The children of Windrush

[killer b]

The problem the Tories have is that most people like the idea of less immigration in the abstract: and they (like all parties to some degree) have stoked and exploited this for electoral gain. Windrush shows that most people really don't like the reality of less immigration, which is harsh immigration controls - inevitably resulting in their neighbour or co-worker or aunt being deported.

So now here we are.

 

[killer b]

The problem Labour have when challenging this is that most people like the idea of less immigration in the abstract etc etc

 

[agricola]

The problem the Tories have is that most people like the idea of less immigration in the abstract: and they (like all parties to some degree) have stoked and exploited this for electoral gain. Windrush shows that most people really don't like the reality of less immigration, which is harsh immigration controls - inevitably resulting in their neighbour or co-worker or aunt being deported.

So now here we are.

I'm not sure that it does show that, tbh.

If anything this is more of a case of the Coalition (and subsequently Tory) government doing their usual trick of wanting to be seen to be tough on a thing but not be willing to pay for it, which in this case led to them giving parameters to (and incentivizing) civil servants that resulted in them removing / attempting to remove / penalizing people based on how cheap or easy it would be get them removed rather than whether they should actually be targetted for removal. This has led to the absurd and incredibly offensive situation where they have been deliberately going after the elderly, the people who have worked all their lives over here - basically peoples nans, or their favourite uncles / neighbours.

Obviously if there is a mood against immigration in the country then its against the hypothetical "bad migrant" - the one that commits crime, dishonestly claims benefits etc etc - but under this scandal they are the least likely people to be targetted for removal by the Home Office. People seem to have cottoned on to the reality of the situation and it offends almost everyone (edit) because the people who have no problem with migration find it confirms everything they think the Government does, whilst the people who have problems with migrants recognize this targets the "deserving" whilst leaves the "undeserving" alone.

 

[existentialist]

Low hanging fruit, innit. Which, if the current attitudes to immigration continue to be encouraged, is always at risk of turning into strange fruit.

The whole thing is unutterably depressing

 

[SpookyFrank]

Low hanging fruit, innit. Which, if the current attitudes to immigration continue to be encouraged, is always at risk of turning into strange fruit.

The whole thing is unutterably depressing

If it was about low hanging fruit they'd round up all the Australians who have overstayed their visas.

 

[agricola]

If it was about low hanging fruit they'd round up all the Australians who have overstayed their visas.

They weren't (aren't) that low-hanging at the moment.

 

[existentialist]

If it was about low hanging fruit they'd round up all the Australians who have overstayed their visas.

Ah, but they're not so obviously low-hanging, on account of having lighter skin. If it's all about being seen to be tough on immigration, then you chuck out the people who look more obviously different.

 

[killer b]

Are they not being caught up in the hostile environment? I doubt it would make the news if they were - the Windrush cases are only the tiniest tip of the iceberg.

 

[Pickman's model]

Ah, but they're not so obviously low-hanging, on account of having lighter skin. If it's all about being seen to be tough on immigration, then you chuck out the people who look more obviously different.

no, the point is to get their money from years of taxes and then hoik them out.

 

[agricola]

Are they not being caught up in the hostile environment? I doubt it would make the news if they were - the Windrush cases are only the tiniest tip of the iceberg.

Not really - the "hostile environment" seems to work in that it only applies once they identify you.

If you are already working and you don't appear as if you could be "an illegal" then the chances are your boss and your landlord won't think to report you, and if you don't claim benefits then the state won't report you either; so you remain outside its scope until one or more of those things change and they go after you.

 

[killer b]

I know how that works, and agree ethnic minorities are going to be affected worse - but an australian accent is enough to show a new employer / dr / landlord that they need to check someone's status. Or you might just get unlucky.

Man born and raised in UK told he is not a British citizen

Australian man facing deportation over late application | Daily Mail Online

Either way, it's a mistake to assume it's only brown people affected by this.

 

[editor]

A reminder:
Windrush Scandal – protest in Parliament Square, 2pm, Sat 28th April

 

[existentialist]

I know how that works, and agree ethnic minorities are going to be affected worse - but an australian accent is enough to show a new employer / dr / landlord that they need to check someone's status. Or you might just get unlucky.

Man born and raised in UK told he is not a British citizen

Australian man facing deportation over late application | Daily Mail Online

Either way, it's a mistake to assume it's only brown people affected by this.

I knew someone who was a (white) US citizen who was overstaying on her student visa, and she was picked up by "the system" (she got married quite quickly thereafter and succeeded in staying in the country).

I don't suppose there's any reliable way of establishing the relative likelihood of getting removed depending on your skin colour...?

 

[andysays]

There was a case reported recently of a (white) woman who came to Britain from Canada as a child who was told when she needed hospital treatment for cancer that she was 'illegal'

 

[DotCommunist]

I'd imagine the only reason the postwar ukranian/polish migrant wave hasn't been targeted is they're all long gone(dead) or in old folks homes and their children/grandchildren were born here. The 47 resettlement act on wiki says they were granted uk citizenship, how many would have had the right papers for this 'hostile environment'. I haven't got the papers they'd want, not for every year of my life

 

[agricola]

I know how that works, and agree ethnic minorities are going to be affected worse - but an australian accent is enough to show a new employer / dr / landlord that they need to check someone's status. Or you might just get unlucky.

Man born and raised in UK told he is not a British citizen

Australian man facing deportation over late application | Daily Mail Online

Either way, it's a mistake to assume it's only brown people affected by this.

I agree (especially about the mistake to assume that only brown people are affected by this), though I'd point out that in both of those cases it was - and this is not to blame them at all - the individuals interacting with the state that resulted in them being identified. Both of them were employed for years without any problems and were presumably not reported on by anyone (indeed the first one is possibly the least likely person to be reported in the entire country).

 

[killer b]

I agree (especially about the mistake to assume that only brown people are affected by this), though I'd point out that in both of those cases it was - and this is not to blame them at all - the individuals interacting with the state that resulted in them being identified. Both of them were employed for years without any problems and were presumably not reported on by anyone (indeed the first one is possibly the least likely person to be reported in the entire country).

Most of the windrush cases I've read about are a result of people interacting with the authorities too.

 

[andysays]

I'd imagine the only reason the postwar ukranian/polish migrant wave hasn't been targeted is they're all long gone(dead) or in old folks homes and their children/grandchildren were born here. The 47 resettlement act on wiki says they were granted uk citizenship, how many would have had the right papers for this 'hostile environment'. I haven't got the papers they'd want, not for every year of my life

One of the paradoxical things about this situation is that post-war migrants from Empire/Commonwealth countries were already effectively British citizens, so didn't (then) need to go through any formal process to become British, unlike your example of Poles or my MiL who came to Britain from the Philippines in 1967 and became a naturalized Britain citizen.

 

[agricola]

Most of the windrush cases I've read about are a result of people interacting with the authorities too.

TBH I think almost all of the reported ones are, certainly all the ones I've seen.

Of course that is the biggest indicator of how fundamentally wrong the whole system is, that it has been deliberately set up to catch people who approach it in the expectation that it will do what it is meant to do (whether its regularize their status, pay them the pension they've earned, give them the medical care they need or whatever) rather than target them for removal from the country.

 

[RainbowTown]

Bottom line: we currently have the two major political parties in this country mired in vile racism and led by two of the most incompetent leaders of the modern political era. And I even include Cameron and Milliband in that. Yes, it's gotten that bad. It's getting to the stage where one is even beginning to laugh at May and Corbyn, so ridiculously substandard are they. And I suppose, in the wake of Windrush and all things anti-semitic, the one overriding question for people is : which of these toxic parties is now the least racist?

 

[bemused]

the polling is fairly conclusive that there isn't.

The polling shows that people who are asked have an opinion (nice to see it's a fair one) - that's somewhat different than people caring about it as a political issue that stirs anger in the country.

 

[killer b]

The polling shows that people who are asked have an opinion (nice to see it's a fair one) - that's somewhat different than people caring about it as a political issue that stirs anger in the country.

You're just demonstrably wrong. Suck it up.

 

[eatmorecheese]

There was a case reported recently of a (white) woman who came to Britain from Canada as a child who was told when she needed hospital treatment for cancer that she was 'illegal'

They did this to my mother last year when she went to hospital. She got a letter asking her to leave by a certain date or possibly be deported. Never mind that she has had Right of Abode since 1971 as the Australian wife of a (now retired) diplomat, works, votes etc. Not really comparable to the Windrush victims in terms of impact, but it does demonstrate what stupid cunts frame and implement this 'hostile environment'

 

[not-bono-ever]

Tess d’mayhems spokesman have confirmed that Amba Rudderless has the PM’s full backing and confidence. They have said this not once but twice today.

Twice


She will be gone by cob tomorrow then

 

[killer b]

Doubt it - I think it would be very politically difficult for Rudd to go without May. So neither will.

 

[agricola]

Doubt it - I think it would be very politically difficult for Rudd to go without May. So neither will.

Its a bit hard to recover from scrapping targets that you insisted didn't exist less than 24 hours ago. Someone is going to resign for this, if not Rudd or May then Glynn Williams (the civil servant sat next to Rudd yesterday and who repeated what she had said).

 

[Pickman's model]

Tess d’mayhems spokesman have confirmed that Amba Rudderless has the PM’s full backing and confidence. They have said this not once but twice today.

Twice


She will be gone by cob tomorrow then

Yes, the famously hollow backing of the board

 

[emanymton]

the polling is fairly conclusive that there isn't.

Ok this just shows how shit I must be at maths these days. I used to quite good at it honest.

But how is the total percentage of don't knows higher than any of the individual results?

 

[Pickman's model]

the polling is fairly conclusive that there isn't.

When even a majority of kippers say they should be able to stay you know the government is on a shitty wicket

 

[killer b]

Ok this just shows how shit I must be at maths these days. I used to quite good at it honest.

But how is the total percentage of don't knows higher than any of the individual results?

Because they haven't included the didn't vote / minor party voters in the breakdown.