There are plenty of places on the Internet where people can rant on these subjects: I do not think any useful purpose is served by raising them here. I am very rapidly losing interest in this place. I will look in in a week's time and see if things have improved, or if this place has continued to deteriorate to the level of the Dark Side, which it increasingly resembles. Bye.
But Andrew, immigration to the UK is the biggest political story of recent times and is important to all of us here at British Filipino, as long as it is discussed in a civilised manner then its quite an interesting topic.
I'm sorry that I started that additional thread but it was really to try to show that there were other opinions on here as I too am tired by the one sided negative view on immigration that is being pushed here.
The problem is immigration is a very emotive subject, particularly on here where most or all of us are in relationships with immigrants. Therefore people are obviously going to be offended by anti immigration posts. And some who then get offended are then effectively hounded off the forum while those who offended them hold their hands up and go 'wat, me guv?' And just carry on. I'm not easily offended personally, but it grates on me too and I can understand people getting upset. Particularly as it comes from people who are, themselves, married to immigrants.
I guess you must mean the Filipino and British Racist Forum UK . Yes, there is a resemblance. Seems both, ironically, attract their fair share of that ilk, to the point of predominance. I put it down to the small brain or limited mindset.
Graham: I don't believe that any of us are "anti-immigration" and I believe I speak for all when I say that none of us want to see the ability for wives and sweethearts to join their British partners removed. What is very concerning is the level of economic migration from the poorer countries in Europe which has reach unprecedented levels.We have to jump through hoops and our partners speak good clear English; EU migrants simply get on a train, bus or plane, they are not subject to any controls or expensive visas/FLR/ILR. German is taught in secondary schools throughout the former Soviet Bloc and has been for many years. The better educated take their engineering degrees to Germany, where they have no language problem, and where there are many more manufacturing companies than the UK. Its our Welfare State that becomes a strong magnet for the less educated when it is explained to them that the British government will give them up to £300 a week in tax credits for the lowest paid jobs. So not only do they not pay tax but the tax-payer makes-up their wages and they can claim the UK rate of Child Benefit (£89) even if the kid isn't in the UK. It is precisely because employers who pay minimum wage with zero hours contracts have no shortage of foreign labour that Britain has been in one of the longest periods of very low wage increases in history.
The problem is not a discussing immigration. Making it into a bigoted political monologue is the problem.
I don't see anybody on this board as being racist, or anti immigration. Just differing viewpoints on what is a very important subject at the moment.
I am an immigrant............... For lack of a better word. Only thing that irks me is that I am not too keen on what the EU has become over the past 12/13 years.
