The obsession with immigration

Immigration is always news. I don't know what day you'll be reading this but if you check a few online papers it wouldn't be unlikely that at least one of them is running a story or report on something related to UK immigration. This is because of an age old debate that I'll just go over quickly so we're all on the same page:

People argue for immigration because we have an ageing population and a lack of certain skills. They say that if we bring in young hard working people from outside the country, they will help prop up our economy, earn tax pounds, pay for our NHS (particularly for those in old age) and balance out the demographic problem of an ageing population. Subtly, but usually not mentioned explicitly, it is also suggested that they work for less, so they keep prices down in certain industries too. This arguement is usually made by lefty liberal types. They are often well educated and have highly paid jobs, that is jobs that aren't going to be under threat from cheap immigrant labour.

On the other hand you have the opposition, this is split into two camps:

Working class: these guys are just annoyed that 'their' jobs are being filled by immigrants and that they are will to work for less.

Non-working class: these guys are more concerned about what will happen socially if you invite large number of people who may not share your countries common values, and let them settle without the need to integrate into the local culture.

You maybe wondering which side I'm about to come down on... give a guess. Go on....


Nope. Unless you said, none of the above, I'm afraid you didn't get it. While the discussion on immigration brings up these arguements on a regular basis, the thing that I want to highlight right now, are the questions that are never actually asked in these debates. The questions that some how seem to get ignored, despite the fact that they seem to be the most important fundamental questions under pinning the whole issue.

If we have a demographic problem, where our population is ageing, surely the question that needs to be asked is... why isn't anyone having children any more? Does that not make sense? The reason why we have an ageing population is because people are not having at least two children. Why? What has our society done to destroy the value in having children? What has happened to our concept of the family and what is important in life to make it so that we as a society don't bother having one anymore? We could bring immigrants in if we wanted, but eventually if they integrate into society they will become more like us and stop having children. So it is just a temporary solution. Once again it is just resolving the symptom rather than looking at the deeper problem.

It maybe we need to look deeper at our society and ask why we value someone who works, but we treat people who stay at home to look after a family as a bit of a drop out. Why is it that a family that has two working adults with no children is seen as a success and an asset to society even though our society has plenty of workers but not enough parents? In contrast the image of a person who stays at home to look after their children while the other works is generally portrayed as unintelligent? Some say raising children is expensive, and I think it certainly is. But I don't think that is what stops people. BMWs are expensive but we see plenty of them. In fact a few years ago BMW 3 Series' started out selling Ford Mondeos. People are willing to pay for expensive things if they are seen as valuable in society. My concern is that in our society family, is no  longer seen as valuable, it isn't something that we invest in. Some do, but less so now than in years past. Why is it no one asks how to solve this question?

There is another issue too, the work ethic of our own people... maybe that'll be part II.