It is true that since labour came to power immigration to our shores has caused much debate. While most of us accept that those coming here are escaping some form of poverty or injustice while others are coming for work. There is nothing wrong in anyone wanting to have a better life and who can blame anyone for escaping a political regime that threatens their citizens if they dare to speak out. Then we come to another type of immigrant who is escaping poverty in exchange for another poverty that is called the welfare state. Again if another country offers food and shelter along with free medical bills then that country becomes more attractive. The last type of immigrant is that of the skilled area such as builder or plumber who comes here to earn a better wage to send back home to their family. None of these people are bad people yet they do cause a number of problems by default. 

Those who come here to escape a country that is bankrupt and in turmoil are generally poorly educated and have little or no skills to benefit our society in the short term. So it is up to the tax payer to foot the bill for these people and the numbers coming into the UK each month is staggering. These include political refugees claiming asylum and those just looking for a better way of life. While me must remain sympathetic to their plight we have to acknowledge that this is costing the tax payer dear. Our welfare benefits system is on a knife edge and we could be bankrupt ourselves if we do not get a grip on this situation. It is the likes of the far right who jump on these circumstances and create racist problems. The problems in most cases are small but when the flames of racism are fanned we come to public unrest and we are very close to racial tension problems escalating in many cities across the UK. 

Since New Labour changed the legislation on immigration and asylum those coming here who claim asylum have increased far in excess of what was originally thought. Again we must have some sympathy to those whose very existence has been threatened yet who is genuine and who is swinging the led. The Former Yugoslavia was torn apart by civil war and many war criminals escaped justice with some who will never be caught. How many are here?                               

Radovan Karadzic along with Slobodan Milosevic emptied their prisons offering prisoners freedom if they fought in the war. Now imagine how many rapists, paedophiles, mass murderers, gangsters who took up this offer now reside here. This is not the stuff of nightmares this is a reality that your government are well aware of yet too embarrassed to admit.

Then we come to the worker who is here either temporarily or permanent. On the whole they are good honest and hard working but they do undercut the UK skilled worker. We all need a plumber at one stage or another and if a foreign plumber comes along and is doing the job for up half of a local firm then we employ that person. However as we are trying to save money by getting the job done cheaper we are unaware of the growing problem. The UK worker is now finding that more and more work is harder to come by and they have like many of us do a mortgage and bills to pay. Before we know it he can no longer make payments on the mortgage and goes under losing his home and livelihood.

So even if the immigrant does no wrong it still can cause a problem for those of us just trying to get by with very little. By calling for an immediate stop to all immigration is not racist in any way. We are constantly told that we are in a recession or credit crunch as they now like to call it. Fuel prices are setting a domino effect on the basic cost of living around the world and it is going to get worse before it gets better. There is nothing wrong in wanting to help other nationalities but we must ensure that our own citizens are treated first before we can allow others into this country. The problem of the illegal immigrant is a powder keg waiting to go off. None of my reasons are based on racism but on economic issues alone.

My answer to this may be seen as extreme but we need to tackle this problem before people with ulterior motives use the race card in their favour and cause civil unrest. Racism of any kind is abhorrent but economic reality is here.

UK RIGHTS RATHER THAN RACE RIGHTS

Racism has decreased over the years but not by enough. It is not just the white who is guilty of racist behaviour. I am friends with a number of asians from Seek to Hindu to Bengal and Afghan. I also have been on friendly terms with other nationalities and have noticed over the years that we are all guilty of racist behaviour. 

In the past I have witnessed a number of issues that have come about due to racism. I have seen job applicants turned down as the company in question felt they had to do more for their public image and employ from the ethnic groups to show they are in line with current legislation. While this may seem justifiable we must also accept that people with lesser qualifications have gained jobs on the basis of race. This is by no means the fault of the candidate but that of the company in fear of being labelled racist.

As I mentioned earlier on this site I speak to a number of Police officers on a regular basis and can confirm that racism is still a big problem within the force around the country. So we need to look at why and what can we do to improve on the sad fact that a number of officers are still racist. 

An example from the other end of the spectrum is a story which went into a number of national newspapers of a young asian woman who fell in love with a white man. I will keep their identities secret as they are still in hiding for fear of their life. Many of you may recognise the story in question but do you recognise the racist behaviour. The Girl's father who has lived in the UK for nearly 40 years made serious threats to the young man's life and to send his daughter back to their country of origin for an arranged marriage. The couple obviously refused to end their relationship as they were in love. The girl's family then set about on a campaign of hate and violent acts against this union. What was the reason for this?. the girl explained because her partner was white. Both were attacked and attempted kidnap and attempted murder charges were brought about and secured. The couple still receive death threats from the asian community and the white community. 

I beleive that the biggest problem with racism is in three areas that need tackling. First is that of religion. I have total respect for other beleifs as long as they are not forced onto others. I come from a Catholic faith background yet was allowed to make up my own mind and am to this day an athiest. If my own family can accept my views then I cannot see a reason for other people to have any conflict. Yet this is a huge problem for many around the world and the UK is no different. Religion can and does cause devide. We need to educate on a daily basis not just to children but to adults that racism is not acceptable in any circumstance; but not just say it mean it and act on it. The second is lack of understanding and education. The majority of racist people I have come accross are unable to articulate a balanced argument to support their view. This I am sorry to say is mainly in the white community but not exclusive. Along with many other people I have given blood donations and it makes no odds to me if some person who has purple skin and speaks a different language gets my blood. My opinion is that we are all here on this planet and we have to share it. The third and final problem with racism is that of cultural diversity. Despite our differences we have to accept that some people are different. Once a person accepts the difference in culture they find it easier to get along. OK we are not talking about going down the pub together all of a sudden but trust and respect are things we have to earn over time. 

No one person should have to look over their shoulder for fear of attack because of their skin colour or cultural difference. Mixed race relationships should be welcomed with open arms and celebrated. We need to be doing much more to erradicate this problem and be a leading example to the world.