The UK coalition government has suffered a severe embarrassment over the last couple of days as details have gradually emerged over a supposed error which allowed thousands of immigrants to enter the UK over the summer without proper background checks. The apparent misunderstanding occurred after Home Secretary Theresa May introduced a trial policy of loosening checks which she now claims only applied to people entering the country from EU states. However Brodie Clark, the then head of the UK Border Force (he resigned yesterday), asserts that he was instructed by the Home Secretary to extend the policy to cover non-EU states as well. The outcome of all this is that a large number of immigrants, some with potentially undesirable backgrounds, were able to enter the country and the tabloids are once again covered in headlines claiming that we are letting foreign murderers, rapists and terrorists run riot in Britain.
The tabloid headlines may be sensationalist but this is nonetheless a humiliation for David Cameron, who had previously promised to “get tougher” on immigration. Moreover the entire episode is indicative not only of the current chaos surrounding British immigration policy and services but of the inability of mainstream British politicians to get to grips with what is becoming an increasingly important issue. This inability is perhaps a case of “won’t cook” rather than “can’t cook”, as the successful left-wing hijacking of British political language over the past decade or so now means that any suggestion by an individual that we should consider reducing immigration levels immediately leads to phoney accusations of racism from left-wing commentators. UK immigration has thus become a horrifically hot potato and despite David Cameron’s rhetoric the fact that Theresa May gave such an order in the first place indicates that the current coalition government has no intention of seriously trying to resolve the problem.
Simply ignoring a problem however is no way to try and resolve it, especially when that problem is seen by increasingly large numbers of the British electorate as an important issue which they want the government to resolve. In a fairly comprehensive report published earlier this year by the “Migration Observatory” based at Oxford University findings showed that over 60% of white British respondents want immigration numbers to be cut substantially and that they want this partly due to concern over jobs and partly due to a feeling of threat to British national identity and culture. This number increases substantially to well over 80% amongst working class respondents but is lower amongst those from a wealthy background or with a good education. Interestingly the findings also reveal that the majority of non-white British residents who responded believe immigration levels should be reduced as well. These findings, which mirror a number of similar surveys in recent years, provide a clear mandate for the government to address the issue; and address it they must if they are not to pay a heavy price.
The simple fact is that mainstream political failure to deal with immigration has only served to strengthen truly racist organisations such as the BNP and EDL, both of which are currently enjoying a boom in support following the riots across England earlier this year. The traditional recruitment pool for fascism is from amongst poorer communities, which as research shows is the sector of society most disenchanted about current immigration policy. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to put two and two together and realise that if we don’t address these issues very soon we are simply going to drive swathes of people (mostly young, poor and angry) straight into the arms of the BNP and EDL. These two organisations both view discrimination and violence against ethnic minorities as acceptable and can be expected to target Muslims in particular, who they blame for almost every negative issue affecting the UK today. Their convictions are being strengthened by a surge of support for fascist parties all across Europe in recent years, reinforcing (deeply flawed) beliefs amongst their members that they are part of a greater movement to prevent an Islamic takeover of the world.
What, therefore, can David Cameron and his government do to try and successfully tackle immigration and prevent a massive upsurge in support for racist organisations? First and foremost they need to reorganise the UKBF and reassert British control over our own borders, as right now the UK is failing at this most basic of functions, one which is required of any state. Cutting immigration levels across the board once this is done might seem the simplest answer, but the British economy is actually strengthened by the immigration of skilled people from across the globe to our shores. When one also takes into account the many clever overseas students who improve our Universities plus the severe breaching of EU treaties such a policy would involve it becomes clear that it would not be a very logical proposal. A more sensible plan would be to reduce numbers of unskilled immigrants entering the UK, especially from outside the EU, to give working class British people more of a chance when competing for jobs.
Another option which might also be explored is to temporarily ban (or at least dissuade) new immigrants from moving to those parts of the country where ethnic tensions are especially high at present. Certain towns, such as Bradford, Blackpool and Burnley have become very easy recruiting grounds for fascist organisations due to the massive swathes of immigrants who have moved to these previously almost all white areas within a very short period of time. These communities need some breathing space to reduce fears amongst the natives that the immigrants pose a threat to them and also allow for local projects promoting greater understanding and cultural integration to gradually develop. If done successfully such a project could kill fascist support in these areas almost stone dead, dealing a massive blow to the BNP and EDL and making Britain a happier place for natives and immigrants alike.
Fears of facing false accusations of racism from the left should not prevent us from implementing sensible policies which will ultimately benefit everyone by directly preventing an increase in support for truly racist organisations intent on violence and evil.