Migration in the UK Is Something That Essay

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Migration in the UK is something that has many different meanings and that has been addressed in a number of different ways throughout the years. The question here is whether migration is valued by people in the UK, or whether there is a problem with people who are considered to be migrants. Often, the feelings about migrants in the UK depend on the way they understand the term (Bromley, et al., 2010). If someone migrates from one town or city to another, that is no problem. People move all the time. However, people who are coming to the UK from other countries are looked upon differently. Out of those people, it also depends on the country from which they came as to whether they are accepted or not accepted. Essentially, most people are migrants if one traces their family tree. The majority of people had ancestors who migrated from where they were to where they are now, and there may have been many stops in between. Because that is the case, everyone is a migrant in a sense. However, this paper is concerned specifically with current migrants and their perceived status within the UK.

Addressing exactly who is considered a migrant is not the only issue, of course. Neither is where the person came from or how he or she arrived in the UK. Other issues include what people do for a living, because that helps to show the value they are believed to have. While people should all be valued for who they are, the truth of the matter is that what a person does and what he or she can bring to a new society and/or a new country or area is very significant. Each person who can offer a highly-prized skill or a significant level of education will be more welcomed as a migrant than each person who is not yet capable of working, who is disabled and cannot work, or who simply does not intend to work in a job in which there is a need for people (Bromley, et al., 2010). The UK is not exclusive when it comes to that opinion of people, or the categorization of those who are "valuable" and those who are not.

The value a person has as a human being is far different than the value a person has as a worker or as a productive member of a society or community in the UK or anywhere else. Migrants can also affect the flow of money in and out of a country (Bromley, et al., 2010). If they come over from another place and work very hard but they send all their money "home" to another country, they may not be looked upon favorably by the people where they work. Generally, countries like to see money staying in (and coming in), not going back out to other countries. There is always going to be some ebb and flow of cash and resources, but that does not mean the UK will have no problem with the flow of money leaving the country - especially if it appears to be excessive and tied to migrants (Bromley, et al., 2010). Counting migrants is also difficult, because some are not in the country legally.

When migrants come to the UK without permission, they often live off of "odd jobs" that do not require them to register for anything or pay any kind of taxes. There are many arguments about them doing jobs others do not want, and about how they should not be there unless they came into the country the correct way. Regardless of any of those arguments, it is clear that it is difficult to count migrants when the government does not know they are in the country. Getting a true estimate of the number of migrants in the UK is difficult (Bromley, et al., 2010). When they cannot be counted, it becomes difficult to categorize them and they do not appear to have much perceived societal value. That can make life very hard for them, and for anyone who takes their side or attempts to help them. Migrants definitely have an impact on the social relations in the UK, as well as the economic relations (Bromley, et al., 2010).

They can cost the tax payers money if they are not actively working and paying their own taxes. Sometimes they also use a high number of government-subsidized services, because they are not capable of supporting themselves.

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The costs of their medical care and their living expenses in general are often passed down to hard-working men and women in the UK who have been in the country since birth or who have come there legally of their own accord and done things the right way (Bromley, et al., 2010). Even though migrants in the UK are often not looked upon favorably, they can provide something that others cannot - a melting pot type of society where everyone is unique and different. They help to make the UK what it is today, despite the fact that many people in the UK feel that "being British" is very important and something that cannot belong to anyone who was not born in that country. Some even feel the need to go back several generations before they feel the person really "belongs" there. Migrants do not have that kind of history behind them (Bromley, et al., 2010).

All those who do not feel as though migrants "belong," however, should remember that many of the celebrations that are enjoyed by people all over the UK came originally from people who were from another place. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated there, as is Christmas. The Chinese New Year is cause for celebration, and many people also celebrate other holidays that relate to their religion or culture. Eventually, many people find that they can celebrate all types of things they enjoy, but they would have never known about any of the celebrations if it had not been for immigrants who came to the country from their own homelands a very long time ago and began to establish a presence there. Not all migrants are good people who will come to a country legally and work hard, but there are many things about migrants which are good and which help to develop the kind of society in which people live today. People forget that when they are complaining about migration issues.

Most people do not give any thought to how people got to where they are currently, and they just enjoy the celebrations and holidays other cultures have brought to their community. There are different foods and drinks that are introduced, as well as different words and phrases that may eventually become common usage as the language blends and changes. All of those things come from people who decided that they did not want to stay where they were, so they got up and went somewhere else. They help to make the UK and the rest of the world more open and inviting for people from all over the planet (Bromley, et al., 2010). For some groups of people, even being in the UK through several generations is not enough to avoid the "migrant" label (Bromley, et al., 2010). When people came from elsewhere, they can get branded a certain way. That does not always happen, but when it does take place it can be very difficult to lose that label and have people see a person not as a migrant anymore, but just as another person.

Political parties often use migrants as a way to get people to vote for them (Bromley, et al., 2010). They take a stand on the issues, and they find they can convince the voting public of that stand. When they are able to convince a large number of individuals that their choice is the right choice, they receive votes and have a good chance of winning the election - at least based on that issue. Migration is certainly not the only issue dealt with in UK politics, but it is one of the most significant issues and one that has become a "hot button" for many political candidates today. Social scientists also study migration, because it helps them better understand why people leave one area and go to another (Bromley, et al., 2010). It can also help with issues such as the consumption that is seen in one area. When that consumption rises or changes, it is possible the reason behind that stems from migrants either coming to or leaving an area (Bromley, et al., 2010). The racial and ethnic makeup of that area would then change, and any time that happens it can easily lead to differences that can be noticed by those who study people.

When people are closely studied, it is learned that much of their identity comes from "who" they are in the sense of where they come.....

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