Too many peeps in UK

[Internal Boxer]

I personally think cultural diversity in the UK is a good thing, my only concern is I feel we have to discourage people coming to the Uk due to over population, we are only a small country, with a population double that of Canada and triple that of Australia.

Take a look at population densities. Based on persons per square mile. (Japan is worse than UK in Pop density)

UK: 623 Persons per square mile
France: 274
Mexico 124
US: 74
Sweden: 55
Canada: 8

What I find alarming is as soon as anyone has a debate about over population the militants come out from the cupboard and accuse people of racist behaviour. The girl I live with is Asian (Indian) and her family feel the same that we should stop people coming here, regardless if they are black or white.

Its not a race issue its an issue of practicality!!

[Ludeviews]

Howdy All,

Question for you......one that has puzzled me since I thought of it:

What gives you more right to this country (UK) than any other person??

Is it just cause you were here first??

Not trying to dismiss your statement.....just invoking conversation.

[Internal Boxer]

I do not feel I have any right to live here, but I do feel privileged, not so much in a patriotic way, but the fact that I have a roof over my head and I do not go hungry.

The issue is about the practically of having too many people in one area. If the west provided much more international help to get the whole world on the same economic playing field rather than the exploitation of cheap labour in poor countries (Fair Tade etc) where everyone could enjoy a good standard of living then it would mitigate the need for people to leave their home land in search of a better life. (Although hostile regimes are another matter) Which does make things difficult to distinguish genuine refugees from economic migrants.

So I do not think that closing our immigration offices is the whole answer but it should be much much tougher to get in than it is and it would solve problems at home, but we do have a responsibility to help other countries get on their feet.

[Souljah]

in reply to ludeviews-

well he's not suggesting that he has more right, just that the UK IS overpopulated (which it is).

I don't think we should be discouraging people from coming, the matter is being semi-dealt with in paliament and there are just more restrictions on coming in.

I do agree that the UK is overpopulated and this can be bad in terms of the environmental issues caused by it. And also, I dont like the fact that ghettos form, I mean, I live in Hackney in London. Which is as culturally diverse as they come, perhaps even more so than brixton. But there is a increase in the number of immigrants in the area which is causing little pockets of communities that dont associate themselves with anyone else - which I just dont feel is right for this day and age...

I have no problem with these people (hey my dad was one of them), but my gripe is that they create a type of segregation and a somewhat freemason-like community, which isnt what we should have.

But then you can also blame the government for almost completely forgetting about these areas of thier country. (Much like the US does with ITS ghettos).

greg

[Vapour]

You might notice that you have lot of open space in England. Been to Lake District lately? Same with Japan. Outside of metoropolitan area is not crowded.

Population density in term of what you are talking is not matter of geography. It is more matter of economics. London is crowded and land price high not because it is surrounded by Great Wall of China which restrict avialability of land. It is because people choose to live in crowded city due to avialability of job or entertainment and amenity in London.

If you think overcrowding is annoying you, the easiest solution is to move out to country side rather than trying to make London like coutryside by depopulating it.

[Vapour]

However, I do agree with you that immigration issue if discussed in context of economics is a valid topic of debate.

Unfortunately, lot of people against immigration are more against brown and black people coming into England. I never hear these people complaining about Open European Border policy which bring in lot of white people coming to London for jobs.

[Souljah]

but then we are really complaining about something minor, Londons population density is nothing compared to say that of Hong Kong (6,000 OR SO PER SQ km) and Macau (Like 25,000 PER SQ km APPARENTLY), And even tokyo.....London doesnt come close....so its really not a big deal.

[Liokault]

Vapour




You might notice that you have lot of open space in England. Been to Lake District lately?

So u dont think the lake district is over crwoede?....how long can u hill walk there and not see another person?....may be 15 mins if u are in mid winter....in summer u better get used to company guy.



What is really scarey for me is the fact that in the England and wales last year we only had around 450,000 births but had 100,000 declared imigrants (legal or other wise) and probably nearer 200,000 imigrants including non declared illegal imigrants.

[Vapour]

Originally posted by Liokault
Vapour

So u dont think the lake district is over crwoede?....how long can u hill walk there and not see another person?....may be 15 mins if u are in mid winter....in summer u better get used to company guy.

What is really scarey for me is the fact that in the England and wales last year we only had around 450,000 births but had 100,000 declared imigrants (legal or other wise) and probably nearer 200,000 imigrants including non declared illegal imigrants.

I never visited Lake District on Banking Holiday. Plus area surrounding Lake District is quiet.

In regard to declining birthrate, this surely is a argument for the immigration. Without these people, Britain will not be able to support it's pension system. As I said, debate over immigration should stick to economics benefit. When people start to talk about culture (both pro and con) thing get rather fuzzy.

[Liokault]

Just 1 question for the UK guys who have posted here.


Say so if u are from a "imigrant" family or back ground....just out of interest.



Also why do people think that English culture is not worth saving....cos thats what it needs right now.

and just because hong kong is more densily populated than london or anywhere else in the uk that does not mean that the uk is not over populated. Are we aiming for population levels similar to hong kong as an ideal....no i think not.


(btw im from mixed race.....non or which are english)

[dezhen2001]

in that case im just glad i come frm Scotland and live in the middle of nowhere :D

dawood

[Laughing Cow]

Not being british, but would like to add something.
Immigration is good and healthy for any country and economy.

What is not good, IMHO, are unskilled labourers and economic migrants, who simply leave their old country to look for a BETTER paying Job.

This is also one of the causes of brain-drain where skilled workers look for a better paying job in the USA or similar.
I guess we all know a few people that left for "greener" shores, regardless of whihc country we are in.

One problem I see in England was their easy immigration policies for ex-colonies and people with double citizenships (British and another).

There is no easy solution to this without tepping on some toes.

[kohai]

Ah, "English culture", that most ephemeral of entities, apparently being diluted by the constant influx of "forn types" into Britain. The problem is, whenever this is brought up as a reason to reduce immigration, no-one seems to agree on what it actually is. Having a few pints of Budvar in an Irish theme bar before partaking of a lamb bhuna from the takeaway?

In my opinion, Britain is an assimilative culture, if anything. Each area might have its own individual character, Cornish folk music, Gloucestershire cheese-rolling, the Wiganers love of pies, not to mention the indigenous cultures of Wales and Scotland. However, other than fish'n'chips, there seems to be little that could be described as "British Culture", certainly nothing that could be "diluted" by immigrants. On the contrary, immigration gives far more to the society than it takes away. Even the BNP eat curries, for goodness sake.

Oh, and for the record, I think that the current welfare system has less to do with Britain's popularity as a destination for emigrants than the media would have you believe. In my opinion, the English language plays a greater part in the decision to live here.

I'm not an immigrant by the way, my father is Irish, my mother English and I am Manx. :)

[Liokault]

Immigration is good and healthy for any country and economy.

Immingration is so good for the country that when it was reported on the radio last night at work that 2 Brit soldiers where missing suspected KIA that a cheer went up from the majority immigrant workforce that we have.