Multiculturalism has failed, says Angela Merkel. Has it failed in Britain?

[mycounty]

"The Approach to build a multicultural society and live side by side has failed, utterly failed". Says Ms. Merkel. Has it failed in Britain? Particularly when we remember that all of the 7/7 bombers were British born? It appears the bombers had no allegiance to this country.
I think it has failed, just as it has in Germany.

Goodnight

Ha ha, Actually, I'd say Haringey probably wins it.

G'night.

If the third generation migrants cannot speak the language of the country they hold citizenship of - should they be stripped of that citizenship as well as the social benefits that come with the latter?

living here in cumbria we are lucky as there is no multiculture there are no immigrants, apart from east europeans who have taken local jobs as the local people cant afford to live here on the minimum wage were as they do by up to 10 at a time renting a house, the off comers who run the tourist business love it but not the locals.
its intresting that areas such as here the rural counties dont have the crime rates that multi areas do

thereiver Are you suggesting something like this, a report form the Sunday Times going back to 2003! 'Foreign prisoners outnumber UK citizens in British jails for the first time, in modern penal history.
1 in 7 of the record 74,000 in jail is now a foreign citiizen. One south London jail has over 400 jamaican inmates' Wouldn't you just love to live in South London!
14 percent of prisoners are now foreign. I love multculturalism don't you?

I'm not sure multicultural means the same when you're loaded and your dcs go to private schools. Race and culture are disguised when shielded with wealth. Where I live immigration actually means large pockets of poor immigrants, or rather near to where I live. We don't have a rich Jewish quarter or affluent areas if mini India. We have front line immigration, so it's not so easy for tolerance to manifest.

I think multiculturalism means living at peace side by side, so yes multiculturalism has failed.

I just think that sadly human nature (of all races) stops multiculturalism working properly in most countries. Most people, unless they are educated otherwise both AT HOME and school can fall prey to the type of resentments and prejudices that lead to racism.
Even in my family which is mixed race some relatives will happily badmouth a 'foreigner' yet themselves have a foreign background. Pathetic, really.
Now here's a non-PC comment: bit ill-advised of the Germans to comment on race, considering their history of 'tolerance' IYKWIM.

Well, this has got very bitchy hasn't it.

Alot of this has to do with the recession I'm sure. I've never come across this and I've lived in and out of London.

We ARE multicultural country as if we weren't we wouldn't have had 10 pages of (weak) argument.

I come down firmly on the side of multiculturalism (my definition of) and without it I wouldn't have done so well in life as I wouldn't be multilingual - wouldn't have been able to work of people from different cultures etc.Wouldn't be able to laugh at the utter tosh that some people like to say.

AM is talking about germany. This isn't germany and the UK boasts the only global city in the europe and that's just what we are. It's not going to change now is it.

'bit ill-advised of the Germans to comment on race, considering their history of 'tolerance' '

As very few people proportionately in Germany now had anything whatever to do with deeds relating to Hitler and WW2, why shouldn't they? You'd have to be about 83 or over to have been a part of what went on.

Germany has 1 in 5 of its people born outside of Germany, which is more than we have. Germany has more immigrants than us. So Germany is not really insular or provincial.

I think it could work if everyone pulled together to make it work, However, intergration must come from both sides. The first step to integration I think is language and those who are not willing to learn to reach out into the community do not make a good immpression on Brits or longer term immigrants who have worked and studied hard to be here. I think British folk are scared, scared that their culture is being lost and abandoned but isn't that partly our fault also for not taking care to preserve it and be proud of it? Every country and every person has some pride of their home country no matter where they come from and there is nothing wrong with that, it's when this pride and stubborness is forced upon other people and communities that a problem arises.

Errmmmm....not sure I make sense there but just thinking aloud!

well said abr1de, is it only the Germans who aren't allowed to comment on race?

Bee - agree re language. AT some point you need to learn the language of the host country. But tbh - I live here in London and it's the europeans (inlcuding my husband's cousin) that are are often not taking up the language challenge

And when it comes to British culture being lost I don't quite understand what that is? I find scottish/welsh culture different but it's British isn't it? So we've been multicultural for quite some time.

British history,culture? Yes the welsh,scots and Irish have a lot more interesting cultural aspects than us boring old English.
Not sure it would go down too well with any of them asking what exactly British culture is though!

Europeans or not still need to intergrate if they want to be part of the community.
I live in London also (outskirts) Why should so much tax payers money be put into translation nowdays because of this and why should simple instructions have to be in every language under the sun? People need to take responsibility if they are going to move abroad just as I had to in the countries I lived in. (South Korea,Greece,Spain,Nigeria) I learnt greetings and basic lanugage skills in all of these places not because I am smart or better than anyone else but purely out of respect for the locals.

Sorry abr1de, just stirring :). All germans ive met have been alright or not, same as anyone else. At least they have a female premier.
The recession here seems to have led to a lot of resentment against european immigrants due to the competition for low skilled jobs, low cost housing and school places.
I blame the media firmly for the anti-muslim sentiment. I hear people slagging off muslims who don't even know what islam is.

I also have one polish/Russian grandmother and one dutch grandmother who came over in their young adult lives and speak perfect English. Both married British men, My husband is Nigerian and speaks perfect English also so if some can do it why can't others?

Yup I see what you mean.

I have non european background too - and itsn't great beebuzzer that we're multiligual as a result? I'm grateful actually.

Yes, I agree Give but so much better when you are prepared for it too. Some people do so well over here and they work bloody hard for it and for those people I have most admiration.

Yes and that's actually what makes britain a a multicultural country.

I'm pleased that ds has access to more languagues than me (his dad is from southern europe) - We have four languages and that's a tall order for a kid but no matter the very important thing is that he can mix who whoever and whenever without thinking other people are odd, or without patronising them etc. and in fact just meeting everyone face one. - and that's what makes him multicultural and pretty much everyone I kow is like that.

I certainly won't be one of the people taking my kids away from schools that have asians, jews, chinese etc. He'll do no better or worse for it. He's had friends at nursery who couldn't speak English (just arrived) and they were all fine and these kids speak english very quickly.

But I do get the idea about adults not willing to learn the lingo. As I said my dh's cousin been here four years and anticipated that any child of hers would be able to act as an interpreter - well she has a kid now and he's doing it and I find that very sad in a 5 year old.

'Sorry abr1de, just stirring .'

No problems!

I meant face on and not 'face one'.

And bee - perhaps the non english union country cultures are more interesting as they haven't had the level of incomers we had at the outset?

I have a mini theory in that the further you are distanced from the host country in terms of language or history the more you are likely to make an effort wit the country.

My dh from southern europe and he does have family over here and when I'm with them they expect me to be able to understand their language (I do) but I wonder whether it's do to with the fact that their home country is not very far way.

If they were literally the other side of the world I wonder if they'd make more of an effort with the host language.

If I wanted to move to Italy I would learn the language, join in local customs and assimilate Italian life. I think generally people like having a range of people living here but the sort of people that fit in, not those who refuse to be as tolerant of British culture as expected of their own.

Maybe give, because its easier to jet off back home if problems arise?
I am (was ) a teacher of English as a foreign language for 6 years. Over here in the UK I would have mostly Spanish students,quite a few Italians, very few Germans as they tend to speak remarkable English anyway, hardly any French and a few from eastern Europe. We would also get a few students from the middle east and Asia but not as many as one would have imagined in a big city like Manchester or London. I had one student too who was illiterate in his own language and altough he found learning very difficult he turned up to every lesson, bless him!
I agree Posie! It actually really annoys me and I do feel kind of sad when I walk trough London and hear so many different languages.I think parents need to set their children an example too.

Angela Merkel is using the immigration debate to shore popular opinion as the polls are showing little support for her CSU party at the moment. Presumably she saw by the support shown towards Sarazin earlier this year, that attacking immigration and multi-culturalism would win her votes.

Sadly, it is not just German politicians who typically use populist intolerant messages to increase their popularity with the voters.

And anyone bemoaning the fact that immigrants do not assimilate and learn the language, should go to Costa del Sol to see how many of the expat Brits speak Spanish.

My children, btw, started school in Switzerland 2 years ago at age 4yo and 6yo. They knew no French and are now fluent. As are the other children of foreign parents.

IMO, what language the children speak is less important that the help and support that the children have at home, and the attitude of the parents towards school.