Immigration, Jobs and Barnet

It seems that the papers are doing the devils work and stoking up resentment against migrant workers. The Daily Express leads the way with it's front page lead 3.8 Million Jobs go to Migrant Workers. This is one of the most ill thought through pieces I've ever read. It panders to the worst elements of the right wing xenophobic rump of British politics, those BNP cheerleaders such as Migrationwatch ("We're not like the BNP we just don't like foreigners").

Let's just look at a few facts. There are 3.8 million migrant workers and 1.9 million jobless. That means that if all the migrants went home and every job could be filled by a Brit, we'd be 2 Million workers short. This would lead to economic collapse, far worse than the current recession. Most of the immigrants are doing low paid work, keeping hospitals and buses running. A significant number however have skills which can't be filled. Engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers. The report says that 2.6 Million of these immigrants are from outside the EU. Well Australia, The USA, New Zealand and Canada are outside of the EU.

Lets look at a few areas of Barnet, where I've personally come across migrant workers. I know for a fact that many of the teachers in Barnet are from New Zealand and Australia, without them my children would not be receiving an education. The Lady who used to deliver my mum's meal on wheel was of Indian origin. My physiotherapist is a Kiwi. My favourate restaurants in Mill Hill are all run by immigrants. I can't imagine a curry house approved by the BNP doing much business.

I don't know about you but I'd rather my mum had her dinner delivered by a nice lady from India than a Frank Gallagher type, forcibly compelled to do it, who'd probably throw the dinner in the bin & go to the pub (as I understand it the BNP want to compel the jobshy to do this type of work). I certainly wouldn't want my kids education to suffer, I don't want my physiotherapist to be slung out and I certainly don't want my curry to be cooked by a numpty from the BNP who's idea of spicing up a meal is salt and vinegar.