Issue 148

Open doors or strict controls? - Emily Long Comments

06th November 2006

Within contemporary society the media continues to perpetuate fear within the British psyche.

Whether on a train, a taxi, in the pub, or even sitting in the doctors surgery, it seems impossible to escape the naïve, ignorant scaremongering regarding immigration.

Over the last decade, immigration has risen, increasing anxieties that the media have no doubt played a big part in contributing to, if not initiating.

Negativity and scare tactics are employed when covering aspects of immigration issues, which many readers amazingly buy into. According to the institute of Public Policy Research, more than sixty percent of the population feel there are too many immigrants in Britain. Why so?

Yes, immigration has risen, but this rise has been joined by sustained economic growth. We must not forget that immigrants are not simply consumers contributing to marked growth, but also important producers.

The myth of immigrants as 'benefit shoppers' must be dismissed. In fact, until granted refugee status, asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK, forcing them to claim the benefits for which they are criticised. The Home Secretary has in fact thanked migrant workers for their contributions to the economy. Reid praised them for putting more in through tax each year - 2.5 billion pounds - than they have taken out through benefits.

Ah, "but what about 'our' jobs?" I hear some say. "Immigrants are taking our work!" Myth. Britain's drudging, menial, working population is in actual fact declining, it seems the British don't want to clean toilets and mop floors. They want clean, sedentary jobs. Immigrants help fill this void in the market.

Britain's population is living longer, our low birth rate of 1.77% is decreasing so that in years to come we will be in a situation where we will need to import migrants to cater for the older population which need financing for pensions. Perhaps then opponents to immigration will change their mind.

Britain, amongst other nations, has exploited some of the countries from which we now receive immigrants, contributing to their present precarious situations that force them to search for a better way of life. Some could say we have a moral obligation to help these countries as a result.

Enlightened nations should want to alleviate the sufferings of human beings and to understand that people - and their families - want to lead a good life. Immigrants coming here view our country as a place that can give them that.

Living in an ethnically diverse, integrated society is something to be proud of. We should be taking steps to integrate successful immigrants more effectively into society, yet certain members of the public, seem to enjoy tarnishing this with often unsubstantiated exclamations against them.

In truth, there may never be a happy medium. People will always have different opinions, but let's stop swallowing scare-stories that the media indulge themselves in, and start to engage in a healthy debate for the benefit of all.

Emily Long