This is interesting
more Britons favoured free mobility with Canada, Australia and New Zealand than with countries in the European Union.
there's been a theme emerging amongst mainstream Out campaigners that inward migration should be based on "
the freedom to draw specialist skills from a global talent pool" (
leave.eu) and family ties rather than from the EU. I've been wondering whether this is a fig-leaf to cover simple xenophobia or represents a genuine cross-ethnic welcome.
“Collectively we possess a unique bond which needs protecting. We share a language, a legal system, and a Queen.”
(with obligatory picture of royal parasite). That heritage based approach is true of the majority of Commonwealth countries. It's not clear why the survey concentrates on only those countries, as all Commonwealth citizens have an enduring and significant relationship with this country. Diaspora based family ties are spread throughout the Commonwealth.
The
Royal Commonwealth Society’s survey showed that most people are in support of removing barriers to live and work in the four countries, with support among New Zealanders as high as 82%. Some 75% of Canadians, 70% of Australians and 58% of Britons are also in favour.
Those countries are, I suppose, mostly perceived as being white (as are EU countries), but that's changing in the UK and Canada in particular and presumably the others to a greater or lesser extent.
Current bureaucracy free labour mobility is based on EU membership, and thus geographic proximity and shared, modern, European identity.
Maybe, post-Brexit, there should be no preferred countries of origin for free movement economic migrants. Everybody from everywhere will be treated entirely evenly. That's certainly a possibility.
Alternatively labour migration policy could be based on, emphasise and allow free movement between:
historic and heritage ties with those three countries in particular;
the Commonwealth as a whole;
something else?
So what do people here think?