Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Fri Jan 03, 2014 3:00 pm  

Mintball wrote:

...

In general, though, I imagine there'd be howls of outrage if opportunities for migration outwards from the UK were stopped, and one rather suspects that, were – say – France to stop the immigration of Brits, some of the loudest howls would be from those that are most shrill on immigration to the UK.

I should think though the substantial majority wouldn't ultimately object that much if at all to people migrating here who did not hate the country, and who were here to work, or self-sufficient, or monied retirees. Indeed, we actively seek to encourage migramts with money and/or skills. As do many other countries. Notably Malta, where a fee of something like £50K will actually buy you a Maltese (and thus effectively an EU) passport.

If Brits in France were noted for running organised gangs of beggars, slaves and pickpockets they might not be as welcome. OTOH no doubt loaded ex-criminal ex-pats are very welcome in the Costas by reason of their affluence, even if the occasional one may get his collar felt and extradited once a flood.

Was there any objection to Jose Mourinho, or any of the legion of Premiership millionaires from any country you might name, migrating here for work?

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Fri Jan 03, 2014 3:05 pm  

Still not seen any Bulgarians or Romanians............must be scare tactics ( lol ).

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Fri Jan 03, 2014 3:15 pm  

Dead Man Walking wrote:

Still not seen any Bulgarians or Romanians............must be scare tactics ( lol ).

Dimitar Berbatov?

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Fri Jan 03, 2014 3:21 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Dimitar Berbatov?

As anyone actually seen him?

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:11 am  

Just how is it that Mr Spirescu can find work within 24 hours of arriving here under his own steam, but some British people find it so difficult to find employment?

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:30 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Was there any objection to Jose Mourinho, or any of the legion of Premiership millionaires from any country you might name, migrating here for work?

Well, quite!

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:44 pm  

Euclid wrote:

Just how is it that Mr Spirescu can find work within 24 hours of arriving here under his own steam, but some British people find it so difficult to find employment?

Is Mr Spirescu apocryphal?

As has been mentioned before in a variety of conversations, one factor is that many migrant workers will accept lower wages simply because they can – they'll live in accommodation that's poor and crowded, with the intention of only a short-term stay.

Incidentally, I've just finished reading Alison Uttley's 1930 novel/memoir, A Country Child, which is based on her own experiences growing up on a Derbyshire farm in the late 19th century.

Migrant workers were the norm then for seasonal tasks – the harvest. In that case, they came from Ireland and worked around farms in the area before heading over to farms in Yorkshire. They lived, while at the farm, in a cleaned-out cow shed.

I suspect that remarkably little has changed and also that no UK government has really dealt with seasonal working needs in any other way.

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Sat Jan 04, 2014 2:04 pm  

Euclid wrote:

Just how is it that Mr Spirescu can find work within 24 hours of arriving here under his own steam, but some British people find it so difficult to find employment?

That's strange I thought there weren't any jobs here?

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Sat Jan 04, 2014 2:07 pm  

Mr Spirescu may feel apocryphal, but his meeting with Mr Vaz was reported on and photographed by the Times, who even tracked down his girlfriend at home, before picturing him at work washing cars....as it has been reported in the British media, it must be true...

Re: Migrant watch 2014 : Sat Jan 04, 2014 2:50 pm  

Euclid wrote:

Mr Spirescu may feel apocryphal, but his meeting with Mr Vaz was reported on and photographed by the Times, who even tracked down his girlfriend at home, before picturing him at work washing cars....as it has been reported in the British media, it must be true...

Fair enough. The Times charges for all online content, so I rarely see it.

See above for some reasons on the jobs.