The first reference you give from the Migration Observatory is pretty interesting, and I would say, within its own frame of reference, valid; notwithstanding exact definitions of "migrant"; and the possibility of conflating immigration issues with racism. The UK is essentially a bunch of small islands and is, as the BNP puts it, the third most densely populated nation in Europe. One interesting quote from this study is: "Even among foreign-born UK residents responding to the Citizenship Survey, 49% express a preference for reductions and only 15% advocate an increase. Dividing the sample into white and non-white sub-groups yields similar results to the UK-born/foreign-born split, with about half of British minority ethnic respondents favouring reduced migration." This seems to indicate that it is not just native Anglo-Saxon and Celtic types who feel that immigration is a problem, and that population pressures cross racial boundaries. Ergo, not simple racism or fascism, but indicative of population and concomitant economic pressures felt across the board. (Anecdotally, I have heard of many "commonwealth" (ie sub-continental Asian) immigrants complaining of Eastern European immigrants: Polish and Romanian workers coming in for a lot of stick.) So I'd suggest it isn't simple and obvious. There seems to be a lot of anger at EU immigration, which the UK can do nothing about, being a paid-up member of the EU. The average persons in the UK are constantly being informed by the media that differences in welfare and healthcare across the EU can make the UK an attractive place for some folk, and the UK taxpayer is rather reluctant at present to pay for folk who would not receive the same benefits in their home countries. These "welfare immigrants" are, if you like, the main thrust of the average persons dislike of immigration: hence we get this from the MO report: "Despite the clear opposition to overall immigration, more specific polling questions reveal that attitudes depend on the type of immigrant in question. A 2010 survey found that 72% supported admitting more doctors and nurses from other countries to cope with increasing health care demands, while 51% supported admitting more care workers to help the burdens of an aging population (Transatlantic Trends 2010). In a 2001 ICM Research Guardian poll, 67% supported allowing entry to those even without needed skills if they can provide for their own financial support by themselves or via a family member. And a 2009 Ipsos-MORI poll found relatively less opposition to admitting people who are at risk of being tortured in their home country, who bring needed skills, or who come to the UK to study." Fairly important caveats, I'm sure you will agree.
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Date: 13/1/13 20:06 (UTC)The first reference you give from the Migration Observatory is pretty interesting, and I would say, within its own frame of reference, valid; notwithstanding exact definitions of "migrant"; and the possibility of conflating immigration issues with racism. The UK is essentially a bunch of small islands and is, as the BNP puts it, the third most densely populated nation in Europe.
One interesting quote from this study is: "Even among foreign-born UK residents responding to the Citizenship Survey, 49% express a preference for reductions and only 15% advocate an increase. Dividing the sample into white and non-white sub-groups yields similar results to the UK-born/foreign-born split, with about half of British minority ethnic respondents favouring reduced migration." This seems to indicate that it is not just native Anglo-Saxon and Celtic types who feel that immigration is a problem, and that population pressures cross racial boundaries. Ergo, not simple racism or fascism, but indicative of population and concomitant economic pressures felt across the board. (Anecdotally, I have heard of many "commonwealth" (ie sub-continental Asian) immigrants complaining of Eastern European immigrants: Polish and Romanian workers coming in for a lot of stick.) So I'd suggest it isn't simple and obvious.
There seems to be a lot of anger at EU immigration, which the UK can do nothing about, being a paid-up member of the EU. The average persons in the UK are constantly being informed by the media that differences in welfare and healthcare across the EU can make the UK an attractive place for some folk, and the UK taxpayer is rather reluctant at present to pay for folk who would not receive the same benefits in their home countries. These "welfare immigrants" are, if you like, the main thrust of the average persons dislike of immigration: hence we get this from the MO report: "Despite the clear opposition to overall immigration, more specific polling questions reveal that attitudes depend on the type of immigrant in question. A 2010 survey found that 72% supported admitting more doctors and nurses from other countries to cope with increasing health care demands, while 51% supported admitting more care workers to help the burdens of an aging population (Transatlantic Trends 2010). In a 2001 ICM Research Guardian poll, 67% supported allowing entry to those even without needed skills if they can provide for their own financial support by themselves or via a family member. And a 2009 Ipsos-MORI poll found relatively less opposition to admitting people who are at risk of being tortured in their home country, who bring needed skills, or who come to the UK to study."
Fairly important caveats, I'm sure you will agree.