Illegal immigrants make them pay to live here.

http://news.aol.co.uk/illegal-immigrants-pay-to-stay-idea/article/20080720221631270570561

Is this a good idea, I can`t make my mind up.

No. They're saying the illegal immigrants would have to pay something like £1000 a year over five years as well as proving they can support their families without being a drain on the state and they must be able to speak English.

The last part should be a given for anybody living in this country. As for the rest of it, I have no problems with immigrants who can support themselves therefore I don't see why they should be penalised in this way. As they'll be holding down jobs, they'll be paying tax and should be entitled to anything any British taxpayer gets.

I really wish the authorities would concentrate on those illegal immigrants who are a threat to us, rather than the hapless ones who are fleeing from a brutal regime. Just like the CSA, where they concentrated on the dads who were already paying so they could make them pay more rather than tracking down those who never paid a penny, this immigrant scheme seems like a cop out to me. It's as if they feel they have to be seen to be doing something so they'll take the easy option instead of the difficult one. In my opinion, anyway.

HiJo said

I really wish the authorities would concentrate on those illegal immigrants who are a threat to us, rather than the hapless ones who are fleeing from a brutal regime.

That`s what I was thinking, but couldn`t think how too word it, when couldn`t make my mind up, about the ones who too them England is their only safe way of escape.

It always annoys me when I read about people complaining about "illegal" immigrants and the like "sponging" off the state. Just like it annoys me when I read that the government is going to clamp down on "benefit cheats". The average man in the street has been brainwashed by the media into believing that these people are a threat to the country and are a massive drain on the country's resources. I'd much rather see the government spending money on catching the ones that really do cheat the country out of many millions of pounds a year - tax dodgers. Those that are paid grotesquely huge salaries for sitting on their big fat cat arses doing nothing special and who can legally cheat the system out of paying taxes.

The vast majority of the so-called illegal immigrants are in the UK because they have nowhere else to go and came there to get some sort of life. They would like nothing better than to be accepted by the people, be allowed to work and have somewhere safe for them and their families to live. Unfortunately the great British people, swayed by the moronic, xenophobic element of the great British press treat them with suspicion and contempt. I find that sad.

Sometimes it's as if the media is just whipping the "hard of thinking" into some kind of feeding frenzy. I believe most people have no problems with immigrants but the only ones we get to hear about are those who make life difficult for anybody who isn't white British.

Other targets, as Bob said, are "benefit cheats" and that old favourite "single mums". Apparently, these people are responsible for everything that's wrong with this country.

We did a alot about this at college during my criminology course, its called a moral panic, and a certain section of society are portrayed as 'folk devils'. Basically the majority of the time its business leaders and government that leak 'sensitive' information to the press to either cover something up, or create a business opportunity for themselves by having the country concentrate on certain groups.

Its totally wrong Sometimes it can be unintentional like the big fuss over stranger paedophiles, and while it is a problem and horrendous, child welfare groups have blown it out of all proportion, making childhood disappear for a whole generation because parents wont allow them out. When the majority of child abuse happens at home, so keeping kids in is actually harming them.