Brexit and the argument “immigration”
One of the major arguments for the “Leave- Campaign” is immigration. But what does the argument “immigration” actually mean? What is hidden behind this abstract term?
Great Britain wants immigration, but in a British controlled way. This is the headline of the leave campaign: “Get the control back!” The fact that inhabitants of the 27 EU countries cannot be rejected on the boarders to the UK is a huge thorn in Britain’s flesh. Some despise this policy as a discrimination against non-EU immigrants. The open gate is said to allow timework, since Easter European immigrants accept these kinds of work offers and thereby prevent a more social working system to establish itself. As a result of timework, the wages in the UK are said to strive down, because the unskilled workers of continental Europe are satisfied with a lower salary than the Britons. With respect to non-European immigrants, the UK has a points-based immigration control. This means that the entry to Great Britain is limited to non-European people who are of value for the country. From the perspective of the Leave-Campaign, this system is not fair. All immigrants should be treated the same, in other words should be subject to the points-based control. In addition, this would allow Great Britain to build up a country wide policy of enquiring the needs of each British area and accordingly to give access to those immigrants Great Britain actually needs. Like this, only the “brightest and the best” would come to the UK. Moreover, a British immigration policy could implement a law which prescribes that every immigrant has to have the ability of speaking good English.
At first view, these arguments do not seem to be without sense. But still, the pound has crashed in the last days and Cameron calls the debate a “bomb for the British economy”. Why is this, even though the arguments above give reasons for the Brexit? Why is this, even though Boris Johnson secures that the Brexit would mean more prosperity for the UK if the control is back in British hands?
My answer is: because this view on the matter is too one-sided!
Sources:
http://www.theweek.co.uk/73018/eu-referendum-stars-for-and-against-brexit#14
