What are your thoughts on immigration being the consequence of colonialism, and how do you think colonial history still affects migration today?

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TobyField33@reddit

We're told it is, but it's actually successive governments choosing to bring in millions of people for their own benefit.

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Low_Understanding_85@reddit

Can you explain how it benefits the government?

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Zealousideal-Air574@reddit

Cheap labour simple as that…. Easy to stop people demanding more money if you can get someone from say India to do the job for next to nothing

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Low_Understanding_85@reddit

Eventually the people from saying India would demand more money and the cycle will continue.

I'm not sure immigration is the cause though, because alot of companies are doing this with remote work too where the employee remains in India or wherever and works from there.

The cause is more likely to be whatever system it is that causes a need for profit over better condition for people.

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Zealousideal-Air574@reddit

I’m sorry but there’s 7 billion people they ain’t running out off people who will work for nothing.. it’s not attacking immigrants to say they lower wages it’s just a fact

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Low_Understanding_85@reddit

No they are not running out of people, like I said the cycle will continue.

Lowering immigration wont stop wages lowering, it will just move the wealth to other countries, then the Brits will be the ones moving to seek employment.

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Admirable-Mall-9601@reddit

They are lobbied by various big business representatives to bring in cheap precarious staff who don’t know their rights and will accept living in a shared bedroom with 10 others.

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Low_Understanding_85@reddit

The free market at work.

You'd buy cheaper things if you could right? That's just capitalism.

You're not one of those anti capitalist are you?

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It creates specific voter blocks, often along both ethnic and religious lines, that politicians can pander to for votes. It drives down wages in service and other essential lower-income jobs, which pleases big businesses that can work with and lobby the government. More tax revenue overall, alongside (ironically) a poorer class of dependants.

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Low_Understanding_85@reddit

So it benefits the government because they get paid by big businesses via lobbying to have access to cheaper workers?

That's just how the free market works.

Any attempt at stopping this would rightfully be described as Marxist.

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laidback_chef@reddit

Cheap labour, which boosts growth. Props up a lot of jobs. Care, farming, cleaners, you know jobs people genuinely feel are beneath them.

Obviously, now that has changed, and there's an argument that it's a net negative effect but that purely down to incompetence at the highest level.

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Historical_Project86@reddit

We can't really prove a connection, I don't think, although immigration from ex-colonies was encouraged when it suited us, so there's that. But then a lot of the immigration which people have a problem with is from countries which were never British colonies.

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MercatorLondon@reddit

"immigration from ex-colonies was encouraged when it suited us"
Yes, working visa is a regular economic tool and should be used when suitable/needed only.
Why would you bring people in if they are net-negative to the country?

Many coutries encourage legal immigration (Canada, Dubai) whilst many don't (Japan, Saudi, China).

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Historical_Project86@reddit

Who is net-negative to the country?

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Proud_Apricot316@reddit

I think there’s definitely an economic aspect to this. To put it crudely, Britain looted resources and wealth from the countries it colonised, making its own economy and the socioeconomic quality of life much greater than many of the countries (colonised or not) migrants are coming from.

They built that appeal through colonisation

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Zak_Rahman@reddit

My parents came here because of a job offer because India is in the common wealth. That was when England won the world cup though.

That said, I think it is better to view immigration not as a thing, but as a process.

Consider boiling. Boiling is a process. Boiling is not inherently evil. You can boil things in a good way - like making soft boiled eggs for my breakfast. Or you can boil things in a bad way - like the neighbour's puppy because you're a wrong'un.

In the same way, immigration is a process that can be handled very or very badly. How the process has been administered has changed over time. Based on the fact that our government hasn't been able to tell its arse from its elbow for a good 20 years, it has been handled badly. No one is happy with it. Apart from those who profit from it.

But remember it isn't just our colonialism that might affect us. Some students from Gaza have been given an offer in Scotland. This would not have been necessary if we opposed Israeli colonialism and atrocities. We chose to help their bomb their schools and universities, so now we have to sheepishly help with their education. So, there is also an element of supporting colonial regimes like the US and Israel that regularly create and exacerbate humanitarian problems globally.

In modern times, I suggest following the money. Some people definitely profit from recent immigration policy and they're the ones who have the government's ear, balls and spine.

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AnAncientOne@reddit

That might have been a bit of a thing back in the day before the internet but not now.

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Mountain_Resident_81@reddit

I think many would say that immigration to the UK from former colonies is partly a historical consequence of empire, but it’s not the whole story, it’s one thread in a much bigger fabric of economic, political, and social forces. Historically, empire obviously created legal pathways (citizenship rights for Commonwealth subjects, cultural familiarity (English language, British institutions) and migration routes/networks. But modern migration is also driven by economic opportunities like jobs, education, political instability or conflict in origin countries (which we might even be involved in along with our bigger, uglier pal). Also globalisation and labour markets and UK immigration policies that have changed significantly over time. Some people seem to explicitly link migration to empire, arguing a responsibility (we went there, so it’s not surprising people came here etc.), other seem to focus less on history and more on present concerns like housing, jobs, public services etc. I think it's reasonable to see immigration from former colonies as having historical roots but also legally/culturally enabled and also due to modern conditions.

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Cat-Cuddler1@reddit

To some extent, perhaps.

The UK has a variety of visas, for example the UK Ancestry Visa, designed for citizens of Commonwealth countries whose grandparents were British. This visa allows you and your family to live and work in the UK, as long as you can prove that you can support yourself. It's also a route to citizenship over 5 years.

I'm South African and have many friends whose grandparents were British, emigrated to SA mid-century, and therefore their parents were born in SA. Their parents got citizenship through descent, but these second-generation South Africans 'missed out' on British citizenship due to that rule.

I don't think it's waves and waves of people, but it's definitely easier (if you've got money) for Commonwealth citizens to move here.

Regarding colonial history affecting migration today, the UK has always been a 'superpower'. If you get the opportunity to move here from a less wealthy country, or a country of less opportunity, you take it. There are plenty of people across the world who would give their left foot for an opportunity to move here and work here. I think it's that 'esteem' that makes this a popular destination for migration. That's just my opinion though. I'm sure better read people have plenty more to contribute than me.

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MercatorLondon@reddit

Ask Irish about their colonies.
Or Austrians.

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ActionBirbie@reddit

One is not related to the other.

Immigration happens because it's never been easier to travel around and there are lots of shit countries that people want to move out from.

Colonialism occurs because Rifle Beats Spear.

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Jake_91_420@reddit

Lots of countries with extremely limited (or no) colonial modern history like Sweden have been flooded with migrants as well. So the relationship isn’t quite as clear as it may seem on the surface.

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luxbritt@reddit

It’s been a disaster tbh

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angrypolishman@reddit

I will answer the question as asked, immigration from former colonies.

Yes, even simply just the fact that most of these countries have a relatively decent level of English literacy which makes the UK a more favourable destination, I imagine there is cultural factors too which make the UK seem like some sort of prestigious place to go so to speak, I dont know what word to choose instead of prestigious

On our end though... we just take so many because governments cant be arsed curbing migration ultimately

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rynchenzo@reddit

I didn't know Albania was a former British colony

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Prestigious_Wash_620@reddit

There was a clear link when it came to immigration after WW2 but before we joined the EU. Since then the link is much more indirect.

Colonialism spread English (and other European languages) and in immigration countries tend to favour people that already speak their national language (which is understandable).

We have quite a lot of immigration from the Philippines which was never a British colony, but a lot of people there speak English because it was an American colony.

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