An example of propaganda for the awareness by the British people on immigrants living in their countries. Immigrants have a massive impact on their respective societies and there are many varying opinions on a person's approach to immigration. The quote on this piece says "open your eyes", because as a citizen it is your duty to acknowledge the state of your country and this example is pushing for people to become informed. It is important for people to develop their own perspective to the issue of immigration, because they create many positive and negative affects. If you can grasp these factors and choose a side to stand by England will become a stronger nation with more opinion and support.
History of Immigration including policies (Brenden Zarrinnam):
1836: Began recording immigrants
1878: Started gathering information about immigrants
Before World War 2:
Continental Europe, and refugees from the French Revolution and Jewish persecution.
After World War 2:
Former British colonies such as many African nations, India, Germany,and Russian Jews.
The graph shows the steady incline in their immigrant population, but it is worth noting that during World War 2 the number of immigrants takes a dip because of the vast casualties and political barricade.
This chart shows the vast amount of asylum seekers in the past five decades, and you can witness the massive explosion following 9/11 and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However recently this number than begun to even out and decrease. The majority of asylum seekers are from war torn Middle Eastern countries, and corrupt African nations.
Over the course of a decade these top ten countries contributed over 1.5 million people to England. This graphic shares how Asia and Eastern Europe are the biggest contributors to their immigration, and this trend has remained constant.
England's growing policy debate:
England is an active member of the European Union, and therefore all EU citizens are granted free movement and exemption from immigration policies between other EU member nations.
List of all the EU member nations that all are granted free movement.
1997: The Labor party gained control of the English parliament and they brought with them a very conservative approach to all forms of immigration and even asylum.
The events of 9/11 and the London subway bombing made the public feel threatened, and many citizens became very vocal for restricting the immigration population.
A photo snapped shortly after the subway bombings of 2005
The incoming immigrants are becoming a bigger and bigger section of England's population, and the number of "native" English people is on a decline.
A Survey by Sky News found that more than two thirds of the British public believe the UK population is too large and want the Government to go further.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage told Sky News that immigration levels in Britain had been too high for the past 15 years. He said there were currently "too many people coming into the country for too few jobs".
Hypothetically if I were a refugee would I Immigrate to England?
England definitely be one of my top choices of countries to seek asylum. England is a member of the European Union, so they retain this concept of "free movement." If I became a citizen I would technically become a citizen in the 27 other member nations as well. England is also protected by all these 27 nations, and is an active member in NATO. England is seen as a major leader in our global society and has retained a stable economy. There are plenty of jobs for immigrants and since they are becoming more and more of a majority in society they are well accepted in their communities. England also has free health care for all citizens, and the path to citizenship for asylum speakers is almost assured. They also offer free education and has wide spread diversity from all around the globe. Therefore because England retains so many pull factors this country should be a number one destination for any refugee.
Are there specific challenges the country is facing today?
England is facing numerous challenges, both immigration based and not. One large issue is property shortages. Britain, unlike the United States, is a very densely populated country, and citizens compete with the newcomers for housing. Especially since 42% of immigrants live in the most densely populated area, the London area. Only 5% of the immigrants live in the northern part of the country. Another immigration based problem is the myths associated with immigrants here. The common thought is that all the immigrants are plumbers. 38% of immigrants have university degrees. The top 4 immigrant professions are finance, health, retain and then manufacturing. The amount of Britons who have lost their jobs is 7 times as much as the immigrants. This shows that immigrants are not the stereotypes and are outworking Britons. Many people also claim that immigration levels are too high. UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage says that immigration levels have been too high for the last 15 years. "The biggest social problem is that is has led to a massive oversupply in the unskilled labor market". He is claiming that the immigrants coming in are uneducated and not contributing to the economy. He also says that "It has led to a lot of youngsters being unable to get work - a doubling roughly of youth unemployment since 2004 - and that affecting not just the white working class ... but also affecting the settled ethnic minorities in this country."
Distribution of UK jobs in 2002 compared to in 2009
How has immigration helped the country? Have there been negative effects?
Immigration has helped the country is many ways. For one, immigrants to England have made a net contribution of 25 billion dollars to public finances. Public opinion is that immigrants are more likely to receive housing preferences and finance from the government. In fact, recent immigrants are 45% less likely to receive state benefits or tax credits than native Britons. Immigrants are also 3% less likely to live in social housing and to receive those benefits. This completely disputes those myths. Immigrants also contribute to a larger labor force, which Britain needs. Immigrants raise the country's GDP and raise the need for goods and services, which betters the economy. The only negative about immigration to the UK is the immigrants worsen the property shortages. The country is so densely populated, and immigration adds to that. This causes there to be not enough housing, and if more and more immigrants are coming into the country without a solution to this problem it will be worse and worse.
This link will take you to a video talking about the economics behind immigration to the United Kingdom.
"Waving Flags" by British Sea Power
This song was described by the band as the second ever pro-immigration song. Written by the British band, British Sea Power, this song celebrates freedom of movement. It was written against the hate that Eastern European immigrants faced. This song welcomes immigrants from that area, saying "Oh, welcome in."
If I was a refugee, would I choose this country?
England has shown that they are mostly welcoming to immigration, and there has been many showings of immigrants succeeded economically and socially in this country. If I was a refugee, by definition, I would need somewhere to go. If I could migrate to England, I definitely would immigrate there. On top of helping my chances of being successful as a refugee, England is a part of the European Union which has the concept of free movement. This means I could travel to other EU countries without worrying about citizenship there. England is also a force in the global economy. Finally, there are many small parts of London dedicated to other cultures. Wherever an immigrant is coming from, they could feel at home with their ethnic cuisines and shops. As a citizen there, I would be able to have infinite chances to better my life globally, nationally, and locally.
Bibliography:
Don, Jay Y. "Immigration: Brit Workers 'Against The World'" Sky News. Sky, 09 Mar. 13. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Don, Jay Y. "Business Groups Call for Action on ‘chronic’ UK Housing Shortage - FT.com." Financial Times. Sky, O9 Mar. 13. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Don, Jay Y. "Immigration: Britons Want 'Drastic Action'" Sky News. Sky, 09 Mar. 3. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Brown, Phil J. "Migrants and Housing in the UK: Experiences and Impacts."The Migration Observatory. Uk, 8 Jan. 4. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Johnson, Jakob R. "Immigration." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 7 Aug. 14. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
