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1 in 6 believe immigration has benefited the UK?

  • 03-09-2013 12:02AM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,219 ✭✭✭


    According to a survey of 20,000 people commissioned by Lord Ashcroft in the UK. Only 1 in 6 (approx 17%) of those surveyed thought immigration had brought more advantages than disadvantages. In addition, 79 per cent of respondents supported the message on the Home Office’s controversial “Go home or face arrest” advertising vans aimed at illegal immigrants.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10278665/1-in-6-believe-immigration-has-benefited-Britain.html

    Perhaps people aren't as in favour of immigration as our leaders and the left think? Is this a little worrying for Ireland and Europe too as we are heading down the same pro immigration road?


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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    The 1 in 6 who favoured immigration were all from Nigeria.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 93 ✭✭Dj Grimreefer


    1 in 6 people are also immigrants in the uk, could they be the same people voting in both polls???? 7 out of 20 people think so


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,656 ✭✭✭somefeen


    The 1 in 6 is probably a business owner delighted they can employ someone to work crazy hours in **** conditions and who doesn't know their rights.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 93 ✭✭redtapestyl


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 737 ✭✭✭Yellow121


    Atleast the immigrants who arrived in Britain haven't taken control of the land violently and made the natives suffer for centuries. Right?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,473 ✭✭✭Wacker The Attacker


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.

    True


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,973 ✭✭✭RayM


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.

    I see negative opinions on immigration throughout the media all the time. I'm not sure why people think you're not "allowed" to say the very things that they quite freely say (often with monotonous regularity).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,572 ✭✭✭✭brummytom


    I'm surprised it's that low.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,687 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    somefeen wrote: »
    The 1 in 6 is probably a business owner delighted they can employ someone to work crazy hours in **** conditions and who doesn't know their rights.

    This is a very valid point. I'm reminded of Marx's quote:
    But if a surplus labouring population is a necessary product of accumulation or of the development of wealth on a capitalist basis, this surplus population becomes, conversely, the lever of capitalistic accumulation, nay, a condition of existence of the capitalist mode of production.

    Karl Marx, Capital, vol. 1

    I'd add to that that employers enjoy having an 'employer's market' i.e. many people chasing the same job. It keeps workers passive and less demanding when they know they can be replaced.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,219 ✭✭✭woodoo


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.

    Thats true, there is a lot of effort put into silencing debate on the issue. Everything from being called a racist to being called stupid, unreasonable etc is used. That is part of the problem. The people have not really been asked if they are happy with current immigration levels.

    You don't hear any real debate on the radio, on current affairs programs, in the Dail, in the papers etc either?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,681 ✭✭✭bodice ripper


    Reading this has made me want to listen to The Wall. Can't think why...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 93 ✭✭Dj Grimreefer


    I hate those silent debates it's impossible to get a word in


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 369 ✭✭Friend Computer


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.

    Is that why you see them all the time on AH and elsewhere? Or did you mean freedom of speech isn't a one-way street where only you get to say what you want?

    I'm sorry the idea of people criticising you is so abhorrent.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,465 ✭✭✭Sir Humphrey Appleby


    woodoo wrote: »
    Perhaps people aren't as in favour of immigration as our leaders and the left think? Is this a little worrying for Ireland and Europe too as we are heading down the same pro immigration road?

    We have nowhere near the levels of immigration that the UK has, indeed the biggest non Irish national group here are from the UK.
    Do you really think people from all our former colonies are going to want to come here?:confused:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,730 ✭✭✭Potatoeman


    There seems to be self segregated comunities in the UK where people have no intention of integrating. Its not surprising this is causing tensions. There are also cultural values that will impeed any real acceptance of western lifestyle.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,371 ✭✭✭Phoebas


    Lapin wrote: »
    The 1 in 6 who favoured immigration were all from Nigeria.
    I wonder if any of the remaining 5/6 have ever emigrated.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,987 ✭✭✭Legs.Eleven


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.


    Indeed you are but just don't expect your opinions not to be challenged. That's a little unrealistic this being a discussion forum and all.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,687 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    woodoo wrote: »
    Everything from being called a racist to being called stupid, unreasonable etc is used.

    Unfortunately immigration debates tend to attract racists, the stupid, the unreasonable, the dim, the angry at everything, the 'knows-what-they're-against' but not what they're for types.

    Bad weather? Blame the immigrants.

    Soup too salty? Blame the immigrants.

    Shoelaces come undone? Blame the immigrants.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,166 ✭✭✭Beefy78


    When I go home I'm seeing more and more people scapegoating immigrants for pretty much every problem that Britain has got. It's a little bit scary, to be honest. It's no surprise to me at all that UKIP is doing so well at the moment.

    I think a lot of the problem is the lack of any informed debate on the topic. Both the left and the right use such hyperbole and throw around accusations of racism so freely that no one has the opportunity to bring up any salient points or counter-points without being labelled as being either then next Hitler or some looney lefty who wants to pitch up at Dover and give a mountain of tax money to everyone as they come off of the next ferry.

    Britain has benefited massively from immigration and I think it's a shame that in ten years time we won't be a part of the EU any more (in my opinion). I wonder who we will blame for all of our problems then.


  • Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 35,948 Mod ✭✭✭✭dr.bollocko


    Unfortunately immigration debates tend to attract racists, the stupid, the unreasonable, the dim, the angry at everything, the 'knows-what-they're-against' but not what they're for types.

    Bad weather? Blame the immigrants.

    Soup too salty? Blame the immigrants.

    Shoelaces come undone? Blame the immigrants.

    And then the aforementioned slack jaws complain that their "legitimate" views have been silenced unfairly by the PC police when, in fact, they were just incapable of forming a solid argument without being a complete racist.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    We have nowhere near the levels of immigration that the UK has, indeed the biggest non Irish national group here are from the UK.
    Do you really think people from all our former colonies are going to want to come here?:confused:

    When were Nigeria, Poland and China Irish colonies?

    Its got feck all to do with former colonies, it's all about work. People don't emigrate to poor countries.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,165 ✭✭✭enda1


    Page 158 of the OECD's report on the economic impact of imigration would argue that the UK has net benefited at least economically from imigration.

    Of course it doesn't say anything about social or other implications. A lot of negative sentiment and social exclusion is formed however on the basis of spurious economic feelings so I wonder if the mindset were to shift in understanding of the economic impact, would social issues become less fraught?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,465 ✭✭✭Sir Humphrey Appleby


    When were Nigeria, Poland and China Irish colonies?

    Its got feck all to do with former colonies, it's all about work. People don't emigrate to poor countries.

    Poland is the EU and the poles have integrated well into Irish society as have most other EU citizens.
    As for Nigerian, Chinese,etc they make up a tiny percentage of the population here, we are far from overrun with non EU immigrants.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Leftist


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.

    this comment sums it up perfectly. We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration.

    Not a defined aspect of immigration, but immigration as a whole.

    That is to say: we're not allowed to have a negative impact on outsiders coming in.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,420 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    Beefy78 wrote: »
    When I go home I'm seeing more and more people scapegoating immigrants for pretty much every problem that Britain has got. It's a little bit scary, to be honest. It's no surprise to me at all that UKIP is doing so well at the moment.

    I think a lot of the problem is the lack of any informed debate on the topic. Both the left and the right use such hyperbole and throw around accusations of racism so freely that no one has the opportunity to bring up any salient points or counter-points without being labelled as being either then next Hitler or some looney lefty who wants to pitch up at Dover and give a mountain of tax money to everyone as they come off of the next ferry.

    Britain has benefited massively from immigration and I think it's a shame that in ten years time we won't be a part of the EU any more (in my opinion). I wonder who we will blame for all of our problems then.

    Not sure would that be a bad thing, will it not give Britain more control on the amount of people allowed to enter their country?

    Immigration was handled badly here IMO, in 2004 we basically went from having little or no migration here to the floodgates being opened in a matter of months and I'm not sure the country was ready for that.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred



    Immigration was handled badly here IMO, in 2004 we basically went from having little or no migration here to the floodgates being opened in a matter of months and I'm not sure the country was ready for that.

    All those immigrants rented apartments, which put demand up, which meant more building, more immigrants needed to work on building sites and therefore more demand for apartments and onwards went the property spiral.

    Then they went home.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,420 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    All those immigrants rented apartments, which put demand up, which meant more building, more immigrants needed to work on building sites and therefore more demand for apartments and onwards went the property spiral.

    Then they went home.

    Yeah and look where that got us, a country in debt to it's hole for years to come.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Poland is the EU and the poles have integrated well into Irish society as have most other EU citizens.
    As for Nigerian, Chinese,etc they make up a tiny percentage of the population here, we are far from overrun with non EU immigrants.

    The EU is irrelevant, an immigrant is an immigrant be they from India, Ireland or Poland. It has more to do with people looking for a better way of life or more opportunities than feeling obliged to go to the home of their former colonial masters.

    Generally, integration has worked well and whilst I'd agree, parts of the UK look more like Lahore then Yorkshire, the Uk is mot over run with immigrants.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,567 ✭✭✭✭Fratton Fred


    Yeah and look where that got us, a country in debt to it's hole for years to come.

    Reckless lending, greed and incompetent government played a bigger part, that created and fuelled the demand. Immigration was more of a side effect than a cause.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    We're not allowed to have negative opinions on immigration I'm afraid.

    Oh but you are. The usual suspects say it on each and every thread that even remotely pertains to immigration, multiculturalism, foreigners, Muslims etc etc.

    It's as predictable as night follows day.


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