Nevertheless, according to the minister, many who wish to preach radical ideas and cause unrest still slip through the 'sieve' of immigration control. Jacqui Smith believes that everyone who applies for a British visa should realize: the right to live and work in the United Kingdom is a privilege that cannot be abused. Therefore, each entrant will first have to prove to the British authorities that their arrival will not cause tension in society.
The opposition greeted this initiative with distrust. Conservative Party MP Patrick Mercer fears that innocents may suffer: 'I think efforts should be focused on those who conduct underground subversive and propaganda work in communities; they are the ones who need to be identified and removed from the country on the basis of specific evidence. Placing an effective cordon at the border is unlikely to succeed.'
At the same time, the Conservatives are demanding that the government sharply reduce the current quotas for admitting foreign citizens. In their view, this need is explained by the fact that in the conditions of rising unemployment caused by the economic crisis, immigrants will take jobs away from British citizens.
However, Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips said that this is a mistaken approach: 'We should not talk about why immigrants get jobs in Britain, but why the local population is unable to compete with them. We need to seriously consider how to raise the education level of our young people, how to increase their interest in finding good jobs.'
For more than a century, Britain has been very welcoming to immigrants. In the mid-19th century, hundreds of thousands of Irish moved here; in the early 20th century, a large number of Jews from Eastern Europe fleeing pogroms. After World War II, the population of Albion was supplemented by people from former colonies – India, Pakistan, the Caribbean countries. The British also hospitably treated refugees who were politically persecuted in their homelands.
But by the beginning of the current decade, the number of guests began to cause concern. According to the National Statistics Office, from 1997 to 2006, the number of immigrants (excluding those coming from EU countries) reached about 2 million people. For a 60-million Britain, this is a significant figure. And although immigrants undoubtedly contributed to economic development, in some regions of the United Kingdom they noticeably increased the burden on social services: healthcare, education system, and the situation with free housing became more complicated. The concern of part of the population was supported by public organizations, political parties, and ultimately the government.
Now the number of those wishing to obtain the right to live and work in the UK has significantly decreased thanks to the points-based selection system – it allows only those who have the education, experience, and skills that the country needs.