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Quizzes & Puzzles1 min ago
Where The Hell Are The Romanians And Bulgarians???
Remember at the end of last year, when several news sources warned of the hundreds of thousands of Romanians and Bulgarians all champing at the bit to come over to the UK from January 1st?
What happened?
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From the Office of National Statistics:
"The labour force survey figures show that there were 122,000 Romanians and Bulgarians nationals working in Britain in March this year – a fall from 125,000 in December just before the last seven-year transitional controls were lifted on the new EU members on 1 January."
What happened?
http://
From the Office of National Statistics:
"The labour force survey figures show that there were 122,000 Romanians and Bulgarians nationals working in Britain in March this year – a fall from 125,000 in December just before the last seven-year transitional controls were lifted on the new EU members on 1 January."
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ummmm; //I know a few Romanians. They are sound people//
No one is saying they are not. There are billions of 'sound people' on this overcrowded planet, the question is; how much access should be allowed to them so that they can come and reap the benefits of what we and our forebears have built up, and fought for over generations.
Regarding our political leaders and the OP; it cannot have escaped your notice that at the precise moment the European elections, are nearly upon us we are being told daily how there is no problem and the number of immigrants is of no concern, backed up by lots of dodgy statistics, - a direct result of the 'Farage Factor' I suggest.
NJ
I found this interesting from the report you linked to:
Around 43 per cent (149,000) of UK emigrants in 2011 were British citizens and 57 per cent (201,000) were non-British citizens.
• For most of the last two decades, British citizens comprised between 50 and 60 per cent of long-term emigrants from the UK, but from 2008 this proportion dropped to its current level of 43 per cent. Initially this was due to a rise in non-British emigration (reflecting the preceding growth in migrant inflows), and subsequently due to a decline in numbers of British long-term emigrants (for reasons which will be discussed later in this report).
• In 2010 long-term emigration by British citizens (136,000) reached a lower level than at any other time in the last decade, having peaked at 207,000 in 2006.
I had no idea that the proportion of UK emigrants were non-UK citizens!!
I found this interesting from the report you linked to:
Around 43 per cent (149,000) of UK emigrants in 2011 were British citizens and 57 per cent (201,000) were non-British citizens.
• For most of the last two decades, British citizens comprised between 50 and 60 per cent of long-term emigrants from the UK, but from 2008 this proportion dropped to its current level of 43 per cent. Initially this was due to a rise in non-British emigration (reflecting the preceding growth in migrant inflows), and subsequently due to a decline in numbers of British long-term emigrants (for reasons which will be discussed later in this report).
• In 2010 long-term emigration by British citizens (136,000) reached a lower level than at any other time in the last decade, having peaked at 207,000 in 2006.
I had no idea that the proportion of UK emigrants were non-UK citizens!!
NJ
And this is a bit of a shocker too!!!
Where did those leaving the UK emigrate to in 2010?
The most recent complete year of LTIM estimates provides a snapshot of the key destinations (Table A3). Of the 339,000 long-term emigrants9 of all nationalities leaving the UK in 2010:
• 40 per cent (136,000) went to other countries in the European Union.
• four per cent (15,000) went to the remainder of Europe.
• 19 per cent (64,000) went to countries in the ‘Old Commonwealth’ (including 40,000 to Australia).
• 11 per cent (38,000) went to countries in the ‘New Commonwealth’ (including 21,000 to the Indian sub-continent).
• seven per cent (25,000) went to the United States of America.
I genuinely had no idea that so many emigrated to Europe!
And this is a bit of a shocker too!!!
Where did those leaving the UK emigrate to in 2010?
The most recent complete year of LTIM estimates provides a snapshot of the key destinations (Table A3). Of the 339,000 long-term emigrants9 of all nationalities leaving the UK in 2010:
• 40 per cent (136,000) went to other countries in the European Union.
• four per cent (15,000) went to the remainder of Europe.
• 19 per cent (64,000) went to countries in the ‘Old Commonwealth’ (including 40,000 to Australia).
• 11 per cent (38,000) went to countries in the ‘New Commonwealth’ (including 21,000 to the Indian sub-continent).
• seven per cent (25,000) went to the United States of America.
I genuinely had no idea that so many emigrated to Europe!
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This must have been a difficult one for the lefty Guardian, having to produce the frightening number of immigrants coming to this country in order to have a dig at the Tories for their failed immigrant controls.
This must have been a difficult one for the lefty Guardian, having to produce the frightening number of immigrants coming to this country in order to have a dig at the Tories for their failed immigrant controls.
Yes could not agree more.
I have some acquaintencies in Greece and was discussing this very issue with them last summer. The idea that schools should provide help to translate lessons into their native tongue (and that's what many "classroom assistants" do here) made them split their sides. Two or three years ago I was in Mallorca and my young neice, with whom I was holidaying, had to attend the local State hospital to have a minor injury attended to. The only sign I saw written in English said this:
"Most staff in this hospital do NOT speak English. If you require translation during your examination or to translate any paperwork you will need to bring an interpretor with you"
It then went on to supply a few phone numbers of local interpretors.
No other country that I know of provides, at taxpayers' expense, the plethora of translation and interpretation services that this country does. Some people may say it makes them feel proud. Well good luck to them. Me - it makes me feel foolish, angry and that I've been take for (yet another) ride.
I have some acquaintencies in Greece and was discussing this very issue with them last summer. The idea that schools should provide help to translate lessons into their native tongue (and that's what many "classroom assistants" do here) made them split their sides. Two or three years ago I was in Mallorca and my young neice, with whom I was holidaying, had to attend the local State hospital to have a minor injury attended to. The only sign I saw written in English said this:
"Most staff in this hospital do NOT speak English. If you require translation during your examination or to translate any paperwork you will need to bring an interpretor with you"
It then went on to supply a few phone numbers of local interpretors.
No other country that I know of provides, at taxpayers' expense, the plethora of translation and interpretation services that this country does. Some people may say it makes them feel proud. Well good luck to them. Me - it makes me feel foolish, angry and that I've been take for (yet another) ride.
The Greek economy slumped, sp, because:
(a) they were given too many euros for their drachmas (in fact, they should not have been given any at all)
(b) they were allowed to borrow huge amounts of euros that they had not a cat in hell's chance of repaying principally to buy German goods and services (In 2008 more Porche Cayennes were sold in Greece than in Germany)
(c) they were encouraged to convert their economy from essentially peasant farming with a bit of tourism to something they could not sustain
(d) they could not control their currency through the traditional remedies of interest rates and devaluation
(e) their debts continued to accumulate because of this
(f) they were asked to repay their debts
The UK's economy would have suffered a similar (though perhaps not so pronounced) fate had we joined the euro.
(a) they were given too many euros for their drachmas (in fact, they should not have been given any at all)
(b) they were allowed to borrow huge amounts of euros that they had not a cat in hell's chance of repaying principally to buy German goods and services (In 2008 more Porche Cayennes were sold in Greece than in Germany)
(c) they were encouraged to convert their economy from essentially peasant farming with a bit of tourism to something they could not sustain
(d) they could not control their currency through the traditional remedies of interest rates and devaluation
(e) their debts continued to accumulate because of this
(f) they were asked to repay their debts
The UK's economy would have suffered a similar (though perhaps not so pronounced) fate had we joined the euro.
Svejk
"try to develop a little empathy for those that are 'suffering'."
As the child of an immigrant family, I find it hard to empathise with those who are 'suffering'.
I know what my parents went through in order to ensure I had a decent education, and it's the fruits of my own hard work which have provided my 'cushty' lifestyle.
People need to stop looking around for others to blame their ill-fortunes on, get up, get trained and get the lives they want.
And to think I used to be a socialist!
"try to develop a little empathy for those that are 'suffering'."
As the child of an immigrant family, I find it hard to empathise with those who are 'suffering'.
I know what my parents went through in order to ensure I had a decent education, and it's the fruits of my own hard work which have provided my 'cushty' lifestyle.
People need to stop looking around for others to blame their ill-fortunes on, get up, get trained and get the lives they want.
And to think I used to be a socialist!
N.J. Your list is correct but incomplete, I think you can add;
(g) Tax evasion is endemic throughout the land and avoidance is the norm (with all their considerable Greek shipping fleet registered in Liberia etc.)
(h) There is no real manufacturing base - when did you last buy anything 'Made in Greece'? hence nothing to export, other than Feta cheese, raisins and their undrinkable Resina wine.
But they are on the whole, lovely people.
(g) Tax evasion is endemic throughout the land and avoidance is the norm (with all their considerable Greek shipping fleet registered in Liberia etc.)
(h) There is no real manufacturing base - when did you last buy anything 'Made in Greece'? hence nothing to export, other than Feta cheese, raisins and their undrinkable Resina wine.
But they are on the whole, lovely people.
sp, //As the child of an immigrant family, I find it hard to empathise with those who are 'suffering'.//
… which takes us back to the observation I made earlier. No matter what problems immigration causes, immigrants and the children of immigrants support it. You said //That is a very unfair characterisation, and doesn't really summarise my attitude.// - but clearly it does.
… which takes us back to the observation I made earlier. No matter what problems immigration causes, immigrants and the children of immigrants support it. You said //That is a very unfair characterisation, and doesn't really summarise my attitude.// - but clearly it does.
as to Greece, its a wonderful place to visit, which i have done many many times over the years, and have a number of Greek friends here - however anyone who thought that Greece should have been allowed anywhere near money from the public purse, not just in recent days, but allowed them to join the EU in the first place, needs more than their head examining. I have first hand experience, knowledge of what they do with their money, and it doesn't involve giving it to the tax man that's for sure.
their biggest industry after shipping, is tourism, and if the bottom ever fell out of that, it would be goodbye Greece.
their biggest industry after shipping, is tourism, and if the bottom ever fell out of that, it would be goodbye Greece.
