News that the ‘middle-classes’ feel culturally enriched by UK immigration is a funny way to describe it to say the least.

The problem we have with UK immigration at the moment is that messages and ideas are constantly skewed in order to address a perceived problem.

Multi-cultural society

I can only talk from experience, but in London we have what I would deem a multi-cultural society. We are also living in a city that is so built-up, and structured in such a way, that rich and poor areas stand side by side. For example Camden in North London or Ladbroke Grove in West London, both have incredibly expensive houses within spitting distance of low-level housing such as council estates. Some of these houses cost millions whereas across the road council flats are being occupied by the unemployed and unskilled.

Segregation?

So how can it be claimed that middle-class people are immune from all aspects of UK immigration? Most times in London it’s in front of their lovely big houses and within the shops and areas they frequent. The middle classes, as they are referred to by John Denham, are more than aware of the negatives to immigration, they just don’t feel that it is something to attach any blame to.

The area of society that moan about migrants taking a) their jobs and b) housing are simply people that have lived their whole lives on a ‘who can we blame for our situation,’ basis.

The reason this part of society are unemployed is because they can’t be asked to hold a job down and so flit from one to another, or just blame the system and remain unemployed.

These are the same people that when they came out of school with no qualifications blamed the teachers and the education system, well; it had to be somebody else’s fault. They don’t feel like they are culpable for their own actions in the slightest, and so when they find it difficult to get a job, after failing to sustain one for any period of time, look for somebody to blame.

I will say this now; the people in the UK who are blaming migrants because they can’t find a job are talking nonsense, what makes it worse is that we now have politicians pandering to these oiks in giving this oxygen.

Everyone is finding it hard to find a job-it’s called a recession!

UK immigration and the views involved are a difficult combination to mesh cohesively

I cannot possibly go into a better summing up of what different parts of society want to hear, that isn’t my job. So I applaud the government for attempting a synopsis of why people oppose immigration. However, you cannot wheel out the same-narrow minded view that is being spouted by these people.

How many English-born parking attendants do you know? Zero, do you know why? Because they won’t do this job, they are more than welcome to apply, and will easily land the position, yet don’t. Without immigrants for certain jobs they would never be filled. You just have to take a small segment of this occupation to realise that half of them can’t really speak English. Do you really think these people are taking your jobs? When hiring an employee would an employer not prefer somebody in such a position to be able to speak as good English as possible?

This is not a new phenomenon, the same thing happened in the 50’s when English-born citizens would not take menial jobs such as bus conductors.

This country, as do other countries, relies on immigration to fill shortages that the labour market has, nurses, engineers etc. However this is not what is being addressed here. Are there no jobs that this part of society can fill? Or will they just bemoan the fact that they will be better off staying on benefits then working for £6p/h?

Denham is right in one sense that society is divided in their opinion on UK immigration; this can be divided into two camps for me. The people that are intelligent enough to realise services and jobs are not being with-held from them in favour of immigrants and those that are fundamentally prejudiced and have little else to do but affix blame for most of their problems.

Have your say! Do you think that John Denham’s summing up of the problem is right or do you think he hasn’t really explored the real cause for people’s anxieties over UK immigration?