Quote:
Originally Posted by Osem
It's a combination of things which makes the UK atractive for migrants, illegal or otherwise. Generosity in absolute cash terms is hard to assess and all relative, but what we have here are certain systems and benefits that are relatively easy to claim and easy to abuse (and that includes the indigenous population by the way). As has already been discussed, child benefit is one such benefit that can easily equate to an annual salary in certain E. European countries and the children don't even have to be living here. It's not a huge amount to you or I but a vast sum to these people and if they have kids it's automatic. The shambolic immigration system and the rights asylum seekers enjoy here also means that it's easy for people to overstay and disappear into the black economy. We know large numbers have done this and many overstay for years before they're caught so clearly the system isn't rigorous enough. Even when they're caught if they've married, had children etc. they will in all probability not be deported so yet again the system encourages people to break the rules and can be an easy touch.
It's not just the cash which makes any country attractive to migrants, it's how easily things can be obtained, what protections are offered, what support services there are, how easily they can disappear (in large cities like London for example) and/or get work, how effective the relevant border authorities are at doing their jobs, how rigorous the checks to avoid sham marriages are etc. etc. We can compare ourseves with other countries until the cows come home but I don't see queues of migrants trying to get out of here or jumping out of their lorries in Europe so they don't wind up on the UK. These people often don't speak any English so for these people it's not even a common language which makes the UK appealing. I believe the combination of good, relatively easily obtained benefits/welfare and shambolic policing of immigration in general is what makes the UK a soft touch.
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Some good points there, (in particular child benefits, which really ought to be paid at a level commensurate with the standard of living in the country where the child lives) but it seems we are (once again) conflating legal migrants, illegal migrants and asylum seekers which all have differing rights (or lack thereof). Anyway, in a nutshell: These forums are awash with posts from people claiming that the UK is a soft touch where every tom, dick and harry can show up and we'll just throw money at them, when the reality is that the benefits system in the UK is pretty basic compared to many countries in continental Europe (as are, I should add the majority of public services). If things were bad economically in my home country, then a life on benefits in the UK definitely wouldn't be my first choice.
What's more, as was linked to earlier, Brits are excessively concerned about immigration compared to European counterparts with higher levels of immigration. Altogether, it's hard to escape the impression of a xenophobic lot of whinging POMs that simply want more for less money. There. I've said it
