[size=75:3vvid1zm]novinite 24 February 2010

If You Don't Want Immigrants, Will You Then Do Their Jobs?

have long had this fantasy. With millions of true-born Brits reviling immigrants and blaming incomers for everything – unemployment, poor public services, crime, violence, social unease, widespread rape even – why not have an annual day called "
Immigrants Out"
.

We who are thus pilloried, and our progeny, previous arrivals and their descendents too, should put down tools, shut up shop and march in our best clothes to show the many unappreciative citizens just what we do. We could pick the birthday of Mary Seacole, the Jamaican who nursed our soldiers in the Crimean War.

Mayor Boris Johnson should fund this carnival. It would make better sense than his proposed day to suck up to America. After all he supports an amnesty for migrants.

In all the hysterical, anti-immigration debates a question hangs like an eagle looking down from the clouds above. What would happen if the immigrants left?

At long last a media experiment tries to tease out some answers and you can watch the results at 9pm this Wednesday on BBC1. The presenter is Evan Davis, one of the interrogators on the Today programme. The programme is set in Wisbech near Peterborough, once a prosperous English town which has attracted over 9,000 workers from central and eastern Europe who do factory and field jobs.

Over 2,000 locals are unemployed. They are none too happy. The place they say is "
overrun with the buggers"
and "
they're pushing the English person to one side"
. Meanwhile employers claim they had to turn to migrant labour because they couldn't get good indigenous employees.

So the BBC took out a dozen foreign workers and replaced them with unemployed Brits looking for a fair chance. Jobs were made available in a factory, an asparagus farm, a building company and an Indian restaurant.

Half the British workers either failed to show up or turned up late on the first day. Thereafter, the tasks proved to be beyond the endurance of most of them. I sympathised with them initially – especially with Terry and Paul, mates who used to repair water mains, and Terry's wife who wept as she described how she feared they could lose their home. Paul, a single father, was learning maths from his 11-year-old daughter. It didn't seem fair, their suffering.

I wanted them to do well but couldn't stand the self-pity and anti-migrant bitterness. Paul refused to call his co-worker by his Portuguese name, he wouldn't respect a "
foreign"
supervisor. In the end they did shape up thanks to a feisty, young female English manager who didn't put up with their rubbish.

A resentful builder also started off badly but came right. But most of the rest failed miserably even with kind bosses. A chef at the Indian restaurant given the job of taking orders didn't survive a single morning. The owner graciously invited him to have a meal before leaving. The youngest lads were the most useless. My English husband couldn't bear to see what the working classes had become – his own class in fact.

All the businessmen said they would like to provide jobs for the community – it just wasn't possible. They denied they were trying to keep wages down.

Pressure on services was also explored. It is indisputable that the new populations are adding demand to hard-pressed authorities. Yet one school head insisted: "
Nobody suffers, everybody gains"
, possibly overstating the good news. But witnessing "
British jobs for British workers"
in one small part of the country you understood how the services too would collapse without migrants.

Political parties now battling it out over the needs of the old will never be able to provide quality care for an ageing population using only homebred staff. There are, no doubt, hardworking Brits across the land – like the manager at the potato factory – but too many who will not get out of bed for love or money or a job. I know a number of lazy good for nothing migrants too. However, most of us immigrants feel insecure and vulnerable and can never take anything for granted. The survival instinct makes us push the work ethic into our kids.

I have been helping out occasionally at the cafàin the crypt of Marylebone parish church run by a chef, David Rowles, with whom I am trying to set up a small cookery business. I wash up and serve customers at the table. When I get things wrong Rowles gets mad. That's fine;
I am learning. One customer recognised me and was shocked. How could someone like me be doing this? I'm an immigrant I explained. We never think we are too posh for any job. She smiled and left a good tip.

This article is brimming with statements that could bring forth a raft of comments

I would say this is why Britain is no longer "
Great"
when I look back of the years its always been the same Immigrants have always been prepared to do the jobs that no one else will, you only had to look at places like the health service and the bus services not to mention the construction industry which was made up of Irish, Indian and West Indians and why? Because they were prepared to work for a living and then came along people like red rob at Austin Rover and where’s that gone? and then you have the likes of Arthur Scargill I think it's a real shame that Britain has lost it's "
Great"
but I say to all the Immigrants who are prepared to work where the Brits won't "
Good luck and I hope you make it"

I agree with you Sarah

Well said Sarah

Plus the trouble nowadays is that a lot of the youngsters think that they are owed a living [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
My goodness I sound like my Dad god rest him.

I also blame the Governments past & present. They give these kids false hopes and promises Plus with the benefits that are given there is no incentive for some people to work as they are better off on the dole.

Its so sad that our own do not want to work but what is worse is when some people from other places get off the plane and get handouts, then Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Your right no longer GREAT.

You can watch these people on the TV saying they won,t get out of bed for less than 500 quid a week,who are they kidding,make them get out there and shovel s,,t.think they can sit in the jobcentre and pick and choose what they want or NOT(as the case may be)make them go in a field all day and pick swedes and potatoes,perhaps they will realise that not everything is not given on a plate.They would be the first to start moaning.

loupylou, i have to agree, the immigrants are prepared to work as they can earn more here than in their homeland, shame but a fact. many people on benefits do not even have to get out of bed to collect it. i wonder how many would find work if they had to turn up monday to friday 9 till 5 and do community work in order to recieve that benefit, nope they would not like that.

the government has created a dependant culture and pay all their living costs, while those working are actually worse off.

it will take an almighty strong government to make changes and this has to happen and those who really are deserving and genuine recieve the support needed. if only.

This is on BBC now 9 pm for those that can watch it

Just to add my six penneth worth to this discussion.

I think alot of the problem is with the fact that all kids are now expected to achieve high academic standards, target driven. They have been encouraged to all go to University, which was originally for the very brightest, the future leaders, scientists etc If you were not academic you learnt other skills like building, plumbing, etc If you were not the brightest you would be a dustman or have a factory job, nothing wrong in any of those paths all are essential and play a vital role in society.

Kids have been led to believe that if they go to Uni they will earn mega bucks no matter what degree they take. There is now no manufacturing in Uk, no apprenticeships ( you try getting a plumber or electrician when you want one!)

The result of all this is that we have a generation of highly educated kids who feel it's beneath them to work for low pay. Another set of kids who because they cannot achieve high academic standards fall through the net at school, lose interest and become disaffected, with no sense of achievement or pride and as far as they can see no future to look forward to.

Kids are not taught to be competitve at scool any more through sport for example, they vare taught that every one is entitled to win. Well life isn't like that so they are woefully ill prepared when they get out in to the world

And just to cap it all, we see marriage as a temporary state that is easy to get out of once the going gets tough!

Is it any wonder the UK is in such a mess! I don't have any answers but lots of opinions! I wish I did have some answers though, someone needs to do something drastic before we end up with mayhem in this country!

Oh dear I need to shut up now

Watched the program last night and it's quite clear to see why the Immigrants are doing the jobs that others won't do but I have to say that they do work so hard and without moaning about it and they make a very good living at the same time, I'm sorry to say this but as Margaret Thatcher once said "
We have become a nation of moaning mini's"
and it was so true in the program

Judybaby don't shut up

Nice little post expressing your opinion which I agree with

When I first retired I worked part time at a car hire company, all the people were uni backgrounds. For them it was something to do until something better turned up. that was many years ago and some are still there [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Great bunch but they were full of self praise.

I next worked in a Girls Grammer School. No different. Some will become Doctors etc but some just go to Uni for the easy ride

I started work as an apprentice earning less than 3 pound a week, loved it. I had to work my way up the scale to end my working life as I did. Made a good living in the end. So why can't the young ones now [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hey Tony

I started as an apprentice 'Compositor' on seven quid a week. Half of which my (late and much missed) Father made me give to Mother as I still lived at home (mind you, we sometimes got meat during the week, so was worth it).

Still, I could afford a bit of petrol for my old CD175 Honda to get to work every day.

Thing is, and this really bugs me ...

Last time I was in the UK (eight years ago for my Father's funeral), I popped in a local pub at lunch time for a quick half and a sandwich.

Saw a few guys in there that I used to go to school with ... and asked them why they were in the pub during their lunch break.

Their exact words were "
not worth getting out of bed to go to work, we can rip the benefits system off and get more money"
.

I could have wept.

So ... lots of benefits but can afford to sit in the pub every day? I wish I could afford to do that.

I left my half-eaten sandwich and departed (after a few 'words'). These guys were bright, clever and can't be 'arsed' to get out of bed?

However, both have a BMW, Sat TV, house repairs paid for by the state, child money, job seeker money, etc., etc. etc. Yet, they sit in the pub drinking all day? Surely this can't be correct?

I could have thrown up.

I have always paid my own way (as did my Father and Jain's Father before us).

Rant over.



Please don't get me started on my Mother's 'neighbours'!

Oh I just love this thread!

If we are representative of the UK voters in general, why is it no-one listens, no-one does anything to make changes?

I feel totally helpless to do anything but escape!

Sad isn't it? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I have always voted in general elections but I truly haven't a clue this time round. I feel like it's a complete waste of time as the MP's will just do what they want anyway.

You wait until the election is over and the s*** hits the fan with tax rises. etc etc to pay for the money crisis we're in. It's all being kept from us until the voting's over as I think there would be a massive shock.

Judy

Don't think I can add much to this thread, Just makes me sad and angry at the lazy people who just don't have the work ethic, maybe we are the stupid ones paying our way through life,
A 'dependent culture' is no good for anyone.
PS.. Chris/ I did a five year apprenticeship as a bookbinder/finisher, job probably doesn't exist now.

From Novinite

Bulgaria Sees 25% Boost in Detained Illegal Immigrants 2010

Bulgaria has detained 25% more illegal immigrants in 2010 year on year, the country's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov has stated.

"
In 2010, we caught 1186 illegal immigrants, which is a 25% increase in comparison with 2009. They have been mainly from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran,"
Tsvetanov said before foreign pundits in Sofia.

Bulgaria's Interior Minister clarified that most of the immigrants have tried to cross the Turkish-Bulgarian border.

Tsvetan Tsvetanov was also positive that Bulgaria will have covered the technical criteria for the Schengen Agreement by March 2011.He has pointed out that Bulgaria is equipped with the 6 fastest patrol boats, which operate in the Danube river, as well as the most state-of-the-art thermovision cameras in the Balkan peninsula, which are used to detect illegal immigrants hidden in the luggage departments of vehicles.

On Saturday, three brand new border police helicopters worth a total of EUR 29 M were received by Bulgaria worth a total of EUR 29 M. They were purchased from the Anglo-Italian aircraft manufacturer AgustaWestland.

On this occasion, Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov expressed their certainty that Bulgaria is ready to be a reliable Schengen external border.

However, on Friday, experts from the Brussels working group on Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession concluded that Romania and Bulgaria – but especially Bulgaria – have not met yet the technical requirements to join the borderless Schengen Area.