2011 Census - Rise in foreign-born residents

John_Pierpoint

I tend to agree with you, London is a much more vibrant place than it was in the 1950's

BUT how many of my fellow 7,000,000,000 world citizens would not come here if I gave then a one way airline ticket?

I also somewhat resent someone addressing me who is hiding behind some sort of face mask - be it ostentatious sun glasses (USA gum chewing cop style), "stig" style crash helmet or medieval religion burqa.

prowla

I don't get the face mask thing, I have to say.

There's a new Lone Ranger movie coming out next year, or alternatively we could all wear Kiss style make-up.

John_Pierpoint

I cannot communicate through a two way mirror with courtesy & the little pleasantries of life, which oil interactions in a society. Don't much like using the automatic checkout either, especially when it reports "unrecognised item in bagging......."

What is "Kiss" make up - something similar to facial tattoos?
Have you got a picture?

[The naked ape is designed to be able to recognise 100s of faces - its what gave us an edge over the bigger brained Neanderthals ?]

zagubov

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

The EU legislation, no but as someone else posted, this information is the standard Danish entry requirements so easily available and the site they posted is one of the main ones. Here's the bit about Norway and Iceland on the preceding page to the link above:

"Citizens of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are free to enter, reside, study and work in Denmark. They do not need a visa, residence or work permit".

That really irks me as I recall from Uni history that the UK had to give up its historic, favourable links with commonwealth countries as a condition of entry into the then EEC.

BTW in the UK we (our leaders on our behalf) seem happy to take on the role of pantomime baddy (like the seasonal reference?) in the EU but watching closely behind the curtains and happy to let the UK take the heat for saying what they think too, the Swedes and Danes are just as EU-sceptic as us and that's despite it not having had as much impact on them as it has for us per my earlier post.

To give an example of how little impact the EU has had in DK, I was asked many times by people who knew I was British, 'can you work in Denmark?' I woud refer them to the EU which DK joined (on the same day as the UK) often before they were born!

This sounds analogous to the Benelux countries which were partially integrated in many ways before they took part in the EU and still are as the Benelux group still survives within and despite the EU. Their currencies were linked I believe, and they're all in NATO and joined the then ECD at the same time.

The Nordic countries have a similar arrangement and share a national airline (SAS). They're not all in NATO or the EU or Schengen or EFTA (but they're in the EEA). Greenland looks like it might be leaving some of these organisations but I'm not sure.This graphic covers much of the information quite well.

When we joined we brought Gibraltar in with us, but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, oddly enough. NZ and probably Oz had to fend for themselves.

John_Pierpoint

To quote Norman Tebbit - Who do they vote for in the European Song Contest ? - that is what really defines one as a citizen of Europe.

There are too many flags with red white and green stripes in them, in the above graphic.
At least he union jack is instantly recognisable - until the Scots try to nick what is left of N.Sea oil.

When we joined we brought Gibraltar in with us, but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, oddly enough. NZ and probably Oz had to fend for themselves.

Best thing that happened to those down under ?
Was it the Naval base in Gibraltar or an opportunity to dump a liability & some more unemployed on the Spanish government.

Hi Hong Kong how is it going?

abankerbutnotafatcat

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

To quote Norman Tebbit - Who do they vote for in the European Song Contest ? - that is what really defines one as a citizen

I'd always vote for the best song (I'm with Terry Wogan on that one!) but no one else seems to...!

artbaron

prowla wrote: »

On the one hand, it is good that people want to come here and the different cultures enrich us

I'm going to go ahead and ask you what this means. I'm not necessarily disagreeing but these phrases are bandied about continually and I've never yet heard anybody explain them. Multiculturalism brings 'vibrancy', different cultures 'enrich' us, 'diversity' should be 'celebrated'. It seems to me just an ethnic version of BS Bingo, all sound-bite and no substance.

It's clear to most people, apart from maybe Nick Griffin, that many individuals from abroad are beneficial to Britain and British society in a variety of ways, for example education, work ethic, honesty, geniality, altruism and willingness to integrate (and it should be equally clear that some are not.) But all these are personal attributes and not intrinsic advantages of some ill-thought-out concept of ethnicity or culture. How can simply being a different ethnicity, or observing an alternative culture, be of benefit to others? Can it on its own really be said to 'enrich' others' lives or introduce 'vibrancy' into society?

My view is that selective immigration, taken from a pool of all countries, is not only desirable, it's essential. But selective is the key word here. An open border policy combined with this reasonless celebration of all things ethnic, often at the expense of British culture which is generally sneered at as inferior or non-existent, is a recipe for disaster. It's not in the slightest racist or bigoted to say that if someone doesn't get a grip on this situation within the next 10 years this country will flush itself straight down the crapper.

olly300

zagubov wrote: »

This sounds analogous to the Benelux countries which were partially integrated in many ways before they took part in the EU and still are as the Benelux group still survives within and despite the EU. Their currencies were linked I believe, and they're all in NATO and joined the then ECD at the same time.

The Nordic countries have a similar arrangement and share a national airline (SAS). They're not all in NATO or the EU or Schengen or EFTA (but they're in the EEA). Greenland looks like it might be leaving some of these organisations but I'm not sure.This graphic covers much of the information quite well.

Eire and the UK have a special arrangement.

For example other EU citizens can't vote in our parliamentary elections and they cannot force us to allow them.

Another one is that someone I know wanted to be a Special but couldn't because while she was educated in the UK as she was not a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen she couldn't.

So complaining because the Nordic and Benelux countries have their own historical special arrangements within the EU is pointless as we have them as well.

zagubov

olly300 wrote: »

Eire and the UK have a special arrangement.

For example other EU citizens can't vote in our parliamentary elections and they cannot force us to allow them.

Another one is that someone I know wanted to be a Special but couldn't because while she was educated in the UK as she was not a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen she couldn't.

So complaining because the Nordic and Benelux countries have their own historical special arrangements within the EU is pointless as we have them as well.

Quite right and a very good point. And do we imagine that Baltic EU states or Greece and Cyprus (and who knows how many others?) don't have special relationships?

abankerbutnotafatcat

olly300 wrote: »

Eire and the UK have a special arrangement.

For example other EU citizens can't vote in our parliamentary elections and they cannot force us to allow them.

Another one is that someone I know wanted to be a Special but couldn't because while she was educated in the UK as she was not a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen she couldn't.

So complaining because the Nordic and Benelux countries have their own historical special arrangements within the EU is pointless as we have them as well.

Except that Ireland is in the EU as well.

I believe that's the reason that Ireland isn't in Schengen, if it joined it would lose its common border agreement with the UK which as well as being convenient for all concerned, presumably saves Ireland quite a bit of money condsidering all these non-EU citizens who must land in London (and therefore be processed by UK Border Control) before getting a connecting flight to Ireland.

Denmark imposes a residency restriction on non-Nordic EU citizens but not on certain non-EU citizens. Fact. The only comparable would be our crown dependencies such as the Channel Islands but they are not clear, separate nation states as Norway is.

Anyway, in pointing out the Nordic passport union, and it wasn't a 'moan' it was a side point and an illustration of the inequity of the situation, my main point was this: contrary to popular belief, THE UK HAS THE RIGHT TO RESTRICT EU RESIDENCE BUT CHOOSES NOT TO.