The Day the Immigrants Left

Anyone planning to watch?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8533172.stm

I watched this, and I'm about to watch the BBC2 follow up with the Immigration Minister.  It felt like they were playing at being fair to immigrants, but even dh thought it felt like they came to it with an agenda. 

I was very unimpressed when a teacher said no students were suffering with the influx of migrant children and the presenter asked her if she wasn't seeing everything with rose coloured glasses.  It felt like he got the answer he didn't expect and didn't want.  There are a few more examples that I thought, wow, this presenter isn't unbiased at all.  I think it could have been done a lot better and it wasn't the show I hoped it would be. 

I watched too and think that all in all it proved the point that local resources are not up to the jobs at hand.  I think the exact same programme could have been made using US unemployed and Latino migrants. 

I was upset at some of the bias too.  One such point they made was that the "working" immigrants were generally paying their way in taxes, but it had yet to be decided if immigration as a whole was paying their way.  That sort of statement just feeds into people's phobia of immigrants. 

I thought it was an hour well spent.  But then again...I am an immigrant! 

I watched too and think that all in all it proved the point that local resources are not up to the jobs at hand.  I think the exact same programme could have been made using US unemployed and Latino migrants. 

I was upset at some of the bias too.  One such point they made was that the "working" immigrants were generally paying their way in taxes, but it had yet to be decided if immigration as a whole was paying their way.  That sort of statement just feeds into people's phobia of immigrants. 

I thought it was an hour well spent.  But then again...I am an immigrant! 

I totally agree. 

I was upset at some of the bias too.  One such point they made was that the "working" immigrants were generally paying their way in taxes, but it had yet to be decided if immigration as a whole was paying their way.  That sort of statement just feeds into people's phobia of immigrants.  

Yeah, I would've liked to have heard more about the benefits that immigration brings to the country; I'm sure there's more than just taxes.

I also wish they'd spent more time discussing how society can do a better job of preparing unskilled native workers for a future where immigrants will be taking their jobs.  It seems to me like the UK was largely unprepared for the influx of migrants after opening the doors to Eastern Europeans, and the government has spent the ensuing years flailing about in an effort to look like they're cracking down on immigration while actually accomplishing very little.

I watched too and think that all in all it proved the point that local resources are not up to the jobs at hand.  I think the exact same programme could have been made using US unemployed and Latino migrants. 

There's a really interesting film from 2004 called 'A Day Without a Mexican.'  It's basically a hypothetical dramatization of what would happen if all the immigrants suddenly disappeared from California.  I'd definitely recommend it.

Dh & I watched it that program was about the town we live in well we live in a village just outside of it but Dh's family business is in Wisbech. Dh & I totally agreed when the lady said when you go into a shop an you hear more Polish speaking people then English people that part was sooo true!!

In case you missed it, you can view it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r3qyw/The_Day_the_Immigrants_Left/