Alex Massie Alex Massie

Immigration: A Question of Patriotism

Ben Brogan’s column in the Telegraph urges David Cameron to get tough on immigration and act quickly. He need have no fear on that front. Since Labour seemed to have decided – erroneously – that immigration cost them the election the Conservatives and Labour are racing one another to see who can be beastliest about and to folk born outside the United Kingdom. He writes:

It [immigration] fell [from 233,000] to 163,000 in 2008, but only because more people left the country. The number of people entering Britain that year actually rose, from 574,000 to 590,000. Even now, they keep on coming, drawn to a country that offers more opportunities (and even greater welfare support) than just about anywhere else.

Well yes: if you count immigrants when the come, you should also count them when they leave too. And the majority of them do leave, you know. Then again, the logic of Brogan’s own argument seems to be that Britain should be a country that offers fewer opportunities. Who knows, maybe the public will like that?

It’s unfortunate that Brogan seems to be a paid-up member of the Neather “conspiracy,” and a shame too that he presents immigrants as some kind of invading horde. Nevertheless, he is right to mention welfare since one way to reduce immigration would be to provide more competition for the kinds of jobs immigrants often find themselves doing when they first arrive on these shores. 

You don’t have to look far to find employers complaining that they struggle to find workers. This isn’t necessarily because they’re running a sweat-shop or offering poor wages. No, it’s because immigrants are prepared to do hard but unglamorous jobs – in agriculture say-  and are likely, much of the time, to be more reliable than the “natives” who disdain this work while also complaining about the foreigners “stealing” it from them.

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