Is it time to have a discussion about immigration, an honest one

Is it time to have a discussion about immigration, an honest one – Two subjects that I have tended to not cover all that much have been immigration and gender reform. Mainly due to the fact that I cannot be bothered with the inevitable pile on that tends to happen, especially around gender reform. In relation to immigration though over 42,000 men, women, and children have crossed the English Channel this year alone, figures since 2018 indicate that around 81,000 have made the dangerous journey.

While few of us would ever buy these right-wing rags that masquerade as newspapers, we will all have seen the headlines recently, maybe seen the news, or heard people on the radio express their concerns about immigration but let’s be honest there is a problem in England, and it does affect Scotland wither we like it or not. The Home Office has confirmed this is now costing the UK £5 million pounds a day and rising, allegedly over £100 Billion since 1995.

Now we know that our colonial status here in Scotland results in migration of our young people while refugees and immigrants tend to not want to come to Scotland, but that doesn’t mean we are not going to be affected by what is becoming a crisis. Scotland’s pocket money will be affected the more the Tories keep spending money to try and hide the crisis from their own voters, but they are running out of time. 73% of voters believe the UK has lost control of its borders, 24% think it is the biggest problem facing the UK right now. Businesses are now saying they can’t get hotels for their staff in the Southeast of England while local people are now starting to feel like they have been invaded and fear for their safety.

Those expressing those fears are often called out by those on the left, and certain organisations, as ignorant, racist, English nationalists, the list is long, and it is making the problem worse. Now I don’t agree with Douglas Murray in his article at all, he is calling for the UK to come out of the ECHR, stopping the boats mid-channel and turning them back. In the case of Albanians, take them straight to the Airport and on a plane back to Albania.

There is a real risk now that a more far right movement will start in England, 16% of voters have now said they would be willing to vote for a party led by Nigel Farage that was willing to deal with immigration, we know the far right are growing in the EU and to a smaller degree in the USA.

There is a real need to have an open and honest discussion about immigration, refugees, and asylum. If we don’t, we are going to be in a whole world of hurt and the more the far right grab a hold in England the greater the risk of more far right policy being fostered on Scotland, policy that most of us would find disgusting I suspect. Failure to act is no longer an option, I don’t have any answers, but I understand the concerns being raised by many in England and I am not ashamed to admit that. I am not saying I agree with them at all in most cases, but I do know we can’t just shut them down and call them out, we risk driving them in a direction that we will all regret.