Thursday, April 2, 2015

Britain's immigration crisis

Márky Mónika

                                                Britain’s immigration crisis 



         Immigration crisis in Britain is a really important issue nowadays, which everyone could hear and read about in the media. The number of immigrants has been increasing for several years now, and the prime minister of Britain, David Cameron, is up to do some regulations against this not negligible condition. 

        According to James J. Atkinson, who is an entrepreneur and investor in Web-based media, there has been a rising inflow of immigrants in Britain since 1948, when Jamaican immigrants traveled to Britain. For sure there were immigrants before, but since this voyage the number of the immigrants started to grow. After that period several restrictions and regulations had been made through the decades, to control the evolved situation even nowadays, but not radical ones. 

        Immigrants from almost every country can be found in Britain. Most of them are seeking for better life conditions, job opportunities or they just would like to start a new life. According to several news and articles, London is facing a huge problem, because of the rising population of the city. Without doubt, there is a pressure on schools, hospitals and mainly on housing. According to Sir Andrew Green, who is a formal british diplomat, migrants are causing a housing crisis, with which they are unwittingly forcing Londoners to leave the city. He said, he did not think that London needs immigrants on the present scale.

        David Cameron, the current prime minister of Britain, held a speech last year in connection with migration, and listed all his plans and regulations, which he would like to launch with the help of the European Union. He calls these new rules and regulations the “Emergency brake”. In his speech he listed all the reforms, which he called radical ,but fair and necessary. 

        Firstly, he proposed that migrants should not get in-work benefits, such as tax credits and access to social housing, unless they have worked and lived in Britain for four years. They also need to have a stable job offer to move to Britain. 

       Secondly, Britain would not give child benefits for migrants if their children live outside Britain. Cameron stated, Britain’s welfare system is much different as in other countries. The  British welfare system is more favourable for migrants, because this is the only system in Europe which pays before anyone has put anything into it, which could also be a weighty reason why a huge number of migrants choose Britain as their new home. 

        Moreover, the government would remove migrants from the United Kingdom, if they have not found any job within six months. Cameron would also reduce the rights of migrants to bring their family members to the UK, who live in a country, which is not part of the European Union. 

        Later that year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and David Cameron had a meeting during which, they among other things discussed the regulations, which David Cameron would like to launch. Berlin was shocked after the speech of Cameron. Chancellor Angela Merkel does not agree with Cameron’s aims. Merkel claims, that freedom of movement in the European Union is an essential pillar also in the Common Market. She fears these British plans mean risks for the European project. 

        In my opinion the whole immigration crisis topic is a really important issue nowadays, not only in Britain, but also in other large and influential European countries. David Cameron’s regulations might seem radical, but in a way fair, and in my opinion necessary. The government need to make the right decision, which is not only suitable for Britain or for the British, but also acceptable and suitable for the immigrants. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY:

British immigration policy, race relations, and national identity crisis (2013, May 14) . Retrieved from

David Cameron urges EU support for migration plans (2014, November 28). Retrieved from 

Cameron, migration and the Germans (2014, November 28). Retrieved from

Cameron, Merkel set for talks on EU, immigration (2015, January 6). Retrieved from

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