Ask an Immigrant thread

lostinrates

I think the biggest point that needs tobe made to some of the immigration-phobes is the possibilities of 'us' going elsewhere.

Yes, EU migrants can come here, and we can go to other EU countries too. DH and I did just this as a career move for him, and it has given DH insight gained and skills acquired to apply in a UK workplace.

Incidently, I'm trying to think of a place in the world I've been and not stumbled across British people?

TotallyBroke

nm1213 wrote: »

1.
9 - Do you think we are a 'soft touch' on the 'wrong sort' of immigrant, and if so, how can we improve things?

A - Yes absolutely. I've worked damn hard to overcome the challenges of moving continents and settling in a place I now call home. I've had to jump through a lot of hoops, and legal immigration is very expensive... and there are many restrictions. Yet, say you go to a place like Brick Lane or Southall... you meet many wonderful people. Sometimes I can't help but wonder how some of them managed to get into the country, knowing just how hard it is to do this legally.

Some of them don't. There are an awful lot of illegals in Southall. But it is catching them and then holding them at Heathrow to deport them. They like to escape!!!
Also with the Asians of Southall it is amazing the amount of single adults still go back home to marry a wife/husband and then bring them back here a year or so later.

brummybloke

i think most people dont have a problem with people with working skills who speak english and come over to the UK legally and adhere to the rules and laws of the UK.

when the UK accepts financial migrants from afghan, iraq, india, pakistan, china, nigeria, congo, somalia and other such places and then once over here pretend they have no documents and claim asylum then scrounge off the state while working for cash off mafia types from these countries and making affordable areas into ghetto slums then people tend to get slightly miffed.

and yes i did work for 8 years in a large area of birmingham where this happens, i have seen the influx of certain nationalities and what it has done to the people of that area.
i saw it on a daily basis for those 8 years so rather than sitting in some world of make believe where nobody does anything wrong and all 'immigrants' or 'asylum seekers' are genuine honest victims, i saw what the majority who settled in that area were really like.

a huge difference between them and qualified professionals getting employment in areas which for what ever reason, require these expert staff.

Wookster

nm1213 wrote: »

Sometimes I can't help but wonder how some of them managed to get into the country, knowing just how hard it is to do this legally.

I'm afraid the way the migration system works here is that those who play by the rules find life incredibly tough and those who are willing to play the system get by fairly easy.

nm1213

brummybloke wrote: »

i think most people dont have a problem with people with working skills who speak english and come over to the UK legally and adhere to the rules and laws of the UK.

when the UK accepts financial migrants from afghan, iraq, india, pakistan, china, nigeria, congo, somalia and other such places and then once over here pretend they have no documents and claim asylum then scrounge off the state while working for cash off mafia types from these countries and making affordable areas into ghetto slums then people tend to get slightly miffed.

and yes i did work for 8 years in a large area of birmingham where this happens, i have seen the influx of certain nationalities and what it has done to the people of that area.
i saw it on a daily basis for those 8 years so rather than sitting in some world of make believe where nobody does anything wrong and all 'immigrants' or 'asylum seekers' are genuine honest victims, i saw what the majority who settled in that area were really like.

a huge difference between them and qualified professionals getting employment in areas which for what ever reason, require these expert staff.

Your last two paragraphs hit the nail on the head I think. Why focus on tightening legal skill/merit means-tested immigration when the real problem is how we as a society deal with those less fortunate?

There are a lot of people who abuse a lenient "soft-touch" system designed to help those in true hardship. Collectively, we need to decide if it is acceptable to tolerate the abusers so that we better the lives of those who truly deserve a chance in life.

In times of economic hardship, people tend to be less tolerant and that is fine. However, I think a lot of people are focusing on the wrong problem. As an immigrant, I'm not the problem. It is our moral compass that is the problem.

mardatha

Its a bit sad that if this thread was a rant against immigrants then there would be hordes of replies- all in agreement. When somebody tries to start an open and fair discussion then suddenly everybody is either joking or out.
I find people are people, wherever and whatever . Some are nice, some are pains in the a$$. And knowing the history of WW2, it's really really sad that people are so ready to do it all again. There's always the odd wolf padding around the flock, looking for victims who will believe nationalist howling .... DON'T BE SHEEP ! Be open, be fair, be interested in your fellow humans , we are all on this one wee planet, try and make it better, not worse !!

ruggedtoast

TotallyBroke wrote: »

Some of them don't. There are an awful lot of illegals in Southall. But it is catching them and then holding them at Heathrow to deport them. They like to escape!!!
Also with the Asians of Southall it is amazing the amount of single adults still go back home to marry a wife/husband and then bring them back here a year or so later.

Previously it hasnt been hard at all. You apply to some dodgy visa factory in Whitechapel, give them a few grand, you they give you a letter saying you're on some non existent course and thats it, you're in the country.

If the Home Office check then as far as the visa factory is concerned you're a grade A student and have perfect attendance.

Its always made a complete mockery of legitimate private schools that do check attendance.

The UK government, both Labour and Tory have been more than well aware of these scams going on for years and have done nothing about it. Largely because although there have been social problems brewing for years in the working class areas they affect (which they dont much care about); the illegal workers have depressed wage bills nicely for plump white collar "captains of industry" (who they do care about).

Under the new points based system this is all changing this year. Its all pretty shambolic so far and Universities and Colleges who rely on internationals for their funding are getting quite worried about how much the HO is going to !!!! it up. However it is going to become quite stringent.

nm1213

Wookster wrote: »

I'm afraid the way the migration system works here is that those who play by the rules find life incredibly tough and those who are willing to play the system get by fairly easy.

I'm actually willing to accept that a certain percentage of people will play the system. Do a study, publish the numbers, and keep them within a certain range. That is all I really ask from our government when it comes to dealing with abuse.

I sleep better knowing that honest albeit unfortunate people are getting a second chance at life even with a flawed system that is too lenient on abuse.

penguine

obsessed_saver wrote: »

NHS service is appaling, but luckily I have BUPA private health insurance via my job which I have used to get my knee sorted a few years ago.

Coming from the US where I didn't have health insurance for most of my adult life (as it wasn't included with the jobs I was doing at the time and I couldn't afford to pay the premiums myself) I think the NHS is brilliant. It's not perfect, but there is a clear right to complain if something goes wrong plus legal requirements that your complaint be addressed.

It's much better than going to an emergency room and being told (as I was at the age of 21), "Yes, you might have appendicitis but if we examine you to be sure then we'll have to charge you $200".

I don't agree with the idea that immigrants shouldn't be able to get health care on the NHS for the first 5 years they're here as I think health care is a fundamental human right. Plus it's not very cost effective in the long run if someone has a medical condition which ends up costing the NHS more in the long run if it's gone untreated for years.

nm1213

penguine wrote: »

Coming from the US where I didn't have health insurance for most of my adult life (as it wasn't included with the jobs I was doing at the time and I couldn't afford to pay the premiums myself) I think the NHS is brilliant. It's not perfect, but there is a clear right to complain if something goes wrong plus legal requirements that your complaint be addressed.

It's much better than going to an emergency room and being told (as I was at the age of 21), "Yes, you might have appendicitis but if we examine you to be sure then we'll have to charge you $200".

I don't agree with the idea that immigrants shouldn't be able to get health care on the NHS for the first 5 years they're here as I think health care is a fundamental human right. Plus it's not very cost effective in the long run if someone has a medical condition which ends up costing the NHS more in the long run if it's gone untreated for years.

Whoops... I didn't see the separation of healthcare vs. social care. I agree, health care is a fundamental right and should be provided based on the contributions of the nation as a whole (remember, I've come from Canada). Social care of "benefits" as it is known here should be restricted till immigrants meet their residency criteria.