- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Admin Super
IS Britain a country that welcomes immigrants? The current political rhetoric around migration might make you question the nation’s hospitality. And there are real consequences to that tough talk.
A recent study by Nottingham University found that many foreign-born NHS employees had experienced increased racism since the Brexit referendum.
Fortunately, there are good reasons to believe that a better version of Britain will prevail, thanks to the enduring humanity of ordinary people.
Immigrant views
Remitly – the online money transfer service – asked a thousand of its immigrant customers in the UK and US to recall the warmest welcome they received when arriving in their new homeland. Participants were asked to identify the individuals and organisations that first helped them settle in.
Indians and Filipinos, two of Remitly’s largest customer groups, provided some of the most interesting responses – seeming to favour their place of work over their place of worship.
Both nationalities said the organisation that made them feel most welcome in the UK was work-based, such as a trade union, or staff club (Indians 28%, Filipinos 24%).
Religious institutions, such as churches, temples and mosques ranked second (Indians 19%, Filipinos 18%). Over in the US, Indians were also most impressed by the workplace welcome (37%), while Filipinos narrowly favoured their faith community (23%).
Perhaps most surprising, when asked about the individuals that first welcomed them, Indian respondents in the US rated co-workers (35%) above even their friends (24%) and family members (14%). Indians in the UK ranked family members (41%) as top ‘individual’ welcomers, followed by friends already living here (27%).
Deep roots
In seeking to explain Indian and Filipinos’ responses, we are reminded of both the deep roots of immigration, and its continuing necessity. A wave migration in the decades following the 1948 British Nationality Act ensured that there are now many extended Indian families in the UK, ready to welcome new arrivals.
Yet today, most Indian immigration is through employer-sponsored visas and inter-company transfers. Indians receive a third of all UK work visas. In the US, three-quarters of H1-B skilled visas go to Indians.
Essential jobs
For both nationalities, it is common to be targeted overseas by foreign recruiters. Healthcare is just one of the professions that finds employees this way.
Indians and Filipinos are the two largest foreign-born groups in the NHS, totalling 40,000 staff.
Little wonder that many people from these countries feel most welcomed in the workplace. Their employer is literally coming to their home and asking them to move to Britain.
That is not a reason to doubt the sincerity of the workplace welcome, but a reminder that making immigrants feel they belong here is about more than just good manners (as essential as that is). It benefits our collective culture, economy, wealth and health. Maybe we should put that on the side of a bus.
