Immigration Report

Immigration has been a very sensitive and controversial subject, especially in the Western world.

The way to tackle the problems of immigration is to ask the following questions:

• Why do people emigrate?

• Why do people take horrifying risks to enter a country?

• Why are Western countries more favourably than other countries and continents around the world?

• What effects are immigrants on the economy, society, and culture?

The thought of people hiding in the undercarriages of airliners, or being locked in cargo containers, or crossing deserts and oceans in order to migrate to a country that will offer a better way of life is horrifying and unthinkable.

So, the main answer as to why people do these dangerous and perilous journeys’ is out of desperation.

If you look at the continents where people emigrate from are:

• Africa

• Latin America

• Middle East

• Asia

The main reason people emigrate are:

• Escaping war, famine, and extreme poverty

• A chance of a better life

• Political refugees

• Family settled in the new country

Western countries are the most stable and successful, so it’s natural for people to gravitate to these countries.

Where many of the Western countries have colonised many of the continents people from those countries can speak the language and quite often those ex-colonised countries still have historical and cultural references like buildings, infrastructure, an education system and a legal framework and system.

In many cases Western governments and big businesses have exploited poorer countries and have helped the conditions that people from these continents are suffering now.

An interesting phenomenon is that when you cause problems in other parts of the world the problems end-up on your own doorstep, thus the responsible action is to help clear-up the problems and mess that one makes.

It is only natural in the human race to want a better existence, and by emigrating from death and the decay from war, famine and extreme poverty, out-ways the risks involved in immigrants’ lives.

The impact of immigration:

• By employing immigrants’ businesses can reduce costs like wages, so they can make more profits.

• By exploiting immigrants this depresses the wage and labour market.

• Illegal immigrants are exploited by businesses and criminal gangs.

• Illegal immigrants reduce the enforcement of employment laws.

The impact to the social structure of the country:

There has been a media campaign highlighting abuses, flaws, and misuse of the immigration system by criminals and immigrants.

The invention of the Internet and satellite television stations people can now see what life is like in more successful and prosperous countries and this is advertising to those fleeing bad situations in their own respective countries.

On a local and national level governmental departments can cause upset in communities by introducing large numbers of immigrants into areas not accustomed to these rapid changes, and not supporting both the local people with such changes, including the immigrant population.

There are differences from people that come from different parts of the world and the need to have a reciprocal education programme, so each side can understand each other’s social etiquette practices and religious beliefs and customs, as well as cultural, politically, and historical knowledge, acceptance and understanding.

Recommendations and solutions:

While intolerance cannot be fully eradicated, there are solutions that can reduce friction by different races, cultures, and religions.

• Educating in citizenship classes, covering customs, religious beliefs, laws, and cultural and historical facts of the respective country.

• Informing local communities when immigrants are being housed, especially in rural areas.

• On a national and local level informing the local population the background of immigrants moving into the respective village, town, or part of the city so that the local population are well informed. This creates in some people the need to reach-out to their new neighbours and this has a harmonisation effect within the community and can reduce intolerance, hatred, and racism from taking centre stage.

• Social inclusion and having immigrants teaching the local population about their country, culture, history, and religion.

• Make sure that businesses are paying the minimum wage or above wages, so that wages and labour markets do not get depressed.

• The sensible approach to immigration is to see the shortfall in the population, by looking at the births, deaths and people emigrating and then filling-in the gap in the population with immigrants that qualify and are of benefit to the respective country.

To respond to this report please email us