More from "Bridges not Borders" (see previous post)
"The first [take control of our the borders] law in Britain , the 1905 Aliens Act, gave Britain the power to 'prevent the landing of undesirable immigrants ', widely acknowledged to have been aimed at curbing Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe, the 'unwanted migrants' of that era.
Likewise Britain’s border regime today is focused on keeping out undesired people.* Punitive immigration policies mean that families are routinely torn apart and people are criminalised simply for seeking safety or a better life.
Many of these people have been forced to move becasue of conflict, poverty, persecution, injustice or climate change. The UNHCR estimates that 20 people every second are forced to flee their homes.
But rather than provide safety and access, today's borders imprison people within historic lines drawn by Europeans on a map. With global inequality at unprecedented levels , modern borders (which segregate who can and can't access resources and opportunity) have become a form of global apartheid."
* Yesterday's Guardian reported that lots of rich Americans are buying properties in and moving to the Cotswolds in order to escape the US under President Trump. No one seems too worried about them. As a letter writer commented, they are "relocating " not migrating.
For further and better particulars see globaljustice.org.uk/migration
Likewise Britain’s border regime today is focused on keeping out undesired people
ReplyDeleteIsn’t keeping out undesirable people a good thing?
I mean you could argue that the current system is too and keeps out too many desirable people along with the undesirables, but I can’t see how you could disagree with the principle that we want o let in desirable people and keep out undesirables.
Or to put it another way, if you’re worried the current system is throwing out the baby with the bathwater, you surely can’t suggest that the solution is to keep the stinky bathwater?
it depends how the "undesirables" are defined. As pointed out in the post, it was initially "widely acknowledged to have been aimed at curbing Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe, the 'unwanted migrants' of that era." A blanket definition. Today? Certainly not rich Americans who want to settle in the Cotswolds, or their scientists squeezed out of their universities by Trump's excesses. Poor white people from Eastern Europe? They go a lot of stick , but we coped. Maybe even got to appreciate the Polish plumbers. People of colour from poor countries. Mmmm? Some good restaurants, though. On the who I prefer to think that anybody who has the will and skill to get here is desirable until they prove otherwise.
ReplyDelete
Deleteit depends how the "undesirables" are defined
So you agree with the principle that some people are undesirable and we should keep them out. That’s a start.
On the who I prefer to think that anybody who has the will and skill to get here is desirable until they prove otherwise.
That might be what you ‘prefer’ to think, but the world is rarely as we would prefer it to be. Do you have any reason to think that is actually true, rather than just what you would prefer to be true?
How would you define a ‘desirable’ immigrant?
See my concluding sentence above, which should read "On the whole. . .", not "On the who. . ."
ReplyDeleteSee my concluding sentence above,
DeleteYes that is what I was asking about. Do you have any reason to think that is actually true, rather than simply being what you would prefer to be true?
These are, after all, people who have demonstrated:
Delete1. Skill
2. Will
3. A willingness to break the law
Prima facie someone who combined those three characteristics would be more likely to be an undesirable neighbour than a desirable one, do you not think?
Over 90% of current migrants come here by legal means (eg students, care workers) so they haven't necessarily broken any laws. The ones who have come by illegal means (notably now boats across the Chanel) are the refugees and assylum seeks escaping torture, discrimination, political vengeance, starvation often the result of climate change largely caused by us, or simply abject poverty) for whom legal routes have been closed down. For the most part they show admirable initiative and couage.
DeleteOver 90% of current migrants come here by legal means (eg students, care workers) so they haven't necessarily broken any laws.
DeleteThey haven’t demonstrated any particular will or skill either. Hope much will does it take to fill in a form? And they don’t have skills either; their qualifications were fraudulently obtained (Guardian link for you): https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/feb/14/nhs-nurses-being-investigated-for-industrial-scale-qualifications
The ones who have come by illegal means (notably now boats across the Chanel) are the refugees and assylum seeks escaping torture, discrimination, political vengeance, starvation
No they’re not; they’re economic migrants from poor countries seeking to better their lot. Now they have demonstrated both will and skill; but as I say they have also demonstrated that they are willing to break the law in the interest of making themselves richer.
I don’t think someone who wants to get richer, and who has already demonstrated that they are willing to break the law in order to obtain that goal, is a desirable neighbour. Do you? Really?
Another description would be "enterprising." We need more entrepreneurs: maybe a mute inglorious Marks or Bruton is somewhere on the boats
DeleteAnother description would be "enterprising." We need more entrepreneurs:
DeleteNo, we don’t; Britain has plenty of entrepreneurs. But it also has a tax and regulatory regime which is hostile to entrepreneurship, so they all go to the United States. What we need is a reform of the system to make it worth their while pursuing their enterprises here.
But that’s beside the real point which is…
… a regular common-or-garden criminal is bad, but surely you would agree that an entrepreneurial criminal is worse. And these people have already demonstrated they are willing to break our laws, because they did so in arriving illegally.
So again: do you think that an entrepreneurial criminal is a desirable neighbour? I think an entrepreneurial criminal would be an undesirable neighbour. Do you not?
To repeat, the overwhelming majority of immigrants are here perfectly legally. the minority that arrive by illegal routes do so becasue legal routes for refugees and asylum seekers have been closed down. They have shown incredible bravery and determination in getting here, and could probably contribute enormously to our economy, culture and quality of life, as did the once despised cohort which which included Marks (of Marks and Spencer) and Burton, (who at one time clothed the majority of our male population and added the Full Monty to our lexicon.)
ReplyDeletethe overwhelming majority of immigrants are here perfectly legally.
DeleteWhich nobody denied. We can argue about whether the laws should have been different, but nobody disputes that they followed the laws.
the minority that arrive by illegal routes do so becasue legal routes for refugees and asylum seekers have been closed down
And by arriving by an illegal route, they have all shown themselves willing to break the law.
They have shown incredible bravery and determination in getting here,
They have also shown that they are willing to break the law. They are brave and determined criminals.
Do you think that a brave and determined criminal sounds like a desirable neighbour? Or an undesirable one? I mean just knowing nothing else about them I'd have to go with 'undesirable'. Would you not?
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