When Britain leaves the European Union early next year, the laws concerning immigration will change. Rather than permitting freedom of movement and residence for E.U. member citizens within the U.K. now a system based on skills will be in place. Previously, anyone who was born in an E.U. member state could travel to and live in Britain. They were automatically entitled to the same protections in law including social security. This will stop, and people will only be permitted to live here if they can offer a required service to the U.K. workforce. This means that only people who can and are willing to contribute will be able to live here. Then still, their citizenship may not be automatic and even after working for a long time in Britain, they may not be fully entitled to the same protections as British people.
Many nations have a similar outlook to immigration. It's good sense to populate a country with hard working and decent minded folk. We teach these qualities and virtues in schools and so it makes sense to expect the same things in those who enter our communities from elsewhere. A word that has been absent from recent conversation is asylum. We, as a first world nation, have a global duty of care towards those who cannot find the help they need at home. Often we think of war and famine, two atrocious disasters that can create a mass exodus. In modern times, crime and poverty have also become instruments of populational shift. Europe has been adequately generous towards asylum seekers, with mixed results. It's been reported that many immigrants feel that the dangers of home are more tolerable than the lack of community support and acceptance in their new home. It is of course a balance between the devil we know and the devil we don't. If a person doesn't feel at home but is fundamentally safe, from an authority point of view, the concession should be made. If they want to go back to their old home, that also cannot be prevented in a free society.
The few individuals who have entered western countries with an intent to do harm cannot be ignored. It is of course incredibly important to make sure these people have zero opportunity to perform their harmful actions. It is not normal however to judge a people by their criminals, something we can rely on more is how they treat their criminals. Every group of people will contain individuals who have the potential to do harm, either primary from their own hand or secondary by influencing the acts of others. Learning about this and preventing it at every link of the chain is part of regular society, the police are tirelessly working 24/7 to stop crime. Expecting a society to be immune to a criminal side is wishful thinking. It cannot be perfect so don't expect it to be. It just so happens that some of the criminals from other places have been mass murderers, just like some of the criminals from our own society. It's terrible and must be stopped at any cost.
The new system of skills -based immigration leaves some questions. What about people who cannot offer a skill? There are disabled people, children, elderly people, and mentally damaged people who cannot offer a worth-while role in the everyday runnng of society. If a young bright child with a critical illness wants a second chance? Can Britain offer it? Compassionate Asylum for those who need it can be on the table. A disabled person who will never be able to work but could have a ten time fold better life in the U.K. could be blessed with compassionate asylum. There are of course far too many individuals in need for one nation to provide for. This is why a two pronged approach including training and providing for resources abroad must take place. It would be better if the people in need could get the help without moving to another land. It's impotant to facilitate this.
Britain may not be a member of the E.U. for much longer, however, Britain is still a member of the Commonwealth. This group of nations within the global grasp of us can be the first group that deserves British respect and our duty of care. Perhaps it's not possible to completely change the world but we can change somebodies world. Changing the world one at a time for all of us is a job for all of us, the gifts we bring to each other cannot be denied. Let's not deny others our gifts of generosity and free and fair society.
Rowan Blair Colver
We share a love of tea with India, why not buy some of theirs?
