Immigration and Integration: Does Multiculturalism Really Exist?

As I slump into yet another underground seat on yet another tube, on yet another drizzly, dismal morning I hear the faint chatter of other passengers as my eyes become heavy and begin to close. As I doze I can’t help but notice the variety of voices in the carriage. I detect at least three different languages, two of which I couldn't even recognise. Then it hits me- London is full of diverse cultures, customs, traditions and religions, which surely make it multicultural, right?

Grounded in Our Own Realities

For some communities, cultural diversity simply does not exist. This may be because they are set in their archaic ways, but what if I said such diversity doesn’t really exist in large modern, thriving places such as Manchester, Birmingham and London. Consider those who refuse to acknowledge integration let alone get involved with it, instead sticking to their personal preferences and habits. Many appear so grounded in their own reality that they fail to recognise others’ values and beliefs. On the other hand, others are exceedingly proud about their beliefs or culture and desperately attempt to attract others to their way of life, perhaps somewhat forcefully.

By definition multiculturalism can derive from immigration but when good old-fashioned ignorance comes into play, do either even stand a chance? Although there may be more and more cultures in the UK, it’s no secret that there’s an incredible stigma attached to immigration and much debate regarding what constraints should be put into place to control immigration numbers. Some people are of the opinion that it is unfair for those not of British birth to receive somewhere to live, assistance finding employment and various benefits. Recently the Conservative Party have recently cracked down on EU immigrant benefits despite the fact that European Immigrants paid 34% more in tax than they received in benefits last year.

Immigration in History

Arguably there were no immigration or border control issues in the US pre-World War One (around 1914), instead there was a free movement in every sense of the word. After the war many countries seemed less sympathetic as many were war-torn, diseased wastelands less equip to deal with those seeking refuge. Now, immigration is just like any other permit; it allows you to live, learn and trade in another country, but it’s currently perceived by many as a plague on society’s development as immigrants ravage jobs and resources. Yet the fact is they are actually more likely to boost British economy by providing new services and goods that the current market is unable to, perhaps even forming a niche of fresh demands.

Indecisiveness with Immigration

It was recently reported in The Independent that Nick Clegg has been “scapegoating immigrants...”. The Lib Dem leader has conducted “...his most unforgivable Tory collaboration yet.” due to the fact that he spoke of an amnesty for illegal immigrants but has now jumped on the Tory bandwagon of blaming immigrants for Britain’s problems rather than the Police, Bankers, Politicians etc. It seems the Conservatives know how unlikely they are to win the next election and are consequentially playing on public fears.

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) suppose that immigrants contribute approximately £16.27billion to the British economy every year, despite the fact that immigration in the UK fell in June 2013 leaving the total around 182,000 compared to just over 160,000 at the same time in 2012. It seems the government simply cannot meet demand although they aim to wheedle the total down to 100,000 by 2015.

The fact is that each and every one of us is responsible for making the leap from multiculturalism to integration but the question remains whether when someone changes their country of residence, it means their sense of self (culture, religion etc) are less significant. However, BBC Radio4 reported that 80 million people are thought to not be living in the country of their birth.

Britain’s Buried Origins

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that over a third of asylum seekers are students, making it plain that these young people are searching for a better life and better future. Therefore, it’s disastrous to discover that ‘Islamaphobia’ is now socially acceptable on our shores. According to the Aljazeera website, white Britons may soon become a minority in Britain which has triggered terror amongst many causing them to become concerned about the future of the country. Britain is built on cultures failing to integrate, which is odd considering we’re a culture composed of a cocktail of immigrants and invaders, raising the question of what something inherently British actually is.

We are able to see how much the British government despise immigrants from our current legal system the United Kingdom Border Agency introduced a civil penalty system in February 2008 for employers who have an illegal immigrant working for them, which allows a penalty of up £10,000 per illegal employee for those committing this heinous crime. Other penalties may include the employer being downgraded on the register of sponsors or the employer’s licence being cancelled and removed from the register so they are unable to bring any workers to UK or keep any workers who are migrants.

This is the issue with population growth through immigration; on the one hand it is not possible to support a regulated immigration policy since government actions in Britain are rarely legitimate or moral. This is because the only reason we as citizens can stop people from freely moving on to land, is to prevent a violation of property rights and since our government cannot hold any land. They have no right be prevent people from entering our country, and when it does, it is committing an immoral act of violence against this person, and restricting them of their natural rights, which has led to the viewpoint of “open boarders”.

The term multiculturalism does not account for the questionable beginnings of Britain built on war and invasion, and real integration is unlikely to occur if this is not recognised. It’s a term used to excess by Western politicians to entice those living in other countries to our shores as and when they desire. But once current citizens begin complaining or someone needs to be blamed for Britain’s problems, immigrants are an easily and defenseless target.