the Tory fire the most.
How can you possibly legislate against persecuted races of people seeking refuge.
This is not just a UK issue it is a worldwide one. The UK has helped create these victims of war and conflict so it is cause and effect really.
Christ I will go on and on, this whole issue and they way it is debated in the media makes my blood boil
I know not all immigrants are desirable people, plenty of our own citizens are damned that way too!!! Pity we still can't send all to Australia still huh!

[SecondhandRose]

No I know immigrants weren't involved, don't worry I'm not mad. Like I said my problem is the 'knock on effect' on services.

[ghosthouse]

Badmamma - I watched the Channel 4 programme and the only thing about immigration which concerns me is what you highlighted.

Britain is a Western secular democracy and some of the laws of Islam are not conducive to this type of culture. Whilst it may only be subtle and nothing great to fear, I do worry about what we might have to change in the future that we take for granted now.

I have read other articles about this, so this Channel 4 programme was not my first introduction to this.

Not so long ago a Muslim group protested about a billboard advertising underwear being too close to their Mosque. There's been the school uniform case recently. Infant circumcision is carried out unlawfully. What freddoms should British people be expected to give up to make Britain a good place to live for Islamic followers.

Whilst I agree British Expats tend to emmigrate and stick to other Brits, I don't think they expect to adopt another country and flount the current laws and customs.

As a woman and an atheist, I cannot help but being slightly concerned about what freedoms might have to be given up in the very distant future.

Of course, this is not something which keeps me awake at night or currently affects me, it just feels like something that needs to kept and eye on.

[ghosthouse]

Sorry - didn't mean to imply ALL the infant circumcisions are carried out unlawfully.

[ghosthouse]

I think, what I am trying to say, in a nutshell, is what should come first when living in Britain. Islamic law or British law?

[ghosthouse]

As for worrying about immigrants being terrorist - not at all. If they're going to do something they'll find a way into the country.

Re- Immigrant workers as a whole.... not a problem excpet that I feel our country is already overcrowded. Perhaps we could do a deal and take a whole load of immigrant workers and then ship out a whole load of lazy scumbag Brits who do nothing to contribute to Britain as an exchange

[cloudy]

Is there any serious chance of Islamic law supersedng British laws at the moment? Sounds like scaremongering to even suggest that... what is the Islamic % of the population at the moment? Maybe 4-5%? Anyway, most (>50%, I think) new immigrants (or asylum seekers) are from Eastern Europe, and they're almost entirely not Muslims.

[cloudy]

ps: I am an immigrant, myself, but nobody complains about people like me... because I'm white and a native English speaker. I don't know if I think those are the right reasons to think people like me are ok.

[suedonim]

No, not worried. Everyone should read this book. Bloody Foreigners by Robert Winder.

[stitch]

ghosthouse i dont understand what you meant about unlawful infant circumcision. lots of people have it done on the nhs!