This week it emerged that 43% of people in the UK felt they could not voice their honest opinions about immigration in public. This is shocking, but after 20 years fighting against the proponents of unlimited immigration and open borders, it did not surprise us. It simply means that our work has never been more important. While the culture of the left tells concerned citizens that it is ‘racist’ or ‘bigoted’ to question the mass immigration agenda, we remain committed to shedding light on the damaging impact on our society of unchecked migration and poor border control.
Nearly thirty million people in Britain support tighter controls on immigration (see our briefing paper) although it may be true that public attitudes towards immigration appear to have become more accepting over the past year or so. This may be linked to a range of factors including strong public expectations of better control and lower immigration levels in the wake of Brexit, the temporary drop in arrivals due to Covid 19, the fact that the non-UK population has risen rapidly in recent years, and the influence of the media and education systems (see our briefing paper). It may also be linked to the fact that so many of the public are reluctant to speak their minds on immigration matters (see our recent tweet on this).
The key question is over the scale of immigration. The fact is that tens of millions want a reduction, and only a small share of between 5% and 15% say they want more immigration (see this summary). This is a critical issue for the millions who feel that they are not able to have their voices heard. We will do everything we can to ensure that their views are indeed represented.
Here’s what we have been doing this week at Migration Watch UK:
Blog of the week
We have published some research on the way Modern Slavery laws and human trafficking regulations appear to be open to abuse for immigration reasons. Once again, the language of human rights is weaponised and a piece of well-meant legislation may be fodder for exploitation by open borders advocates. The government should urgently look into this in more depth and, should they find abuse, take decisive action to stop it. You can read the full paper here.
Migration Watch in the media
Our Chairman Alp Mehmet was quoted in the media this week.
The Times: Thousands in Hong Kong sign up to BNO visa scheme for UK citizenship
‘This is really quite a significant opening to a lot of immigration without any thought given to the possible consequences or indeed any preparation made. This is at a time when clearly, as a result of Covid, things are difficult, jobs are going to be scarce, there’s going to be pressure on services. We’re adding to that an open-ended scheme to attract Hongkongers — it really doesn’t make sense.’
Alp has also responded to some of the major immigration stories of the week. You can read his comments below.
‘It is, for a change, reassuring to hear the Lord Chancellor lay into politically motivated lawyers who are deliberately helping to thwart British justice. The government’s proposals to streamline the rules on immigration and deportation are welcome. Treating dangerous criminals like blameless victims is an insult to UK citizens and legal migrants and has to stop.’
NME: David Olusoga BBC documentary will celebrate immigrant workforce in the NHS
‘The mass immigration lobby continually cite the NHS as an example of the unalloyed good flowing from mass immigration. Covid-19 has of course inflicted massive additional pressures on a service that was already short of trained medical staff, including doctors and nurses. But this particular wound was largely self-inflicted because we simply didn’t train sufficient numbers of our own. Sucking talent from developing countries is not the answer. It is immoral. Platitudes about ‘diversity’ in the NHS are little more than a smokescreen for the shameful failure to train sufficient numbers ourselves.’
‘I understand why a Border Force union leader has drawn attention to the potential risks to her members. However, there can be no excuse for not enforcing immigration law at the border in the manner stipulated. Possible self-harm or violent reaction from those seeking to enter the country illegally is not a new phenomenon, and one for which the Border Force has surely been trained to deal with.’
Make your voice heard
| (Spoiler alert, we have said this before.) It is, or should be, the job of MPs and other parliamentarians to hold the government to account on big matters such as immigration. They need to hear from the public when it comes to widespread concerns about the failure to control immigration. Click here if you wish to write to your MP. Brexit was not the signal to increase immigration, or weaken controls, but that is exactly what the host of additional and more permissive routes enshrined in the new system will likely mean. |