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| Britain |
| Britain to announce tough new immigration measures |
| 2005-02-06 |
| LONDON - Only skilled professionals will be allowed to permanently settle in Britain under measures to be announced on Monday by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, it was reported on Sunday. Only "desirable" professionals, such as doctors and teachers, will be granted leave to remain, and even then only if they pass English tests, The Observer newspaper said. Others who come to Britain on work permits will not be able to apply to remain indefinitely, and will be forced to leave once their time in the country has run out. The measures are not expected to affect citizens from other European Union countries who, under EU rules, are free to seek work and remain in Britain—though under some conditions in the case of those from eastern Europe. The Observer said the measures would be announced on Monday by Home Secretary Charles Clarke, three months before an expected general election in which immigration will be a major issue. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 I doubt most of my ancestors came here without protection of the law as there was none. Further, I have strong reason to believe most were attempting to escape the law from whence they came. Sort of like Australians. Interesting what sprouted from such seeds. (Yes, I know most Aussies have no transport blood, but it's in the attitude.) |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-02-06 4:31:35 PM |
| #8 Desert Blondie, I suspect that most of our ancestors came here legally. Certainly mine did, which meant that their 10-year wait on the list led to my grandparents hiding in a fraternity house in Amsterdam during the war, and a 2-week stint lying in a roof gutter for my mother. For my father, it meant moving to Palestine, because there was nowhere else to go. The issue is not immigration, it is illegally and selfishly jumping the queue. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-02-06 4:25:18 PM |
| #7 Desert Blondie: âI just wonder how many of us would be here if they would have applied that same standard to our parents or grandparents.â Far more stringent standards were applied in the past, including strict quota systems. Travel was more expensive and more limited. Border controls were more restrictive. The economic system was also very different. No welfare system and limited public services. Many jobs required only a strong, willing back instead of language, education, and computer skills. There was no multi-culturalism. Immigrants were expected to learn English and follow the local laws. The world today is far different. What does the future hold? I believe we are in the early stages of merging Canada, the US, and Mexico with other Latin American and South American countries to follow. I donât mean that those nations will become states in the US. I mean there will be a merging of cultures, economies, and communities. In the past it mattered in what US state you were born. Today it doesnât matter. History has many examples of smaller political units combining to form a large political community. It is happening with the EU today. (There are also examples of breakups, e.g. Soviet Union. However I believe the long-term trend is globalization.) I donât believe the process can be stopped. Nor do I believe it is in the long-term interests of the US to do so. Population numbers do matter. In the next decades the US will face China and India whose economies have greatly advanced and whose people will become much better educated and productive. Both countries have over a billion citizens. If the US canât stop it and stopping it isnât in the best interest of the US, what should be done? As citizens we should decide what type of culture we want. I want a law abiding, English speaking, non-socialist culture that values personal responsibility and Western liberal values. I believe our immigration policies should deter illegal immigration and encourage mainstream assimilation of new immigrants. Our policies should strengthen our nation by encouraging skilled immigration while discouraging unskilled immigration and stopping criminal immigration. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5032 2005-02-06 12:44:14 PM |
| #6 I just wonder how many of us would be here if they would have applied that same standard to our parents or grandparents. Economic times weren't any better then than they are now, and sometimes, they were even worse. I have no problem with poorer people coming here, as long as they are willing to work and raise their kids to be Americans, not part of the (insert-ethnic-and/or-religious-group-here) diaspora. Some of the greatest Americans in our history have been either those who came here with nothing, or the children of those immigrants. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-02-06 10:12:57 AM |
| #5 Closing the coop after weasels got in. |
| Posted by: gromgorru 2005-02-06 7:54:04 AM |
| #4 Of course, we could do the same thing by outlawing wire transfer of funds from the US to Mexico. Hah, as if. Lately, banking firms have been jumping on the bandwagon to make it easier to transfer funds to Mexico. All in the name of catering to "Hispanics". (including illegal aliens, no doubt) |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-02-06 5:32:32 AM |
| #3 Would be a nice precedent for the US. Of course, we could do the same thing by outlawing wire transfer of funds from the US to Mexico. |
| Posted by: RWV 2005-02-06 1:18:14 AM |
| #2 I thought the problem was asylum seekers. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-02-06 12:36:26 AM |
| #1 Wow, hopefully they can enforce this. Sounds good to me on face value. |
| Posted by: Jeamp Ebbereting9472 aka Jarhead 2005-02-06 12:28:05 AM |