Immigration: An Inconvenient Truth (UK show)

leave the Poles alone - they cool!!! what a multicultural society LONDON!!! - thats what makes it great - you wont find this anywhere in the world - ENJOY AND CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!!!! - its a good thing and STOP STEREOTYPING PEOPLE!!! - think out of the box for gods sake

London is multi-cultural, there's no denying that but if you mean by this:



that London is more mutli-cultural than anywhere else, you are wrong. Take a look across the pond...

I'm with you there Jock!!.....

According to a United Nations report London is the most multicultural city on earth.This is based on the number of foreign communities numbering 10,000 or more.New York has more black(american)people and more hispanics but in London there are a greater number of different 'ethnic communities'.

i don't know if she was referring to a US city as much as the US in general.

this people are not portugese!they are brasilians on fake portugese passports.i've lived in this country for about 7 years now and met 4 portugese pople only.on the other hand i have met about 100 brazilians.most of them with kids and council houses/benefits.


this is where u should look for your money.billions poured into pockets of 3 world country sponges.nobody wants to talk about it cuz everyone is scard of being branded "racist"which is stupid.it's easier to kick poles cos they are white

-Yeah, try to force them to go to work; we'll see if you suceed, and if you do, what the results of employing them should be for the British economy. In Poland we say: 'A slave doesn't make a good worker' (Z niewolnika nie ma robotnika). Many British employers actually know that from hard experience. In this, they differ from folks like yourself, who seem to just sit and 'experience' economic reality in your imagination. I myself would like all my countrymen to get out of UK as soon as possible - not so much for UK's sake, I must admit, but for Poland's sake. From now on, I won't cease trying to persuade them to leave.

Why?

Come to Toronto, Canada

400 years.. 400 years.. aka Slavery!

Think again..

A lot of the time I do feel the Polish (and other Eastern Europeans) are an easy target. The program, and the accompanying reports by the IPPR showed that the top five countries for benefits, crime and unemployment were Somalia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iran. Even the next five weren't Polish... However its become the favourite political football and easiest way to attract attention blaming the Eastern Europeans for everything. The politicians and the media love it, because EEs are white, so apparently it can't be racist whereas if they focused on the biggest drains on society, they would be accused on inciting racism.

I really enjoy being in the UK, but unfortunately, like all cultures, there is a core group of people who have no intention of working. You could pay them whatever you wanted but they believe that they are entitled to sit on their backsides, and unless you cease all government assistance, they will spend their entire lives on benefits. Whether or not you have immigrants has nothing to do with it. I personally work in a department of a UK Top 100 company; of our department of 23, just two are British born whites - the rest are all immigrants (including me). I had to return home to obtain a new permit, meaning we needed a temp for six weeks. I interviewed thirty people, and only one person appeared to have the skills required; after offering the role to her at £16.55 an hour, she began training, and I discovered she didn't know the business end of a mouse, let alone have computer skills, but I was determined to give her a shot as she was 29 and had never worked a day in her life so I spent a week teaching her basic accounting and computer skills. Two days after I left for home, she quit, saying she was going on holiday to Vegas. No surprises why I got a work permit without any difficulties now is there?

My polish other half and I have no intention of staying in the UK long term; we're saving for another 18mths before we head back to my country, so the UK is a winner; it gets our taxes, doesn't have to pay healthcare as we are young and healthy, and the business I work for gets to expand and pay further taxes, something that realistically wouldn't be possible without immigrants as the English who do not already have jobs generally don't want them - those who do want to work, are already working. Obviously there are some exceptions, especially in economically deprived areas, but in London, those who want to work are already working.

yeah right this liza idiot , we the english are the winners like we see tax whatever , we should never have signed up to this insane EU and allow poor ex red curtain countries into the uk , i know several cases of where polish have kept workers wages down , myself as an electrician in liverpool we have seen our rates slashed as dirty eastern europeans try and undercut us , this should not be a case in our country with the worlds 5th biggest economy that our families should go without food so polish can live 8 in a flat to save money , we should come first our ancestors built this country so our future children could have the benefits not communist poles, say no to EU it's done us no good whatsoever ,and the amount of people who think exactly like me who are just trying to get by is what keeps this fight going , crime has risen by a substantial amount on merseyside since these peasants have came here i read every night in the liverpool echo about some crime committed by some sort of pollock lithuanian or whatever, and yes polish will try to critisise this when the majority of people are thinking the same , even building contractors in liverpool recruit polish descretly because of fears of what tradesmen will do when they find out , i'm telling you read the echo most days in the letters page nearly everyone writing about this madness of immigration taking jobs from our local tradesmen ,i can't even tell you the amount of times i see my local MP saying the government has to act now there is already extremely high tensions between us and poles on merseyside it's just a matter of time before something starts going down , the **** will hit the fan we can't cope with this crazy madness any longer

Liza, I agree with you. I used to run a construction/development company. I got sick of people li ke "LennyD" wantin g £150.00 a day for "appearence money", not to work but to walk up and down the street all day, talking to their friends on their mobiles. Thhey are scared of competition in any form and fall back on the old adage of "England for the English", he forgets that we had an empire, subjugated a fifth of the world, and, now expects no repercussions. How nice to be so perfect.

There is unfortunately in parts of the UK the idea that the world owes them something, so they feel they can either sit on benefits or charge whatever they want for a shoddy job. The lazy on benefits can claim there are no jobs, and those turning out poor work and having to accept lower pay can claim they are being undercut. However there is a history of the British being shown up as poor workers expecting the world for little effort, and unfortunately the British contractors have got a PR issue even if they happen to be one of the good ones - because nobody trusts the British contractor to do a good job at a reasonable rate anymore, and that is the fault of the lazy and dodgy, not the honest immigrant worker.

Why do you think Australians, New Zealanders and South African's have been welcomed so heartily by companies in the UK for so many years? Because there is a sector in society who don't want to provide an honest day's work for an honest day's living - they expect high wages for little effort. Now the Poles are here, they are showing the building industry - and consumers - that a quality job for reasonable rates completed on time is more than possible.

I understand that there are difficulties because there is increased stress on infrastructure, but this is being covered by the taxes immigrants pay - its just the politicians who have hoarded it in the coffers rather than distributing to those councils that need the cash to help them to provide services. Personally I would recommend the English at least worry about those immigrants brought into the country to live on benefits and council houses (which are not the Polish, but in fact from African and Asian countries generally), and/or the subsidising of Scotland by English taxpayers. It is well publicised that the South of England pays the most tax, yet receives the least in return of services, with the situation getting worse the further north you go.

I do feel sorry for those who are struggling but rather than seeking to blame foreign nationals, perhaps they need to take a look at their own industry first.

Finally you might wish to consider that the great British Empire was built on the struggles and suffering of others, including slavery and colonisation of foreign lands at the sufferance of the native populations. For instance in Australia and New Zealand, the natives were marginalised and financially disadvantaged by the British Colonials, and are now second class citizens in their own countries due to policies put in place by the British. The British have a long and extended history of migration, and now they are a destination rather than a departure point, they feel its ok to claim foul? Perhaps you should research the stories of the £10 Poms.

PS 'Dirty Eastern Europeans'? Describing me as an 'Idiot'? The first could certainly be viewed as racist, and the second is laughable.

Liza, you have made some valid points. I agree that there are a lot of lazy British people who prefer to live on benefits. However, I cannot concur that all people in London who wish to work are in jobs. Of course, there are jobs, but an educated person with a profession does not want to take a job in McDonalds or some such place and as I'm sure you are aware competition for higher paid decent career jobs is high. I have friends in London who have been made redundant and are struggling to find jobs of a similar nature through no fault of their own. I also really dont understand why you and your company would waste time and effort trying to train someone as a temp. who clearly didnt have the skills for the job. I have employed temps. and if they dont have the right skills then you find someone who does and dont waste time and money.
Finally, yes Britain does have a terrible history of colonialism, but that was many years ago and I think it unfair to use that as an example of why it is now OK to over-run our country with immigrants. The current generation cannot be held responsbile for the actions of their predecessors. I have nothing against cultural diversity and am proud that Britain is a multi-cultural nation, but I do think that we need tighter restrictions on new immigrants and a complete overhaul of the benefits system.
My partner is Polish and when he was uable to work for 6 months due to injury, he could claim no benefits whatsoever here and as I was working I was expected to support him, which was incredibly difficult.. personally I have paid taxes all my life and never once claimed benefits, so it does make me angry that so many people sponge off the state, regardless of whether they be British or from any other country.

dont you just "love the smell of debate in a morning"

i wish people would learn how to write on the internet

When the current generation claims Britain is being over run by immigrants, I think it is valid to reflect upon their predecessors actions as an example of their hypocrisy. You cannot expand across the world, and not expect the world to expand to you as well. It does appear that the English are all very keen to immigrate, for instance to Spain or Australia, but don't want anyone to live in UK.

With regards to the immigrants currently being received into the UK, and specifically the program 'An Inconvenient Truth' and this message board, my overall point is, the Polish are blamed for over running the UK and bringing about its ruination. The majority of the mud slinging is from the British media and those small sections of the population who prefer to read one article and form an opinion rather than do any investigating themselves. The immigrants in the UK who do actually drain the British economy are not Polish or even other Eastern European groups, but are from other racial groups, who if the media turned on, would immediately cry 'Racism'. Because the Polish, and the Eastern Europeans, are white, no one is putting up their hands and saying 'Hang on, these comments and misconceptions are actually racist'.

I also pay taxes in the UK, which I have no problem with, and cannot claim benefits etc should I become unemployed or require any assistance. Indeed, should I become unemployed, I must leave the UK, and I feel that this is fair. I also note that I will be paying for a British pension, which I will not receive.

With regards to the temp in our office, we struggled to find anyone with basic computer skills that would commit to the role for six weeks. I actually interviewed 30 candidates over a week, and had to provide training as my role is specialised sole charge. When we complained about the temp we had settled for, the recruitment agencies advised me that they couldn't find anyone willing to do the work. It wasn't manual work - it involved computers in a nice office and these were not small agencies (Hays, Robert Half, etc) - it's just the qualified pool of workers wasn't available. While I do accept there is competition for well paid jobs, surely its better to be working and developing your skills while building a network, then sitting on your backside collecting the dole? Even working in McDonalds exposes you to customer services skills, operating as a team member and operating processes. Perhaps that is the difference between the new immigrants and the lazy minority group in the UK.

Overall I can understand that the British are concerned about their country, but I do feel that their fears are unnecessarily directed at the EEs instead of more appropriate areas of concern.

I think you mean 'emigrate' and I know we are all guilty of generalising on here, but do you really think that ALL English people dont want ANYONE to live in the UK?


There is such a thing as being over-qualifed for a particular job. I doubt very much whether McDonalds would employ a Doctor or Lawyer for example, as they would be unlikely to be convinced of this as a career move.. not only would it take the job from someone more suited to it (such as a new immigrant perhaps), but it would also leave that person with no time nor energy to pursue a new job in their chosen field. Regardless of the benefit issue, it takes time and effort to find a decent job and if you are working just to make ends meet in a job you hate and have no intention of staying in you are not likely to have the time to do this.

Yes it was a generalisation, but the picture I am receiving is that the same persons who want to stop immigration in the UK are the same talking of leaving the UK for Spain and Australia.



Yes there is over qualified, but there are also those who have an over inflated view of their skills, for instance they've gotten the degree but don't have the ability to put the knowledge into practise - meaning they are not able to perform the job they are seeking. The other option of course is that they have studied a degree for which is there is little or no market value.



I don't believe that its all down to lack of time or energy, but rather lack of self motivation. If you've got bills to pay, then sometimes you have to lower your sights to make it through today while aiming higher tomorrow. Some prefer to aim for the top straight away, and then can't understand why they never get a foot on the ladder.

But that makes sense to me. If you are against immigration, but realise that it is out of your hands, then you might naturally come to the conclusion that you would be better off emigrating yourself and not having to worry about it.

You are right when it comes to some new graduates thinking they are better than they really are and young people starting out on a career path, but I was thinking more of older people, those who are already on a career path and lose their jobs through no fault of their own.


Anyway, thanks for your response. I need to get off here and go do something more productive with my life :)

that is a bit harsh, just because soemone shares the sam ecolour doesnt mean you are closer to them... this is racism

in UK we have many different ethnic groups, the poles are to blame for soemthigns and so are other groups

i can't stand this word.just shut up and stop using it all the time

here here Mr R, I agree, lets just be open and frank about things rather than calling people racists all the time! We are all bigots in some way or another and have prejudged people because how they look beit I might move my bag a bit closer if some albanian looking chap gets on the bus or looking down on a paki because they smell!

RACIST IT'S NOT RACIST LIZA YOU FOOL, POLISH ARE THE SAME RACE AS US WHITE CAUCASIAN SO HOW CAN WE BE RACIST AGAINST OUR OWN RACE ? THAT'S NOT EVEN LOGICAL WHAT IT IS IS NATIONALISTIC AND WE HAVE A RIGHT TO VOICE OUR OPINIONS ABOUT OUR OWN SOCIETY EVEN IF YOU THINK IT'S AGAINST POLISH IMMIGRANTS THAT IS WHAT A DEMOCRATIC STATE IS ALL ABOUT , I SOMETIMES THINK THESE POLES STILL ADAPT THEIR COMMUNIST WAYS

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I think that you need to consult a dictionary lennyd, regarding what the word "racist" actually means. Colour doesn't always come into it.

remember people these polish earn money in our once proud nation then take it back to poland and spend it there helping us not a bit , read the papers even the politicians admit they have made massive mistakes allowing so many poles here , they never thought poland was such a dump that 1.1 million would come they estimated about 16,000 , migration watch think the uk should pull out of the EU to avoid any more heartache , they have kept wages at a record all ten year low all due to EU migration

Then blame our politicians, not people who are coming here to make a decent living for themselves.

I have but my screens ruined now,bloomin indelible ink......

and just noticed a screaming irony here, a frikin SCOUSER moaning about crooks! a scouser,ha,the city that exports crime as much as cheasy 60s pop and crappy stand up "comics" ,eh,xchalm down,xchalm down......surly if there is a crime wave comited by Poles you should welcome this as an attempt to fully intergrate with the local population in liver-sheet,wheres my car gone- pool.

Racist: adjective
1. based on racial intolerance; "racist remarks"
2. discriminatory especially on the basis of race, nationality or religion

I understand that immigration has brought some difficulties to the UK, however the Polish have come to the UK to earn a living and that is what they do. Other immigrant groups have come to the UK, and immediately applied for benefits and council housing. Research shows that when you compare the top twenty-four immigrant groups against the British, that the Poles come in at number twenty-three for use of social services, the British at number 11 (which I have no problem with), and other ethnic groups from Asia and Africa take out the top five spaces. Other EU groups including Cyprus and Portugal feature at spots 6 and 10. To put this more simply, an immigrant from Somalia is 23 times more likely that a Pole to be in a council house, to be unemployed, and to be claiming benefits (including the dole). The three groups below the Poles in the rankings - Australians, South Africans and Americans - have an estimated average wage of £700 net per week (whereas the estimated average wage for a Pole in the UK is only £275).

However the media in the UK, and some sections of the population, prefer to focus on the Poles as the source of all problems, rather than those immigrants who are actually costing the UK huge amounts of money.

Also, its my personal belief that the Polish immigrant is more likely to return to Poland after 2-3 years, whereas those here from Asian and African nations are settled here permanently - meaning the UK tax payer will be paying for them for the rest of their lives.

PS If you're going to write on a forum, could you possibly use some basic knowledge of etiquette, and STOP TYPING IN CAPS...