UK Politics

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Time for a grown-up conversation about immigration (www.ft.com)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

TBH I thought the article was actually particularly good because it specifically pointed out that "immigration" isn't one homogeneous thing.

We end up with these worst-of-all worlds outcomes because we talk about immigration as if it’s one thing when in reality it is many very different things, because we refuse to confront trade-offs — and because each side has its own conversational no-go areas.

I think that point of refusing to discuss tradeoffs is also particularly pertinent. Significant chunks of the electorate will happily vote for Reform but then moan about the lack of staffing in healthcare. Or conversely, others will happily quote the stats that on average migrants are a net benefit to the country, but then refuse to investigate this thought further and realise that this is an average and those benefits may not be spread evenly (perhaps some areas are even negatively affected).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

I'll try to be brief, but essentially...

with the demographic distribution we have, we have more British-born people leaving the workforce each year than joining it. This will continue for approximately the next 20 years as boomer's retire, and is the main reason for work visas being issued
A combination of significantly improved productivity and immigration is required to maintain the relative strength of the UK economy, and pay for stuff like the NHS - elder care is considerably more expensive than earlier stages of life
The failures of government to build housing, etc, is not the fault of people who apply to, and secure, jobs and choose to move to the UK
Equally, the continued failure of capitalism to do anything other than suck up all wealth in to the top 0.01% is not their fault either
The history of these isles is literally defined by migration and social change. We aren't even speaking a Brittonic language to have this conversation.

I get why people can be scared by change, and that unfamiliararity breeds suspicion and can be exploited by those who seek to divide and destroy rather than unite and build.

Society, as a concept, has been undermined for a long time now, including things like both adults in a home having to work to afford the rent. This, again, is not the fault of people who want to work here, or see the UK as safe sanctuary from persecution.