Unfortunately, G Kent is wrong on many levels (June 18 edition, Letters.)
The vast majority of people are not opposed to immigration per-se, what they are opposed to is mass uncontrolled immigration and the arrival of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants – the majority simply waved through and granted asylum despite no knowledge of their background – crimes or terrorism. Why are these people allowed to walk among us when so many pose such a threat to public safety and national security?
This begs the question, how many terrorist sleeper cells have arrived on these shores in the illegal boats?
There is no escaping the fact, many are a threat. Worse still, they come here via a safe country like France. Last time I looked France was considered a safe EU country.
How can anyone’s asylum case be properly considered if they have destroyed their documents? Where are the women and children – would you leave your family in danger and leave without them? Of course you wouldn’t.
The suggestion that they want to work is not supported by the facts and evidence. Not only do they want to gain asylum, they also want to plunder our welfare system. Some are motivated but the majority are not.
Once granted asylum they qualify for Universal Credit (UC) and a range of other benefits and bring their extended family to the UK. The majority speak little or no English and have no interest in working once they discover UC and how to manipulate the wider benefits system.
Understandably they ask who in their right minds wants to work in the UK? Few of the family go to work, and the number of households of eight or more where only one person works for ten hours a week is an insult to those of us who do work and pay out taxes. How about legal migration? The majority will never make a net contribution to the economy in their lifetimes as they earn less than £40,000pa.
We used to get by with net immigration of 30-50,000 a year until the arrival of Tony Blair. Net immigration over the last ten years totals nearly four million. That is an unprecedented increase of an additional 12 million people over the last 22 years. The solutions are not complex or difficult they just require our governing class to grow a spine.
Craig Jackson
Wharf Street
Sutton Bridge
