Quote Originally Posted by mickd1961 View Post
I’d like to see a documentary on TV about immigration and to hear an honest account from the immigrants themselves as to their main reason for bypassing all Eu countries to risk getting into the U.K.

Even if it involved blanking out faces and disguising voices I’d just like to know?

If I were “escaping” a bad country, one of my last options would be the U.K. if I’m honest.

There has to be a big reason for heading to here, is it the handouts, the free housing, the free healthcare, a motobility car if you can feign a decent limp or is it the weather?

It’d just be nice to hear or see an honest report on why, why here?
Totally agree!!
Considering that the subject is the source of so much heated debate there has yet to be an open and more properly informed discussion with too many gleaning their beliefs from the headlines.

I think that both legal and illegal immigration need to be examined and discussed. In terms of legal immigration, since Brexit, the number from EU countries-particularly Poland-has fallen dramatically but that from India and Pakistan remain the highest. As for the illegal "boat" people, a few years ago most were genuine refugees fleeing conflict from places like Syria, Chad, Sudan,Iraq, Yemen and Egypt. Latterly, Afghans have joined them but the big increase has been down to growing criminality such as Albanian gangs and so the root source of the problem has changed.

Only when we know the facts-or as close as we can get to them-can we formulate a proper strategy that tries to ensure that the overwhelming number of immigrants can both support themselves and add value to the country and a balance between humanitarianism and pragmatism struck.