UK, Immigration and my disappointment

It took me a long time to figure out what I actually want to write about apart from banking, psychology and human behaviour. But this morning (or actually afternoon), when I woke up, I realised that want to tell the world my view on immigration in the UK! I know it would not be something new, but that happening and I simply want the world to know about it.

I have just woke up today with an alarming news. “Net migration to UK higher than when coalition took office”, and that’s despite all of their promises to voters to cut migration!!! Unbelievable!

Now, what really happened there and what consequences people like me faced?! Let’s start from the beginning.

Most of us came to Britain to study. It is a well-known fact that English education is the best in the world, and those pursuing a high-calibre careers in the future naturally try their best to get accepted by the Financial Times top ranked universities. After finishing studies, if they were not located in London, they all moving to big cities in search of happiness and good, certainly well paid, jobs. In 2012 our last opportunity to stay in the UK on he basis of the degree (Post-study work visa, for those who does not know) was closed, and now the government proposes that with the acquired diplomas people have to go home and apply for work visas on a general basis. Why is it not fair? Simple.

People from the non-EU countries have to obtain a sponsorship from the company (which costs roughly £1500), plus the company has to prove that nobody from the UK, and then EU can fulfil the requirements of the position. And on the top, there is also a requirement regarding the minimum wage of such a specialist (for example, finance specialist has to get the paycheck of £35k annually). Can a newly graduate fulfil such requirements? Most likely and logically - no. Some actually have prior work experience (such as if they would have finished MBA, where 3 years prior experience is required), or unless they have some special skill (rare knowledge set maybe), or certificates (CFA, ACCA, etc.), or their speciality is what a company specifically needs, they would still have to go through the labour test and compete with the UK, then EU and only then be considered for the opportunity. In fact, the number of such lucky guys is relatively low and kept on such levels intentionally.

Now, lets do the math. The study for Masters Degree in Britain costs overseas students on average £19000 a year (top universities report). UK/EU pay about £5000 a year. Further, on average skilled worker is paid around £26500 a year and 20% of that goes to the budget after the deduction of the personal allowance (£10000 for 2015)—£ 3300 minimum. EU guys coming to England do not hold any university degree (because there is no need for that, thanks to the EU rules with no boundaries for travels) and earn legally £6.50 an hour as a minimum wage, which makes £11960 (£6.5*40 hours*46 weeks) a year, so the budget gets — £392. You can make a conclusion yourself.

Eastern Europeans in some cases use the opportunity to stay after 5 years and get the UK citizenship (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland; and I suppose in 4 years more stories to come from those of Bulgaria and Romania). There also a lot of stories on how they exploit the system to get benefits, council houses and so forth, so I am not going into more details here, just Google for them.

Healthy immigration (those educated who come to study or work and fairly pay to the budget) is a good and beneficial thing: it stimulates economy growth and prosperity of the country (universities are happy because students pay money, system is developing; companies are happy because skilled workers perform tasks), some with entrepreneurial spirits create job places, overall it encourages social exchange and creates a pool of talented, skilled, educated people. Unhealthy immigration is encouraged by the existence of EU, as there are no limits to travels and it is unclear why some come to the country. That in particular encourages criminality.

I personally cannot understand why having a top-10 university education I lose the battle to those holding a European passport. Clearly, I have to compete with the UK citizens trying to find skilled jobs, its their land, they have to be protected. But what it is to do with the EU?!