What are your thoughts on immigration?

I'm currently live in the UK and I'm all for immigration! I think that many people tend to assume they're here for benefits or free healthcare when in fact they are just trying to escape the horror and atrocities of their country.

They're not migrants. They're victims.

 

I'll keep it simple.

If you come into a country with the intent on living there, learn the language, contribute to society (become a citizen and pay taxes and vote) and uphold the countries ideals.

If not, get the fuck out.

We already have lazy as fuck professional welfare collectors who do NOT need assistance but choose to live that way and I wish we could deport them from here but we can't. We already have lazy scumbag US natural citizens, why would we want to have immigrants come do the same thing.

Anyone willing to be come part of the US as a citizen for a chance at a better life, I'm more than proud to call them a fellow American (whether or not they were born on US soil). Be part of the country, not a lazy freeloader.

This is where my conservative side shows in case you didn't know.

 

I'm in the USA.
It would be a bit hypocritical for me to be against immigration as I wouldn't be here if not for it (ancestors and such). To me the idea of open borders would work if we removed the concept of the 'state' but otherwise I'm not sure. I mean we can't just open country borders when 'state' borders have limitations as is, things would get very convoluted. We need a better system.

With that being said I have no problems with immigrants, they're just people and many of them are looking for a fresh start. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

P.S there's substantially more citizens of British decent on benefits than there are people of other ethnicity. The problem we have is that many of us think that we are to good for some jobs then complain about immigrants taking those said jobs!

 

That's true over here as well.
A lot of folks feel entitled to 'perfect' jobs but don't want to work for them.

 

I live in the US in a very immigrant rich community. I am USborn, great grand parents immigrated here from netherlands, france and some were born here but, obviously had parents that immigrated. A very small pwrcentage of my background comes from the original immigration period in the us, the rest of me is later immigration and native.

immigration is. A hot button issue in the US but only if you are coming from somewhere south of US. I grew up surroundedb y immigrants from everywhere. Its not nearly what people (politicians and assholes) paint it to be. If you are willing to assimilate enough to thrive here you should be welcome. I think itsbullshit we think people shouls be required to lose their heritage in order to be here ( my great grand parents on both sides mostly were ESL) my grandparents were nottaught about their origins a lot nor were they taughtthe language from where they cane cause of the need to "learn the language". i learned a small amount of dutch from my great grandmother but its all but lost. America doesnt have an official language and i think we have the lowest amount of people that speak more than one language. When most of t he world speaks english as well as their native language.

Kinda veered offthere. Immigration is a rich beautiful thing that gives us the ability to live beside people different than us all while giving these people the opportunity at something better. Not against it at all. As far as the bad people...well that has little to do with immigration imo.

 

Trump
2016​

 

I support current immigration levels, and believe any perceived issues that arise are more the result of our lack of foresight and planning - such as the inadequate levels of house building, or the lack of investment into our infrastructure (particularly transport) that has been ongoing since the end of the Victorian era.

Unfortunately, the 'general public' are easily duped by misleading, sensationalist headlines in the Daily Mail and The Sun - which, for whatever inexplicable reason, remain our most-read newspapers (and I use the word newspaper lightly in this case). You get this as a result: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-public-wrong-about-nearly-everything-survey-shows-8697821.html

 

There is reasonable concern about immigration and then there is hysteria. Unfortunately we hear more of the hysteria than reasonable concern. Emotive language just fans the flames of prejudice and hostility and the British gutter press definitely has a lot to answer for on that count, but so do some politicians.

 

Free borders for people and most trade are usually good things in my books.

Immigrants to countries such as Australia and Britain have shown in the past that they contribute more in taxes than they take out in welfare. Even when they don't assimilate (assimilation can be an extremely xenophobic practice, anyway), they at least act in a way that is cohesive with their new society and contribute to its culture, enhancing rather than detracting from what it is to be a citizen of their new country.

 

Eh this was kind of long so forgive me for not reading it all the way from start/end.

Anyway, one thing I've noticed and I am NOT trying to be an "internet warrior" here is that England is getting very far-rightish these days. Not saying Germany or Netherlands are too different but England with their UKIP "holds the palm". With that being said, I'm from small country from eastern europe...I've never wanted to visit the western EU (well except italy , so can't understand how ukip thinks we're the root of all evil.

And that's not even the worst part, the worst is when people who support this level of xenophobia/idiotism reach some delusion into thinking it's not possible not to want to immigrate there etc.

Anyway, I got bored recently of such debates online...you won't achieve much seeing how people are very biased on such issues. Meaning, you won't change the opinions of people who disagree with you.

 

^^ UKIP, for all their faults, certainly aren't far-right. They're actually progressive in many areas - certainly more than the Conservatives - such as supporting legalising drugs, and they want to ring-fence NHS funding to prevent further privatisation. If you compare them to the National Front in France or Swedish Democrats, they might as well be far-left. The UK has never really had far-right extremism like other European countries. Our version of the Swedish Democrats would be the BNP.

It's actually surprised me how supposedly right-wing UKIP is so progressive in comparison to the 'centrist' Tories, who look more and more insane with each passing day. Most voters actually think UKIP are further left than the Tories.

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2014/12/13/ukip-seen-as-more-left-wing-than-tories/

 

Eh...I think asking if you're pro or against immigration is kinda vague. There are many circumstances that can make mass immigration beneficial or prejudicial for a country, depending on the country's economy, demographics, culture etc. and the kind of immigrants they receive (their culture, qualification, age). However, generally, I think immigration is mostly beneficial. There should be some sort of border control and planning though.

Since you asked for context, I'm from Brazil, which, like the US and the rest of the continent, has received a lot of immigrants. My mother's family has been in Brazil for centuries and I don't know its origin, but they're probably from Portugal. On my father's side, my great-grandparents came from the south of Europe.

 

The United States is becoming more and more xenophobic as the Republicans move further and further to the right. It should be moderately easy to come to the U.S. if you've found a decent-paying job and will be able to support yourself with it.

 

Well they oppose gay marriage, propose ban on documentaries about global warming, increase of military expenditure by 40%, have been accused on couple of occasions as sexists and...need I say more??

No one can't deny the facts, despite the fact that it's trendy and harmless to make fun of bulgaria/romania, while no one dares to say anything(nor even compliments) against sizable minorities (Asians, Indians, Muslims...).

So, my point was rather: just because the political-correctness-fashion gives them the right to criticize some groups and not others does not mean they aren't idiots/wrong.

I agree though the Swedish right is on a whole new level. The same can be said and about Hungary. They're the closest to the nazi parties these days.

 

I wouldn't consider any of that to be far-right. Just firmly right-wing, like the US Republicans, but probably not as extreme.

Most of them are loonies, mind you, but they're not extremists.

 

European here.

I believe we should offer help to any person seeking it. Doesn't matter to me if you escape a country because there's a heavy war going on, or if you're just in search of a better life (more of this below).

I believe it's completely insane that people who were born in the European Union have the right to freely move around the EU and live/work where they want to, while we deny this right to people who happen to be born in a different part of the world.

Very well said. It's crazy how the (mostly right-wing) media is portarying most people as "economical refugees", while I think it's not about that. It's very easy to take a photo of just the young men arriving, and conveniently leaving women and children out of the frame.

People don't take such a dangerous trip from countries like Syria, with the chance of them or their loved ones dying, if they just want to make some more money (which, let's be honest, is also not that easy as the media makes you believe). The problem is way more serious than that.

What I also can't stand is people who say "countries around the home country should take them". Not only are those countries not the safest ones themselves, it's also a fact that at least 80% (lost the exact number) of refugees from countries like Syria are already fleeing to other countries in that part of the world. Just a small part of them actually makes the trip to Europe.

Except for learning the language maybe, this is not an immigrant's fault, but something that should change on a government level. I mean, I would love to, but I'm not allowed to vote in Germany because I wasn't born here. Besides that, most people from outside of the EU who don't have a valid visa are not allowed to get a regular job either, and are therefore not able to pay something like income taxes.

Not sure how this is in the US, but I don't expect it to be too different from the situation in Europe.

Anyway. Guess my point is clear and that I should stop now. Haven't made a post this serious in ages but this is something I deeply care about.

 

Well, I'd say banning speech about global warming even surpasses far-right lols...

The US republicans seem more balanced. I am not aware of any far rightish US party, except for maybe their american version of the nazi party. And can't think of any prominent US republican saying something as idiotic as "I don't want to live next to Mexican neighbors", or..."I don't want to live next to black neighbors".

Farage said similar thing about group of people living in England and then even defended his statement - it wasn't until major media backtfired and he "apologized".

 

All immigration should be legal, if they pay no taxes, charge extra sales tax and give less protection (still vote).

But I also say there should be a world government with different countries with identical laws meant/made only to protect humans, the enviroment, and animals from humans.

For Americans who are not fully American Indian and say about no Immigration or stricter Immigration, wow, I never knew you were full blooded native American!

For not learning the language, I say schools should be required to teach a universal language that is very easy to learn (Esperanto or a new language), and basic subjects, but until then, only speaking a foreign in America or anywhere only hurts you really.

No one should be in an army, immigrant or not, if the world had one government and many countries, if a civil wars starts, just split the country, fewer deaths.