Britain's Immigration Myths

This week 'The Daily Mirror' has the honour of a second spot in 'Left-wing Media Watch'; as soon as I saw this article published on Thursday, festooned (in the print version only, sadly) by the image of a white lady wearing a Burqa in the pattern of the Union Flag, I knew I had to have a crack at it here. It should be noted that this article is based on an academic study by Dr Ludi Simpson and Dr Nissa Finney of Manchester University, who both seem to show special interest in something called 'Britain's Ethnic Geography'.

The full title of the article is: 'Britain's immigration myths exploded by new study'.
For the uninformed, the title might offer some hope; finally, a mainstream British newspaper recognises that the public are fed a diet of myths about immigration!

But no, it seems the title is quite misleading; actually it's an attempt to promote government sanctioned myths by debunking common observations and perceptions, and just for fun a few actual facts too. Why bother messing around when you can just lie outright?

By a stunning array of omissions, outright distortions and half-truths of which Pravda would be proud, the article attempts to convince us ordinary Brits that immigration is always good and beneficial, has actually been handled well by the government, and that anyone who doesn't agree is simply intolerant, and let's face it probably a racist too, so why bother even dwelling on them?

So, let's examine their list of 'facts':
'most people think nothing of visiting a Pakistani doctor, Caribbean restaurant or French dentist.'

This is true up to a point, but let's contextualise; most people in Britain don't choose their doctor, they get what they're given at the local surgery. In my local area, I have never had an English GP. That generally wasn't a problem until a few years ago, when a Sikh lady who speaks very heavily accented English took over. I, my mother and my sister find understanding her almost impossible; how can she be an effective doctor?

When my mother was very ill and I raised this problem with the receptionist, she said requesting another doctor under those circumstances was racist.
Right. So most people in Britain think nothing of visiting a foreign doctor (not that they have much choice, with the amount of English ones the government and NHS have driven abroad), except if they do have any problem they're racist, will potentially have their right to treatment withdrawn, or even be prosecuted.
Please do click the link - isn't it odd how we have all the tolerance in the world for those of different cultural backgrounds, but none at all for those born in a different era? Also, note how requesting a white nurse is described as 'abuse'; would a Muslim woman who requested a female doctor/nurse be guilty, too?

'MYTH
UK takes more than its fair share of immigrants
TRUTH
Numbers rose from 2.6 million in 1961 to 5.4 million in 2005 - a 110 per cent increase that is in line with the rest of the world.
Less than three per cent of the world's migrants live in BRITAIN.
And we have a smaller proportion of immigrants than the US, Canada, Australia and Germany.'

Fascinating. Of course, also slightly misleading; all of those countries are huge compared to Britain, except Germany, which is still pretty big. I also find the tone telling; we can stop 'man-made global warming' if we just try hard enough, but mass immigration? Well, who would want to even try to stop it anyway? I mean, what are you, some kind of racist or something? It doesn't even note that a '110% increase' is actually an awful lot, no matter what the circumstances.

I should declare at this point I have absolutely no idea where the study/article got those figures, or which type of immigrants they include; refugees, illegal immigrants and foreign students, economic migrants; there's so much cultural enrichment to be had.
I took a brief glance at the government figures, but I shan't trouble you with them; I highly doubt they have any more idea than I do, in reality. The best guide is probably Migration Watch UK.

'MYTH
Britain is becoming a country of racial ghettoes
TRUTH
The only concentrations anything like ghettoes are of white people.'

For shame! Ghetto like concentrations of white people, in Britain? Whatever next? Of course, the article doesn't go into much detail on just why that might be, but suffice to say that 'White Flight' is a recorded phenomenon in pretty much every major Western city.

'Even the least white ward in Britain - Southall Broadway in the London Borough of Ealing - has a 12 per cent white population.'

So, touche anyone who happens to be concerned about mass immigration! Not really. A slightly different perspective is that mass immigration in Britain has only been underway for 40 years, and many areas of our largest cities aren't recognisable anymore. But anyway, the crime figures for Southall are interesting, to say the least, as they just happen to be in most of London's harmonious, diverse areas.

'MYTH
Immigrants are lazy, unskilled scroungers
TRUTH
They are entrepreneurial, fill labour gaps and improve productivity.'

No, the myth is that ALL immigrants are lazy scroungers. The 'truth' statement is clearly as biased a distortion as the 'myth'. I fully recognise that many come here to work and improve their lives. My concern is at what cost to Britain and its existing inhabitants?

The next one is pure gold:
'MYTH
Britain is full.. immigrants cause housing shortages
TRUTH
Ethnic minorities are less responsible for space and housing pressure than the white population.
Thirty per cent of white UK citizens live in one-person households. Nine per cent of Bangladeshis do the same.
Average number of people per household
White British: 2.3
Bangladeshi: 4.2
3.. times as much land area taken to accommodate white Britons as Bangladeshis'

Well, excuse me. I'll just join hordes of my compatriots in sodding off to Australia (memo to the BBC: could the record number of departures and arrivals be, er, related?).
Firstly the statistics clearly show that Bangladeshis have larger numbers of children, who in turn will move out and have large families... It completely ignores, of course, programmes such as 'Family Reunification', which potentially mean one immigrant can bring in greater numbers.

What I find most disturbing about this section is the way Bangladeshis and native Britons are equated, as if anyone who happens to wander in has the inalienable right to everything they wish. When was the debate? When did the vote on whether or not mass immigration from the Third World is a good idea take place? Also, if Britons are taking up so much space, why are we constantly told we're not having enough children and therefore need ever larger numbers of immigrants?

Bangladeshis are actually statistically one of the worst performing immigrant groups in the UK in terms of education.

'MYTH
Some cities will be minority white in two years' time
TRUTH
Best estimates indicate there will be no cities with white populations of less than 50 per cent by 2011.
All cities forecast to have populations less than half white within the next few decades will remain ethnically mixed, with whites making up between 25 and 50 per cent.
Year whites will make up less than half projected population
Leicester: 2019
Birmingham: 2024
Bradford: 2031'

Once more my mind is at rest. It won't be two years in Leicester, but ten. Incidentally, this would be the same Leicester in which some school pupils saw fit to celebrate the 11th September 2001 attacks. What on earth will things be like in another ten years?
But as they admit themselves, it's already happened in some London boroughs. Seeing as when mass immigration started, the establishment assured the population this point would never be reached, as well as destroying anyone who happened to disagree, do you mind if I take anything they say now with a very healthy pinch of salt?

Given the demands the immigrant 'community leaders' and their white liberal shills already make on the population at large, the destruction of our national identity can only continue.