The British Prime Minister David Cameron has called for drastic cutbacks in immigration into Britain. The has created tension in the coalition government as the Lib Dem business Secretary Vince Cable is not in agreement with the policy.
Mr Cameron said the government’s cap on immigrant numbers would "mean net migration to this country will be in the order of tens of thousands each year, not the hundreds of thousands every year that we have seen over the last decade".
Communities had been affected by incomers unable to speak English and unwilling to integrate, he argued, which had "created a kind of discomfort and disjointedness in some neighbourhoods".
He added: "This has been the experience for many people in our country – and I believe it is untruthful and unfair not to speak about it and address it."
As I indicated yesterday, this is a trend right across Europe.
- Sarkozy `Determined’ to Enforce New Rules on Deporting Illegal Immigrants – Bloomberg
- Turkish Immigration to Germany: A Sorry History of Self-Deception and Wasted Opportunities – SPIEGEL ONLINE
- Swedish elections: The impact of immigration | World news | The Guardian
- BBC News – Merkel says German multicultural society has failed
- Italy’s crackdown on Gypsies reflects rising anti-immigrant tide in Europe
When unemployment is high, immigrants are seen as a burden and the mood shifts toward the anti-immigration rhetoric we are hearing from Mr. Cameron. Economic nationalism is a force to be reckoned with. This anti-foreigner sentiment will only increase unless the general economic situation improves.