Tuesday 6 October 2009

Migration myths dispelled in UNDP report

Our media has an anti immigrant agenda, capitalised on by UKIP/BNP. I always thought it was quite against the tolerant traditions of this country, where so many waves of immigrants have settled here over so many years. Like many people in England, my ancestors are immigrants. Actually if you go back far enough everyone had to immigrate here.

The report from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) found that most migrants do not move from developing to developed countries, and when they do, rather than hurting host economies, they benefit them.

The UNDP's Human Development Report 2009, launched globally on 5 October in Bangkok, dispels several myths about migration, instead underlining the economic and social benefits for countries.

"Mobility can bring large gains in development," Jeni Klugman, director of the report said. "It's presently very much constrained by a whole range of barriers, and reform [of] these barriers could allow much greater potential to be released."

The annual report calls for several migration reforms, including for states to ensure basic rights for migrants, and the mainstreaming of migration into national development plans.


irinnews

9 comments:

howard thomas said...

"We need a national economy that works within environmental limits-including a stable population"-----taken from the Green party policy on population.
Please note the stable population bit Adrian---how is the population going to remain stable if the immigration door remains wide open? I could have quoted many other sections from the same page that run contrary to your way of thinking.England , as you are well aware , is the most densely populated country in Europe.
Which parts of the countryside do you propose to concrete over to accommodate the 9 million rise in population that will happen in the next 20 years if we carry on as we are?
I might add that this is not 'blaming' the immigrant, simply pointing out that we do not have the room to house another 9 million people in the next 20 years!

Adrian Windisch said...

You often make these claims about how overcrowded we are, you wern't correct before, you aren't now.

http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/mfss/mfsspp.html to read our policy. PP110 and 111 are relevant.

PP110 The Green Party believes that it will be socially and environmentally beneficial for a decrease in resource consumption to be brought about by a range of policies. These policies will reduce overall resource use, maximise the use of technologies based on renewable energy, adopt a sustainable approach to economic development, design, planning and infrastructure, and will promote socially and environmentally sustainable population levels.

PP111 The Green Party has a liberal migration policy and wants greater global justice and equality, so people who migrate can do so on the basis of choice, not economic hardship. Where migration patterns increase or decrease population levels it is essential that social, economic and environmental pressures are mitigated in such a way which fully respects the rights of migrants and existing local populations.

In the economic boom of the last few years, many people came here to work. With growing unemployment thats going to change, it always takes time for statistics to catch up. I expect the updated ones will show a decline, a 20 year projection of that would be as silly in the other direction.

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99-111.pdf
is interesting .

New homes are built as modern trends towards fewer people in a house. Immigrants would share, so don't blame them, blame Brown.

No need to concrete over anything, use those empty buildings, we have plenty of them, including office blocks that can be converted.

The door has never been wide open, you shouldn't believe everything you read.

howard thomas said...

Adrian---when I say in my post that I do not blame the immigrant that kind of means that I DO NOT BLAME THE IMMIGRANT. I'm not quite sure what is difficult to understand about that!!!
I don't blame the immigrant for wanting to move to a place that suits their desire for a better life , whether that life involves working/claiming benefits or leading a life of crime!
No , I don't blame the immigrant ,I blame our government GB and TB obviously.
I can't help wondering where you are going to find enough empty office blocks to accomodate those 9 million which virtually all studies show that our population will grow by in the next 20 years!
What would you do ,Adrian, with the 300,000 to 400,000 failed assylum seekers who remain here with no legal status.
And what about the completely unknown number of illegals,or would you like to tell us that this doesn't matter.
Take off the blinkers and see the situation as it is.

Adrian Windisch said...

If you make an estimate during the time when the economy was growing and more people were migrating here, then yes it will result in a large prediction. But to ignore that when circumstances have changed and persist with the previous prediction is not sensible.

You could use a prediction from 10 years ago to suggest that the video industry is booming, if you want to.

You claim I said you were blaming migrants, where did I say that? The BNP/UKIP and you use that sort of language, but you a more careful than to state it plainly. You imply that all migrants are criminals or spongers, perhaps you should read my original post.

howard thomas said...

"so don't blame them ,blame Brown"-----thats where you said it----just up the page a bit!!!

"you imply that all migrants are criminals or spongers"-----Are you refering to the bit where I said "whether that life involves working/claiming benefits or leading a life of crime"
That word 'working' is the bit that does it, so no I didn't say that all migrants are criminals or spongers----that is your interpration of what I said to suit yourself and you are wrong to do that!
I state quite plainly what the truth is----it is you that is trying to turn that around to make it seem that I have said sonmething which I have not.
Most immigrants come here to work and better their lives, but there are a not insignificant number who come here purely to milk our benefit system, or continue their criminal careers here. This statement is true---your blinkers may not allow you to see that---you should open your eyes and see what is there to be seen.

Adrian Windisch said...

You often use words like those to describe immigrants, its quite ironic that you did it here, in a pot about immigration myths.

It gives the impression that you think all immigrants are spongers, despite the occasional denial.

howard thomas said...

Adrian----You really do seek to twist what I say to suit your own belief that anyone who thinks that immigration levels are far too high is some some sort of a nazi (a word you have used before to describe UKIP.)

I know that most immigrants to the UK come here to work and better their lives by doing so.
However a not insignificant number come here to abuse our generous benefits system.
Furthermore a number also come here to further their criminal careers in a country where the prison sentences are short , and the prisons comfortable compared to home. That too is bettering their lives.
You can deny this if you wish, but I don't just believe all that I read in the press------however I do believe what I see around me!

For you to state that I believe all immigrants are spongers is quite simply untrue and unfounded.

The reader of these comments will spot that!

Adrian Windisch said...

I twisted nothing, you used words that describe immigrants repeatedly. Try substituting some other group and see how it seems, eg teenagers 'working/claiming benefits or leading a life of crime'. Of course some people will be criminals in any group, I suspect in similar proportions. By repeatedly emphasising that you equate migrants with criminals you misrepresent them.

You will find my comments on UKIP were quoting ex spokesman of that organisation. You may not like what he says, but you cant sweep it under the carpet.

You have repeatedly sought to distort what I have said, readers will see that. I wonder if you have even read the post, your comments seem to just repeat regardless of what I say.

There is little point continuing this, any further distortions from you and I shall have to delete them.

howard thomas said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.