and tomorrow............

[Polly]

The next wave of cheap labour will start to legally invade our fair shores. Bulgaria & Romania have an average wage which is 1/3 that of the EC average and guess where most of them will be heading after today's ruling allows them to become members of the EC??????? How many more can we squeeze onto our little island???? Still with all that cheap labour around our "Fat Cat" bosses can get even richer, but what about the rest of us, where will we get employment???

[Ken L]

You're assuming that they'll be working and not scamming the system.

We'll all be working till we're 68 to pay for it.

[Alan Stubbs]

....and how long before some minister lies to the House of Commons about the extent of the immigration. When the borders opened up to Poland, the Czech Republic, latvia, Lithuania and Estonia last year the Government's own figures were sold to us as 'only 15-25,000 will be coming'. The reality had to be squeezed out of the Home Office and it turns out that the true figure had been understated by a factor of 10.

 

But they have a record for this sort of understating and manipulating the figures........ at least Charles Clark does. I honestly don't think John Reid will be any better, and it's typical that they should get all the negative reporting out of the way whilst it can still be blamed upon the predecessor.

 

There are one or two posters on here who may construe this as an immigration rant. It isn't. It's a comment about this government's administrative incompetence.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Alan Stubbs

[Sportsman]

....

But they have a record for this sort of understating and manipulating the figures........ at least Charles Clark does. I honestly don't think John Reid will be any better, and it's typical that they should get all the negative reporting ot of the way whilst it can still be blamed upon the predecessor.

 

There are one or two posters on here who may construe this as an immigration rant. It isn't. It's a comment about this government's administrative incompetence.

 

Couldn't agree more

 

Like the situation or not, it's the law. Don't forget, you can go to live and work in Romania

[Brian Carragher]

Heres another slant on the same issue

 

Instead of the UK recieving hords of migrant workers(as guaranteed to them by the Mastrict treaty)just think how a low waged European country could and will offer job and relocation opportunities to the big employers.

 

Major car plants are now eying up the new entrants with a view to setting up massive car plants with EU and own Govt. money to manufacture there whilst at the same time closing established European sites.

 

Ford , Peugeot, Volkswagon are amongst those setting up new plant over there.

 

Look at the Check Republic and how the automotive industry is now bedded down in their country and ask yourself this question. Would we as a country be better off accepting migrant workers into this country or should we risk losing major established employers to the low waged new entrants

[Ken L]

The reality had to be squeezed out of the Home Office and it turns out that the true figure had been understated by a factor of 10.

 

Exactly how would these figures have been generated when EU nationals (From Poland, the Czech Republic, latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) arn't subject to immigration control or restrictions on whether they can work or claim benefits ?

 

I suspect that it was politically expedient to suggest that huge numbers would be migrating and then give an estimation of "actual" numbers that is much lower than the original projection. Makes the government look good without addressing the issue or actually doing anything.

[DavyR]

I suspect that it was politically expedient to suggest that huge numbers would be migrating and then give an estimation of "actual" numbers that is much lower than the original projection. Makes the government look good without addressing the issue or actually doing anything.

 

I think Alan is saying that the opposite is the case, Ken - the numbers are 10 times *greater* than the government first suggested.

[zziplexboy]

i have seen threads like this on almost all forums I subscribe to. I cannot support this government in its cack handed policys but I refuse to critisise the potential immigrants for wanting to come here. lets put it this way, if the boot was on the other foot and you had the job of providing for a family in a s**thole somewhere then someone told you of a place you could legitimatly come to and give them a better life, would you say no?.

It isnt a matter about breaking the law and scrounging. We are supposed to have systems in place that should prevent that in the same way as If I break the law. The problem is that everyone plays the "not my budget" game. Immigration are stretched to the limit as are the police and they all play pass the parcel.

 

Looking back in history we have a great reputation for treating immigrants badly. West Indians who were ASKED to come here and do the jobs we were too idle to do were treated like dogs in the street. The same happened to the jews before them.

 

I happen to know that without cheap, exploited foreign labour the crops yopu so depend on from your supermarket would not be there.

 

Lets not forget also that these eastern economies will catch up one day and as Brian so rightly states..take our remaining industry with them.

 

heres a radical proposal...Why dont we just open our borders like France and the rest of mainland Europe have already unofficially done. It will happen eventually anyway

[Sportsman]

Well said

[DavyR]

Looking back in history we have a great reputation for treating immigrants badly. West Indians who were ASKED to come here and do the jobs we were too idle to do were treated like dogs in the street. The same happened to the jews before them.

 

True enough, but being pedantic (What, me? ), the Jews weren't originally invited here. They came in after the Norman Conquest, and were generally disliked because 1) They were another set of foreigners for the locals to cope with (even though the Anglo-Saxons had only been the locals for about 600 years) and 2) They were mainly moneylenders as they were forbidden to enter the professions and filled a gap forbidden to Christians by the Catholic Church. And nobody likes money lenders.

 

I think we were quite welcoming to the French Huguenots who fled here following the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, but then they were Protestants and we hated Catholics at the time, so that was ok...