Immigration & asylum seekers

Should probably be two or three separate topics but as they are often debated together I am lumping them all in one thread

Immigration is where people wish to emigrate to this country (sometimes for a better life, sometimes highly skilled people who get offered more pay here - such as in the tech/science industry).

Illegal immigrants are those who are here unlawfully (either came here unlawfully or didn't go back when their Visa expired).

EU citizens are those here via their right of free movement across the European Union.

Asylum seekers are those wishing to seek asylum (usually on humanitarian grounds - i.e. to escape persecution).

I am not biting on this one having learned a lesson on our sister site, I don't want to have to look at members here like I now do over there. Most I might add are perfectly lovely people but some proved not to be as tolerant as I imagined a humane person should be.

Not sure why you've included EU CITIZENS.

I have had quite a bit to do with immigrants after having an Afghan boy in my home when I was a foster carer, our local Afghan community were fantastic and I can honestly say I would not have been able to care for him without them due to the language barrier. I built up quite a good relationship with some of the guys that helped me and I once asked why, why they chose to come to the UK, this guy said it was down to our human rights policies not our benefit system. He'd entered illegally and to get here he'd travelled through various countries, he'd been beaten and robbed in a few of them and that was by the police.

I've also worked with a Somalian lady, no idea what happened back there but it was bad, whenever it was mentioned she completely shut down, everything went blank, her face, her eyes . . She had such a work ethic, although she was in a homeless shelter, had absolutley no-one, she volunteered all over to get some experience, the only day off she had was Sunday as that was church day!

I have no issue with anyone entering this country if the need is there, or if they work and put something back in. It's the freeloader criminal type that pee me off, I think once they committed a crime they should be shipped out so we don't have to keep going through the farce that we did with wotsissname hook man!
IMO opinion once you commit a crime yon give up your 'human' rights no matter where you come from or what colour you are.

An oft heard thing (even from ex pat brits here) is 'these illegal immigrants living on benefits'.

How the hell do they imagine any ILLEGAL immigrant would be able to claim benefits!

I think immigration is fine as long as there is some effort made to integrate in the society. Don't expect to live in the bubble of your homecountry in the country you emigrated to. Adapt to the country, the society and the culture you chose to live in, at least to a certain point.

I'm an immigrant myself (legal and all) and I work for my living, have British friends, speak the language and intend to stay here indefinitely. However, some things are more difficult for me (banking, loans and credit cards as they can't credit check me for the time I wasn't here, if I need jobseekers allowance, sometimes I get discriminated against in job applications etc.)
Because not a lot of immigrants come from the country I'm from, I don't get any issues with people being xenophobic against me. The worst I probably get is a weird mix of mild anti-semitism and in the same sentence being accused of 'stealing jewish gold'.
But hey, I usually have a good answer ready

Pleased to hear you are not having problems.

As for 'integrating into the society'. Oh boy just come to Cyprus or Spain and see how well ex pat Brits make any effort to do that (they just DO NOT - most of them)

Don't bother to learn the language, understand the local culture, moan about local food, put down the native population etc. and still have the gall to moan about 'foreigners coming into the UK' usually stating that as their reason for leaving!

Hilarious if (like me) you can see the funny side of it!

*especially when they moan about foreigners coming over here into Cyprus - you see people like that just don't ever see themselves as being 'the foreigners' lol!

Well, I meant that for immigration in any country. If you choose to live somewhere why wouldn't you want to integrate? After all, there must have been a reason to move there. And a sandy beach and sunny days cannot be the only reason..
Bit different if you're seekying asylum and didn't really want to leave your country but would have been killed otherwise. But still, to live somewhere comfortably and in peace with the environment, in my opinion, it's important to know all the aspects of the country. The people, the nature and climate etc.

Ah well, maybe some people just want Britain but with sun lol

You summed it up quite well but I would add they also want CHEAP BOOZE!

If there was no NHS, social housing, benefits or Tax Credits I wonder if as many people would want to come here?

Are the benefits/health systems in other EU countries less generous than ours? If I was unemployed and got my accommodation paid for and got benefit to live on, I would rather move to Spain or Southern France than go to a cold and wet UK