Immigration itself is'nt a bad thing and could be also a good thing. It depends from the kind of immigrant, from their education and so on. Anyway, it's wrong thinking Europe could be like the United States, because we have an other history and other identities. Immigration in Europe is the result of political and economic choises of European governments. Italian government opened to Romanians because Romania accepted Italian industries and Italial industrials went to Romania because in Italy the price of work is too high. This high price is also against the Italian workers, but the Italian left
trade unions are a strong lobby in Italy and they act also against the interest of Italian workers, who would be happy to work two hours more because they need money. Romania send us criminals ilke the amn who killed the woman in Rome. There is no control of the situation and Italians feel unsave. The 83% is against immigration.

sonia, chivasso, italy

Wilf, "how did we manage to win World War 2 when arms and all the necessities of war were produced without immigrant help"? I don't know, let's see.. women and girls working exhausting shifts in the factories and on the land.. young boys and old men being drawn into active service.. unsafe working conditions in vital industries such as ship yards and coal mines.. shoddy production quality so troop transport ships were sometimes unfit for human passengers, and many tanks were notorious for their poor reliability.. Government borrowing, to fund (among other things) the labour cost adjustments you mention on such a massive scale that it pretty much bankrupted the largest economy the world had seen (ie the British Empire).. not to mention the vital contribution to our cause by soldiers and labourers of the Commonwealth and our allies. Had Ernest Bevin had access to a pool of ready, willing immigrant labour at the time, he would have had to be mad to reject it.

Carl, London,

It's ironic that before the "diversity training" imposed on all USA workers everyone got along just fine. But since "diversity" has been imposed by force, and speaking one's opinions forbidden, the public has turned against Latin American immigrants in a mass rage movement. It doesn't take a degree in psychology to figure out this is nothing but projection. Because these people (and the 12 million figure could be true just for San Diego county alone, there must be at least 50-60 million nation-wide), are technically illegal (there being no legal way to emigrate into the USA as the system is broken), they are fair game for the public's rage.

Turner Forbell, Simi Valley, USA

When the likes of Spain or Greece joined, although their economic position was much lower than say Germany or France they were very well known within the community due to tourism. Both have succeeded in turning their countries into a 21st century state comparable with the rest of the EU. Eastern European countries were NOT familiar and had challenges that Brussels never considered such as the very cheap labour rates and a criminal element that would invade other countries in the EU. In the UK New Labour led the ill fated multiculturalism dogma believing that was the way to stir the melting pot. The worst excess's of this are still in the UK as evidenced by government discrimination against the majority just to appease the vocal Muslim minority. Muslims are an issue all across Europe but especially so in Britain and although no race riots have really happened yet, there is a simmering racial issue in the UK that will soon burst forth unless the government changes its policies soon.

Mike, Alicante, Spain

"Despite superficial politeness, foreigners are kept strictly outside the cliques which define Anglo societies."
Gene in Baltimore hit the nail on the head. Moving to Russia from England, I rediscovered what it was to be a 'real' human being there,feeling and communicating as we were all meant to do, not play silly games of politeness that were meant to convey friendship but in fact were thin veneers hiding xenophobic feelings.

Alice, Hove,

One of the big links missing in the debate is the degree to which our societies have had to increase security, in part, because we have so little control over whom enters our countries. With the UK turning into a police state, and the US and Western Europe not far behind, is multicultural tolerance and unchecked immigration worth this cost, to the point where individuals are losing many rights?

Rob another Ugly American, ny, ny

The core of the problem with the current wave of immigrants (whether into the USA or Europe) is that many of them seem to want to remain noticeable different - for example in language, dress and customs - from the host culture. This is not integration but colonisation. It is a scenario for endless social unrest and even perhaps, eventually, an irresistable popular demand for ethnic cleansing. It is deeply depressing.

Raymond Hanson, Newcastle, UK

We need immigrants? Then how did we manage to win World War 2 when arms and all the necessities of war were produced without immigrant help. Nations are self adjusting. If labour is short, wages and society change. Now we have landed ourselves in a situation for which our descendants will curse us for. The more "diversity there is the more chance of conflict that will tear this country apart.

Wilf, Horsham,

Immigration is always presented as the only answer to employment issues. Balls! We have 5 million unemployed, on benefit or on spurious training schemes. Not to mention the bloated public sector. Too many Brits will not work. Withdraw benefits, sack 10% of the public sector. Problem solved. Trouble is they are Labour voters so (a) it will never happen and (b) we will always have a Labour government.

james coates, London,

To Colin in Sydney, I'm quite certain (as with others I've heard over time with the same type of argument) that you're not comparing like with like. Trying to compare the neighbourliness and community of a big city like London(where people hardly know their neighbours) to a smaller town in the country overseas is frankly both pointless and unfair. Why not compare a small town in England with say Sydney itself? But that wouldn't be a fair comparison either. Sadly I've come across all too many Aussie/Kiwi/Saffers who come to work in England but who never see/venture outside the big smoke, thereby judging an entire country on one unrepresentative example.

JJ, UK,

I should point out that the USA and Australia are two very extreme examples of unrestricted immigration replacing the native populations (ask a Native American or Aborigine), not necessarily the liberal wonderlands where immigration is encouraged that they think they might be.
The Native British were also substantially replaced by Germans in England and then had a French culture imposed on them. Muslims overran Christian north Africa and the Middle East, being stopped at Poitiers and the gates of Vienna, and only in Spain were they expelled. The list of other invaders is endless, but very, very long.
Europeans therefore have a perfect right to be worried. Their history tells them to be.

Dave, slough,

"Most immigrants integrate very well. In the UK a significant minority do not and use "multiculturalism" as an excuse. I have no sympathy at all for this: adapt and integrate or leave."

Rhys Bridges, Mora, Portugal

Totally agree Rhys - but what if the "host" people refuse to let them become integrated? Take a few newly arrived immigrants, heading off to bars and clubs to "meet" new people - from my experiences (I'm not an immigrant, but an ethnic minority) the groups are vehemently closed, even leading to near physical violence - all for saying hi.

Jeff, Manchester,

Complete tolerance, unreaction and a belief that all cultures are equal is the most progressive view. Its just that we are being forced to share a shrinking space with cultures that arent quite up to our level of progression. This forces us to be regressive and intolerant.

Andrew O'Neill, Liverpool, U.K.

This 'problem' of immigration, legal or otherwise, is not endemic only in the developed world but it seems to me to have now assumed epidemic proportions so much so that even Malaysia is not spared. When a country is perceived to be riding on the crest of a wave of economic well-being, it is bound, sooner or later, to attract citizens from impoverished countries usually, but not always the case, in close proximity to it. These immigrants/migrant labour/refugees are ever ready to take any kind of employment so long as it gives them respite from their hopeless situation back home. They, especially those who are unskilled or lacking in any qualifications, usually end up doing the jobs (often of the menial type) that are regarded aversely by the indigenes whether through indolence or the perception that these jobs are far beneath their dignity to do them.

SD Goh, PJ, Malaysia

Quote
In Italy, Romanians are in the cross-hairs, after one of them was charged with beating and sexually assaulting a teacher.
Unquote

You forgot to mention that the poor woman, wife and mother, who was merely walking home, eventually died from the beating.

Adri, Sydney, Australia

what a can of worms this topic has opened .

lol .

next time i go to a dinner party , i will say the right things .

rising property prices .

rising taxes.

the cost of petrol .

inner city crime etc .

and please do not ask me how i feel abt black on black crime , i might be black but i am not a authority on CRIME .

dnt ask me who sells the best weed , i dnt smoke .

and lastly yes i have seen a lion , an elephant , a leopard but on the same place where u have seen them sky channel 567 discovery channel.i might be african but i did not grow up in a jungle , next time get to know some one's back ground before u ask silly questions.

at least i now know what topics to raise at the next dinner party , see you there . lol

sidakwa , southend , uk

When newspaper articles stop pretending that mass immigration is beneficial to the host population in general we will finally be facing fact.

Commentators veer between saying there is a cultural problem but no economic one or the reverse. One can see why. To avoid the taint of being opposed to immigration in general.

So much for open debate on the most important issue facing the nation.

Mike Newland, London, UK

We want immigrants but only those with the right skills, those who will respect our culture and traditions. The UK for to long has been seen as a soft touch all over the world.

My greatest fear is that if an honest and open debate without the usual racist card being wielded by the liberal's does not happen, we are destined for a major swing to right wing politics, even a protest vote to the right could see irrepairable damage inflicted upon the UK.

The Australians have the correct system, there should be limits on all immigrants from the EU and the rest of the world.

Lance Harrington, Canterbury , Kent, UK

"We - all of us - need immigration"
Agreed - but we do not need illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants, by the very nature of their entry and residency work in a black economy, usually with illegal, or at worst sub-standard conditions and practices. The core of complaint behind the backlash actions you categorise above is that, having let these people in by institutionalised incompetence, our government then hands them a free pass and a meal ticket at our expense.

Gordon Brown and his softy-lefty minions have missed the simple fact that the essential quality of being British is either to be born here or to formally ask to join our community. Barging in with forged, or no, documents and playing every loophole in the law to garner a living at our expense is criminal and will not be tolerated by genuine citizens and taxpayers, whether native born or immigrant.

KR, Stockport,

As an immigrant to Portugal from the UK I consider it my responsibility to be able to speak, read and write in the Portuguese language, conform to the norms of Portuguese society and exercise my social responsibility in the fashion expected of a Portuguese citizen.

Of course I bring some Welsh/British culture to my community but I don't feel a need to cling to it or ask the Portuguese make allowances for my "cultural heritage". Why should I expect my Welsh/British culture to be put on the same footing as the culture of my host country?

Immigration can and does enrich a national culture. But immigrant culture should never be allowed to erode, compete with or replace that of the host country. Integration is essential.

Most immigrants integrate very well. In the UK a significant minority do not and use "multiculturalism" as an excuse. I have no sympathy at all for this: adapt and integrate or leave.

Much "anti-immigration" rhetoric is simply populist tribal stupidity.

Rhys Bridges, Mora, Portugal

To Peter in Riyadh. In my experiences of being a white South African who has lived in the UK for nearly ten years, you're not accepted because you're a white South African and they had an objection to apartheid (after moving over, I found some people in the UK to be much more racist than most South Africans), but because you're foreign.

Lisa, London,

A very perceptive overview

David Cartright, UK, US

We have 4th of July, Mexico has Cinqo d`Maya and the Irish have St. Patrick's day. What have England/Brittain got to
focus a day as their national heritage ? Yes in Europe
people recognized how nationalism became ultimately a cult
for war and destruction and the interlectual elite discouraged it as a deviant. Maybe rightly so for Europe, but somewhere the
baby got washed out.
I feel Brittain is like this today, absorbed by it's past adventures and lost without a sense of familiarity......there appears to be a dislocation and isolation in who they are

Hector Gutierrez, San Diego, CA / USA

"The last time I was in London last year I did not hear ONE person speaking english in the Tubes...I am ALL for immigration but not in this manner where the receving culture is SWAMPED and their rights don;t exist...To live in London has become vile...though it is still great for shopping"
(ruby cooper, nice, france)

So living in London "has become vile" (although it is "still great for shopping") because "the receiving culture is SWAMPED" with immigrants?

No comment.

Personally, I have always found London unpleasant, but not because of immigrants. In fact, the areas where there are more immigrants seem to me the friendly parts. It is the City, with all the cold faces pushing past in their grey suits, that horrifies me.

I think, as somebody said earlier, that we should welcome immigrants: they add colour and diversity to what is otherwise a rather dry, boring culture (I am white & English by the way). And anyway, aren't we ultimately all citizens of the world, all in it together?

Jeremy, Manchester, England

'I think that there is a fundamental problem with white, middle-class Anglo-Saxon culture ... only those who behave according to the norms of white, British, middle-class society are accepted and integrated. .' (Jeremy. Manchester)

So how is this a 'problem'? It strikes me as a perfectly normal and healthy situation. In all societies there are 'in-groups' that expect anyone who joins them to share their values and manners. Is your objection perhaps based on prejudice against the middle class? Would you find any problem with a working class community that expected newcomers to fit in with its ways?

Janet Davis, Sydney, Australia

If England were a Democratic country, there would be no immigration. If England were a Democratic country, we would not be in the EEC.
If England were a Democratic country, Parliament would consult the electorate on all major issues, and we all know what those issues are!
So who is the real employer of Parliament?

Clive Burghard, LANCING, ENGLAND

The problem with Mexican immigration is two-fold; the sheer numbers coming from one nationality/ethnicity has never been seen before in modern American history - this exacerbates the assimilation problem. Easier to create enclaves of Spanish speaking communities. Also, lets not forget its ILLEGAL immigration - this also creates a second class of (non)citizens. When you have limited rights, pretty hard to assimilate. This argument that America has a "populist" backlash against immigration is wrong; lets have as many immigrants as possible but let us evenly apportion it to all countries everywhere, not just latin america because they happen to be the closest geographically. I can only guess the reaction of our kind neighbors to the south if Americans started pouring into their countries.

Phil, new york,

...and I just wanted to add that I'm an immigrant to this country (I was very young) and felt nothing but fully accepted as American from the time we arrived. But I also was raised in a community completely decimated by illegal immigration. Because of the 1987 amnesty deal illegals began pouring into the US and within years communities, like mine, became crime infested and largely non-english speaking. The social problems this created is inexcusable. And this is not racism -- any huge influx of socioeconomically challenged sector from any region (russian, vietnamese, morroccan, etc.) would have created the same problems. Now, the economic elites may have benefited and consumer goods may have become cheaper but the strain on public institutions and society itself was not worth the trade-off. If some of you want to sacrifice whole regions of our country to the social/economic problems of other countries I suggest you move to those communities. Otherwise, shut up.

Phil, NEW YORK ,

The bottom line is, is that immigration that is NOT controlled and done gently will NOT work,....it is a burden on the so called welcoming society that allows them in and a burden on the state as well...if cultures do not mix it is a sure fire recipe for disaster further down the line and EVERYONE suffers...
I was in sweden twice in the last 8 years and I was horrified to see how much stockholm had changed with mass immigration from african countries...it was like TWO societies which would never mix and meet and did not want to have anything to do with each other....
The last time I was in London last year I did not hear ONE person speaking english in the Tubes.......I am ALL for immigration but not in this manner where the receving culture is SWAMPED and their rights don;t exist...To live in London has become vile ...though it is still great for shopping

ruby cooper, nice, france

I feel somewhat the need to apologise to those who have had a poor reception in this country, the blame for the issue lies mainly with the politicians, as a combination of politics has caused resentment without the oppertunity to voice any legitimate concerns. Immigration is as stated in the article something that cannot be repealed, however intergration should be encouraged (on both sides) and the impacts should be addressed. Also legal immigrats may suffer less if the illegal immigrants were not such a hot topic.
as to the association of Colin of South Africa with the aparthid regime, it was 4 years gone by the time he moved here, so poor excuse there.
there are better ways to manage this issue than the media and political mess we have at present

Ben, folkestone, uk

"The English never, ever reciprocated." And in one sentence, Colin dismisses an entire race. No wonder dinner invitations were thin on the ground.

I know people from dozens of ethnic backgrounds in London who are fully 'integrated' and accepted into our British society and give the lie to those who say they face "nothing but closed doors".

A tip: living amongst and communicating only with those from the country you left behind is not a winning formula.

Peter, London, England

As a third generation chinese I am well versed into the "culture" and mannerisms, and as I grew up I faced no discrimination and had no barriers to doing what I wanted - friends, societies, all were within my grasp if I wanted them.

However in the past few years, where immigration has not only increased several times since then, and the press and society in general has changed from a moderate/apathetic view to one of great resentment, I find myself increasingly placed into "the rest of them". Those social circles I used to seamlessly enter, positions I would just get just by asking - they have all been shadowed by the fact that I look an immigrant, hence therefore must be one.

This IS such a mess - foregoing the issue of services and skills, society just cannot accept so many "foreigners" in such a little time - going back to my childhood, I was the only minority there, and only then could 99% of the school accept me, at the least tolerate me.

Now I'm frightened for my future.

Jeff, Manchester,

I wonder what the native American Red Indians thought about mass immigration and where are they now?

Cromwell, Leeds, England

As an immigrant who came to the USA as a boy, and has lived here for about fifteen years, I want to share some of my views.

The American "melting pot" myth is only part of the story. Outside of the Northeastern corridor, and perhaps California, the US is a solidly blond, Anglo-Saxon nation; immigration is a pretty strange and unknown concept to a vast swath of America. Even this point alone is often overlooked by many outsiders, but there's more.

Something else that's very relevant here is the fact that the Anglo-Saxon culture (of which the US is a part, as is Britain, judging by some comments here) is very CLIQUEY. If an immigrant were to arrive in a country like Italy or Russia, he would probably make friends easily, despite having an accent and a foreign background. In the US, however (and maybe in Britain also) social cliques are a powerful barrier to fitting in. Despite superficial politeness, foreigners are kept strictly outside the cliques which define Anglo societies.

Gene, Baltimore, USA

The business of immigration reveals the divide between the government and the governed as well as anything. The government has decided that immigration is in it s interest but appreciated that the governed will not agree with them so have imposed it by stealth. Contrast the matter of European Union. In this case, on a matter that is only ever likely to benefit the governed whatever the affect on the government, politicians are assiduous in promoting the necessity to get the agreement of the electorate on something they claim will fundamentally affect their lives. Is it any wonder people don t trust politicians.

Henry Percy, London, UK

Jeremy from Manchester has nailed this problem.

Jeremy, congratulations on writing the best comment in the thread! I fully agree about the exclusionist, group-oriented culture of Anglo countries like Britain and America. Except, I prefer to call it "Cliques". Very very few people understand this concept, because outwardly, the Anglo-Saxon culture is very "diverse" and tolerant.

I really wish some scientist or researcher would take the time to study the concept of "Anglo cliques". It's a fascinating subject that comes up time and again. From frats/sororities in the USA, to American sports, to the British lifestyle, cliquey societies are a powerful force in English-speaking countries.

Gene, Baltimore, USA

The US immigration system needs an overhaul. It takes too long to get citizenship legally and it is to easy to bypass the legal system. Fixing both problems will take a while, but there is one thing we can do right away. The US should trippling immigration quotas from all countries. This would provide opportunities to people who want to immigrate legally and reduce the demand for illegal routes.

Joseph, NYC, USA

One of my best friends grand parents came here from Italy. No one in their family spoke any Italian. Their idea was, "We are Americans: we speak english." From Italians to Americans in one generation. These new arrivals do not want to be Americans, and I do not like calling a governemnt office and having to press 1 for English.

Drew Adams, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, USA

I find it odd that white Britons who have emigrated themselves, and continue to do so in droves, rave so much about how they dislike immigration to Britain.

Ganpat Ram , London , UK

Britain & Europe are not America. In Britain, the English (& Scots & Welsh) have a national identity going back over a thousand years. Also Britain (& especially England) has a population density many times that of America - England is 12 times more densely populated. In comparison America is practically a vast empty continent awaiting settlement.
But who on earth still thinks that with global warming, oil depletion, & the destruction of our environment & natural resources, that there can possibly be never-ending population & economic growth on this finite earth?

Dave, Wrexham,

I think the UK is changing for the better. Here's another perspective: North Americans are saying how multicultural and cosmopolitan the UK has become. London surpasses New York. Many people are willing to endure the high cost of living for the experience of living in such a dynamic country.

Many countries that have survived occupation for 50+ years, have still managed to maintain their cultural heritage. The article doesn’t take into account the fact that most people don’t enjoy immigrating and being displaced from their family and friends. Let’s not be naïve. Western governments have often contributed to the lack of development of nations through trade restrictions (war) etc. There is a certain level of accountability that lies with us. And given the opportunity, I think most people would choose not to immigrate. So, maybe everyone should be addressing the problem of how to help other nations develop, instead of being critical about people's struggle to live a better life!

PSully, Toronto, Ontario,

I think that there is a fundamental problem with white, middle-class Anglo-Saxon culture which lies at the heart of all this (I say this as a white Anglo-Saxon with a middle-class mother and a working-class father; I am English).

The problem is that the in-control British middle-classes, despite their belief that they are tolerant, fair, decent, etc., are inherently as exclusionist and in-group orientated as everybody else - except that they don't understand or recognise this fact. This means that only those who behave according to the norms of white, British, middle-class society are accepted and integrated. Anybody who appears fundamentally 'different' is rejected and excluded.

This depends less on the colour of your skin (look at Trevor McDonald), and more on your behaviour, culture and attitudes: if you tell the right type of jokes, moan about the correct things, talk about 'getting on the property ladder' and so on, then you are accepted. Otherwise you are left out.

Jeremy, Manchester, England

Should we then also kick the British out from the rest of the world and back to their Isles? Immigration works both ways.

I just had a conversation with an English who has worked overseas for many years and now find it difficult to re-integrate in the UK. The thing is that the world is getting flatter and some have difficulties with this. I would like to see a world where things are equal and people move just because they like to and not because there is a disparity in the quality of life.

Peter Meh, Amsterdam,

Colin in Sydney - its likely that many of the English people who rejected you were exercising a sort of reverse racism because you are a white South African and therefore, must inevitably be a racist. My parents are of Afrikaans ethnicity and emigrated to the UK in 1972. Despite the fact that their emigration to the UK was bitterly opposed by the rest of the family left behind in RSA, and that they left largely because of Apartheid, they were for years subject to occasional anti-Afrikaner racism. The assumption of many liberals in the UK that all Afrikaners are white supremacists was/is in itself a form of racism. What makes this stance even more unapalatable is the realisation that the UK owned 70 about percent of the South African economy for much of the post-war period. My point is that the British are very poor at facing their own past and harbour many racist views, including towards other white groupings, that are often hidden within a discourse of 'cultural superiority'.

JL, Paris, France

I would have to second the observations of the chap from South Africa. My family background is east London cockney, but born and raised overseas. I returned for work and also because I love Brit culture. Yet my experience here has been sad and disappointing. Whereas in other countries I always had a wide network of friends and never any problems meeting people, in the UK everything is a struggle. I was once told to my face I should never have been hired because locals should get the job (not that I am white, English in background and all my family apart from me have English accents).
My current feelings? I think Britain has become an excremental culture and its people have debased themselves to a degree I find shocking. I now look forward to future work outside this country - ta, ta!

Bob Macdonald, Liverpool,

To Colin in Sydney. Youre right. People in Britain are socially backward when compared with South Africans and Aussies but personally I dont think your experience has anything to do with you being a "foreigner". If you want to make friends, the UK is one of the toughest places to do so.

John, London, London

In Denmark the Lib/Con govnt. held an election this week to sideline the far-right People's Party - and succeeded. The PM now has a majority without the anti-immigration lobby.

Janus, Rudkøbing, Denmark

To Colin in Sydney: Might the lack of reciprocal invitations from your British friends have had something to do with the fact that you are a white South African? After all, even among Conservatives in England, attitudes towards apartheid were pretty much overwhelmingly negative. And might the large community of white South Africans in Australia have something to do with your finding it more welcoming than the UK, then?

Peter Wanyonyi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

"America has, to its great fortune, been spared the worst excesses of multiculturalism." But there was no attempt to understand why America is different.

The difference lies in the fact that America has, for four centuries, been a melting pot where those from around the world have been able to come together and create the unique American culture and character. Native cultures were left behind as they blended and melded to become inherently different.

In America, those immigrants found a unique tolerance, albeit with rare instances of conflict, even riots. But on the whole, these newcomers brought with them skills (or non-skills) that were needed by America at the time.

Above all, immigrants to America were grateful and worked hard to be "Americans". And they did.

Emma Lazarus said it all. "Give me your tired, your poor,. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

Today's immigrants seem not to want to be "Americans", but to be separatists; a culture unto their own.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

I believe that the immigration problem is one of the people's own making. I don't believe in the principle of multiculturism, I believe assimilation is the way to go to maintain a united country.
My own experience in England perhaps illustrates my initial sentence.
I'm a native English speaking South African, with British grandparents raised in the English tradition. On the surface I found moving to England in 1995 very pleasant and have friends I still communicate with.
However, this friendship was superficial. Many times we would invite people for a meal and were only reciprocated by other expatriates, Australian etc. The English never, ever reciprocated.
In Australia to where we moved in 2003, things are different. We have a much wider circle of friends, real friends who help when things are tough and we reciprocate. There is a sense of acceptance.
If we felt like this as native English speakers in England imagine how the Poles and others feel. How can they possibly assimilate?

Colin, Sydney, Australia

24 percent of primary school children being from an ethnic minority is not broadening and deepening us. It is replacing us.

'mountainous demographic challenges'

-what like Europeans having more children?

A country not willing to encourage child birth as it is interfering but willing to allow huge immmigration is proposterous.

We are not America. Europe has a social net which allows economically unproductive immigrants, and their descendants to outpopulate the local population very quickly.

Where will we be in even 20 years time?

To weaken ourselves because of nationalism fears is ridiculous. The second world war was caused by Hitler and the first was autocratic imperial powers. Don't succumb to the Stalinist self hate propaganda.

rjj, London, UK

The USA has let in about 1 million legal immigrants per year for the last 30 years. This has not been an issue in any presential campaign during that period and it is not an issue in the 2008 presedential campaign; no major candidate proposes reducing this number. This suggest a fairly broad popular consensus behind a high level of legal immigration. The only immigration that is a campaign issue is illegal immigration. In Britain the situation is different; an increase in legal immigration to American levels on a per capita basis has made immigration a highly charged political issue. Painting the opposition to immigration in both countries as 'autarkism' is incorrect. It only applies to Britain.

Peter, New York

Peter, New York,

then why is immigration such a dirty word .

i am a system engineer from malawi been working here for 8 yrs , will have thought after so long i will intergrate but everywhere i have faced closed doors .

you dnt want us here but you need our skills .

sidakwa , southend , uk