Thread: Muslim peer: rising immigration is 'damaging race relations'

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, a leading Muslim peer, has urged the Government to keep a tight rein on immigration and warned the issue is damaging race relations.


By Melissa Kite, Deputy Political Editor
Published: 9:30PM GMT 16 Jan 2010

Lord Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan, is a member of the Cross-Party Group on Balanced Migration Photo: PA


Lord Ahmed, who was Britain's first Muslim member of the House of Lords, accused ministers of aiding the rise of Far Right extremists by neglecting the white working class.
He said that many people believed immigration was damaging their chances of getting a job or accessing public services.


The outspoken peer, formerly a Labour member, said: "I honestly think that we have got to see what increased migration does to our economy, our resources, our race relations in this country.
"People say Europe needs 50 million immigrants in the next 30 or 40 years. Of course there are all these arguments, but this perception that foreigners are coming in and taking all the jobs creates difficulty in communities and has a detrimental impact on community relations in this country.
"As a result you have people looking towards the BNP and other right wing fascist groups."
Lord Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan, is a member of the Cross-Party Group on Balanced Migration, which also features Lord Carey and Frank Field, and which has called for the UK population to be capped at 70 million.
The peer said: "It is better for learned people to be driving this debate, which is needed for our country, rather than those who are racist and fascist. It is important that we discuss this.
"There is this perception that people are coming in from Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia as well as Eastern Europe. There is the perception that they are taking all the resources and that British white working class people are not getting them. That perception is bad. More needs to be done to make sure that the white working class are not in the position and the condition that they are."
He accused the Government of neglecting education and training in white working class areas of Britain. "I think it is very clear that the white working class communities, particularly in the north, have not economically benefited over the years because the gap between the rich and the poor has increased, so the opportunities have diminished, and because of the lack of achievement and education they have not been able to get the jobs that are available to more qualified people from abroad who are fitter and more educated.
"The government should have done more to provide incentives for white working class citizens to engage in these employments.
"Most of the white working class people in these areas are not equipped, they are not trained, they are not empowered."
Lord Ahmed said he did not agree with Lord Carey's view that immigrants should be predominantly Christian. But he did want to see controls put on immigration.
"I honestly think that to maintain our country in good economic and political and social health, to make sure that there are not problems in terms of unemployment and also to make sure that there is no race relations problem, that you need to have control [of immigration].
"I want to make sure that we have a balanced migration policy which is looking at the need of Britain and why we need migrants coming in."



Lord Ahmed of Rotherham ? Well blow me down with a burka . Nonetheless, he has some very good points....... although some immigrants might feel its a bit like the old saying " I'm all right Jack....pull the ladder up "

Originally Posted by Bangyai

The peer said: "It is better for learned people to be driving this debate, which is needed for our country, rather than those who are racist and fascist. It is important that we discuss this.

While that does have an elitist overtone I can't help but agree with him when I see the vicious ignorance displayed by so many who, for want of a better word, "debate" this issue.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by Bangyai

The peer said: "It is better for learned people to be driving this debate, which is needed for our country, rather than those who are racist and fascist. It is important that we discuss this.

While that does have an elitist overtone I can't help but agree with him when I see the vicious ignorance displayed by so many who, for want of a better word, "debate" this issue.

Indeed it does come across as elitest,
The positive, is the subject now getting more and more high profile,
Why we did not address these issues 5 years ago i will never know.

It is a start, along with statements from parliament last week, however i believe too late to stop the march of the far right.

Originally Posted by MustavaMond

There are members of my family back in US , very intelligent people who are now thoroughly inculcated with a wholly irrational distrust of ALL Muslims. They were aghast when I spoke of my plans to head to Malaysia in a few months to reside.
I hadn't been back in over 4 years , and I was shocked at their level of rhetoric.

I think this hatred aids the business of war, I mean really there are plenty nut job Christians, marrying 12 yo's etc., albeit not as organized with using violence to get their way.

Yet.

Likewise, I've seen a shift in attitudes from people I'd previously believed to be liberal. A lot of folks really are buying into the bullshit.

Lord Ahmed has made some very good points. The most important one for me is that migration into the UK should be based upon the needs of the UK, AFTER we have exhausted the abilities of currently resident British people.

Getting a professional from abroad may well be easier, but not better. The UK (as Lord Ahmed says) needs to ensure that the British people are educated and trained to fulfil the employment needs before we look to foreign workers.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Likewise, I've seen a shift in attitudes from people I'd previously believed to be liberal. A lot of folks really are buying into the bullshit.

True enough. When I go home its the hot topic which everyone has something to say on. Most of the people I know are ' concerned ' but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are racist. They have no axe to grind against Hindus or Sikhs etc . The problem is a small but extreme minority of muslims attracting a lot of bad press for immigrants in general.

Originally Posted by MustavaMond

I think this hatred aids the business of war, I mean really there are plenty nut job Christians, marrying 12 yo's etc., albeit not as organized with using violence to get their way.

Really What does this have to do with the issues, and where are you getting your info and where are these Christians doing all this shit,, would you care to actually post something you have figured out for yourself, with proof of coarse..

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Likewise, I've seen a shift in attitudes from people I'd previously believed to be liberal. A lot of folks really are buying into the bullshit.

True enough. When I go home its the hot topic which everyone has something to say on. Most of the people I know are ' concerned ' but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are racist. They have no axe to grind against Hindus or Sikhs etc . The problem is a small but extreme minority of muslims attracting a lot of bad press for immigrants in general.

Not too mention the strain on some local Schools, Hospitals, housing and social services due to the increased needs from mass immigration, including of course hundreds of thousands of illegals. Why did the good lord not come up with this years ago? only because now people are starting to wake up to the problems labour have created with their nightmare of unchecked immigration,roll on the election.

http://www.israelnewsagency.com/engl...s48021509.html

seems the lord is a bit of a cock

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Lord Ahmed has made some very good points. The most important one for me is that migration into the UK should be based upon the needs of the UK, AFTER we have exhausted the abilities of currently resident British people.

Getting a professional from abroad may well be easier, but not better. The UK (as Lord Ahmed says) needs to ensure that the British people are educated and trained to fulfil the employment needs before we look to foreign workers.

Maybe the the UK should also look to stopping the outsourcing of jobs abroad. 230,000.00 in the last 10 years.

Originally Posted by Bower

Maybe the the UK should also look to stopping the outsourcing of jobs abroad. 230,000.00 in the last 10 years.

I thought it was 229,999.95

If white people say what he said they get dismissed as racists.

Originally Posted by Bangyai

called for the UK population to be capped at 70 million.

still seems like too many for those little islands

Originally Posted by SiLeakHunt

If white people say what he said they get dismissed as racists.

Right, but everybody knows that only white are racists. Muslims and blacks are just expressing their opinion. Thanks to all these antiracists movements and associations we nearly don't have any more right of expression.

It makes me depressed all this stuff, has anyone got a picture of that tennis player scratching her arse ?

Cheers

Originally Posted by Bower

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Lord Ahmed has made some very good points. The most important one for me is that migration into the UK should be based upon the needs of the UK, AFTER we have exhausted the abilities of currently resident British people.

Getting a professional from abroad may well be easier, but not better. The UK (as Lord Ahmed says) needs to ensure that the British people are educated and trained to fulfil the employment needs before we look to foreign workers.

Maybe the the UK should also look to stopping the outsourcing of jobs abroad. 230,000.00 in the last 10 years.

I'm not sure the UK government can tell companies to do that.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by Bower

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Lord Ahmed has made some very good points. The most important one for me is that migration into the UK should be based upon the needs of the UK, AFTER we have exhausted the abilities of currently resident British people.

Getting a professional from abroad may well be easier, but not better. The UK (as Lord Ahmed says) needs to ensure that the British people are educated and trained to fulfil the employment needs before we look to foreign workers.

Maybe the the UK should also look to stopping the outsourcing of jobs abroad. 230,000.00 in the last 10 years.

I'm not sure the UK government can tell companies to do that.

Where theres a will......
Perhaps, its a breach of my Human Rights and the Data Protection Act to send all my financial details, names and d.o/b of my children etc outside of this soveriegn state to an unregulated foreign country......India, Phillipines,

Lord Ahmed is saying what I've been saying all along.

Well sa'id Paki....sorry couldn't help myself and I don' mean it...it's just refreshing to hear a decent argument on the issue and coming from a guy from Pakistan to boot...he's next for the chopping block that's for sure...

coming in from Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia as well as Eastern Europe.

He seems to be saying we have enough Pakistani's here. Time to stop these others from Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia taking 'our' jobs.

Originally Posted by crippen

coming in from Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia as well as Eastern Europe.

He seems to be saying we have enough Pakistani's here. Time to stop these others from Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia taking 'our' jobs.

Crippen,
I'm not concerned about them taking our jobs, my concern is doing my job to support the vast majority of immigrants. Come to think of it we havn't got any jobs left to take. Take out immigration for the last ten years, and we would have zero unemployment, and probably a better wage structure.