The same old tired arguments surface every time this topic is aired. �Britain has always had immigrants� - �Immigrants run the health service� � �valuable contribution to society� etc etc. Sensible debate is stifled by accusations of bigotry and racism.
Some of this may be true, some of it may not � you could argue all day so I'll not bother. However, it is quite clear that this country cannot sustain the level of immigration (either legal or illegal) that it has seen in the past few years. Whether newcomers pay their way or not (and I�m not entirely sure that overall they do, but I�ll not argue) there are shortages of resources that either money cannot buy or in which the government is not willing to sufficiently invest.
In the South East in particular (where most people seem to want to settle) there is insufficient water, housing, education, medical facilities, road space and public transport. Apart from housing (see below) no plans exist to properly tackle any of these problems. To contemplate allowing ever increasing numbers of people to enter the country whilst this persists is absolute lunacy.
There is talk of building a million homes in the South East over the next 20 years � an idea that horrifies many people. However, net immigration to the UK in 2004 was 342,000, with numbers for 2005 expected to be very much higher. How far will the 1m homes go when faced with those numbers?
Immigration is now on an unprecedented scale and the arguments that were previously valid no longer hold good. So, to people who plan to come here, my reply would be: If you�re coming here to work: we don�t need you. We�ve got 1m people already unemployed and we�ll get them to do a bit first. If you�re coming here to flee persecution: sorry, you�re too late. We�re full right up. If this sensible approach makes me a racist or a bigot, then that must be what I am. But I�m not alone!