United Kingdom
Related: About this forumUK government pursuing vicious anti-immigrant response to migrant crisis
The Conservative government in the UK has stepped up its offensive against immigrants, with Home Secretary Theresa May stating in a Sunday Times op-ed column that net migration into the country is far too high.
Britain can not cope with an additional 330,000 people, she said, adding, Net migration at that volume is simply unsustainable. It puts pressure on infrastructure, such as housing and transportand public services, such as schools and hospitals.
Mays comments came the horrific death toll of desperate refugees fleeing war zones in the Middle East and Africa continues to rise. Thousands have perished, drowning in the Mediterranean Sea or asphyxiating in the back of lorries.
In a statement that contravenes Britains obligations under international law to accept refugees and asylum seekers, May said that the only migrants who should be allowed to stay in Britain are those from the Europe Union who have a job already lined up.
Read more: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/09/02/migr-s02.html
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)Middle East.
But, Palestinians in the Middle East are approved when they reject Jewish refugees from various parts of the world.
Is immigration by refugees or people who believe themselves to be in danger where they live good or bad?
How do you decide when it is OK and when not?
Are the Jews who went to the Palestinian area after the Holocaust to be blamed while Syrians who go to Europe to escape the ISIS blood bath are due sympathy. Or vice versa?
Or should all refugee immigration be treated with the same compassionate welcome?
LeftishBrit
(41,190 posts)and who has relatives who probably owe their existence to their own, or their parents' and grandparents', ability to get to Tel Aviv before the Holocaust:
These are nevertheless not remotely comparable issues. Israel's foundation involved the establishment of a whole new state. This involves existing countries giving refuge to what are relatively small numbers of people compared to the populations of the countries concerned.
And the UK is being worse than many countries in Europe. This is from June, but policies haven't changed much:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-two-graphs-that-shows-the-uks-abysmal-record-on-syrian-refugees-10333028.html
What is much more comparable is the UK's (and others') reluctance to admit Jewish refugees during the period leading up to the Holocaust.
Surveys as well as personal observation indicate that the UK suffers less than many other countries from most forms of bigotry (which is not to say that we are remotely free of them). We have less frank racism, less sexism, less homophobia than many other countries in Europe. But our Achilles heel is, and has always been, anti-immigrant bigotry.
thebighobgoblin
(179 posts)The migrant crisis is dangerous to the future of a Europe with Western values. The people who are entering Europe right now are entering Europe because they're fleeing a desperate humanitarian situation, which is something that we should all sympathize with. However, these migrants don't necessarily share European values or ideals, so they become absorbed into the population, but they're not going to be absorbed into the fabric of Europe's society and economy. They'll probably remain on the fringes, just like a lot have already.
LeftishBrit
(41,190 posts)This is the sort of thing that gets said about every immigrant group - and is rarely true of more than a few people.
There are some immigrants, like some native British people, who remain on the fringes of society; but most don't. And it's not an excuse for allowing people to be tortured and murdered at home, or drowned in desperate bids to escape.
thebighobgoblin
(179 posts)Then keep allowing uncontrolled migration of North Africans and people from the Levant.
LeftishBrit
(41,190 posts)Like all Americans bomb abortion clinics?
And we cannot 'keep allowing uncontrolled migration of North Africans and people from the Levant' because we never did.