Note: this could have been a biggie (in terms of number of words) if I had elaborated upon my research and views. In order to keep it short, I include five appendices at the end, which one can check out to find out more, providing pertinent information and links to my writings and blogs, pre-empting questions readers might ask, e.g. “what do you mean by …” or “where’s your evidence for …”?

These days, I’m an old dodderer, with an assortment of ailments, but at least, so my wife tells me, I am still compos mentis. I have no desire to be politically active, although if asked – my preferred political party locally is Confelicity and nationally, Heritage. I see myself as neither right (although some say that I am) nor left but rather as one who wants to see right being done in my community / country. About my wife, she is Indian and I picked her up on my travels in India. About foreigners, I came across them on a big scale in my student days, and befriended many, and is something I have practiced ever since. About my church, which plays a big part in what I am up to these days – in the main it preaches the right message and practices what it preaches. Up to 50% of those actively involved are first generation immigrants from across the world. Many are into British values, more so than the average indigenous Brit. About my third career that began around the turn of the millennium, it was as a community worker / activist. My activism involved primarily the areas of mental health and homelessness. A third significant strand involved working with recently arrived immigrants, including asylum seekers, some of which I advocated on behalf of. About the “elephant in the room”, Muslims, seen by some / many on the “Far Right” as the biggest threat we face to our national welfare, I have had many positive dealings with many, ever since my student days and, more recently, members of my local mosques. About my dominant ideology, it is Christian of the Reformed / Charismatic variety. While I prefer to be called a “conspiracy factist”, I do think there is a global cult operating behind the scenes that unbeknown to many is pushing for an influx of foreigners to further their satanic agenda. Finally, I am a spiritual pragmatist. I work on a “watch and pray” and “test and weigh” basis.

Which brings me to why I am writing this and picking up on themes that I have long ago given a good deal of thought concerning and which has been an important part of both my community activism and political pontifications. I have a well-respected Christian minister friend who takes an active interest in and holds strong views on some of these areas on what to do, some of which differ significantly from my own. Our paths have crossed, when we had dealings in the past to do with immigration. He recently posted:

• Refugee Action accuses the government of “rolling out the red carpet for the far right”
• “sheer cruelty on display” and a “shameful capitulation to Reform’s agenda at the expense of the most vulnerable”
• Enough of this politics of hate. The issue is inequality throughout the country.

Regarding his third point, I asked him elaborate. He pointed to that morning’s news, which once again stigmatises people in need, and the Home Secretary’s statement and comments. I told him, I would look into the matter. This is what I have come up with. While not doing the deep dive that might be deemed desirable, or always clearly concluding, it does contain some pertinent thoughts.

As I wrote in the note at the beginning, rather than come up with a lot of words (including often repeating myself), I will provide a summary of my main thinking that has evolved, especially over these past 20 years. The following summarizes my thoughts.

1. Britain does have an immigration problem, including in the category once called “asylum seeking” now often under other names, including “sanctuary seeking”. A case for taking in genuine asylum seekers with little other recourse remains.
2. While the problem has been exploited by groups, labelled “Far Right”, many ordinary people without political agendas believe we have been let down by our politicians, Conservative and Labour, especially Labour under Tony Blair for opening the floodgates for immigration, that have led to the problems they correctly identify.
3. No party has adequately addressed the key consequences of mass immigration. Identifying those who point this out as “a problem” as “Far Right” will only lead to Civil War or an Orwellian State.  
4. We let in too many foreigners and especially some who won’t contribute to the life of the nation. Some of that is due to misguided foreign policy and a world that has gone crazy, where one of the outcomes has been a massive refugee problem.
5. Ironically, “Christian” refugees, who typically share British values, suffer worse. We tend NOT to let them in the UK while nearby Islamic nations refuse to take in Muslim refugees.
6. Even if taking in more foreigners is justified, the country’s infrastructure means the needs of indigenous nationals who are facing poverty are made worse, leading to widescale resentment especially when unlike those coming in, they have contributed.
7. As I found when I worked with asylum seekers, they were often treated abysmally by “the system”, and seeing the Home Secretary’s statement suggests that little has changed.
8. Most immigrants I come across are perfectly reasonable, usually coming to the UK for a better life for their family, and many have contributed well to the life of the country.
9. My own theological perspective, based on “love thy neighbour”, includes foreigners coming into the country. Also, said foreigners should be required to follow the ways and laws of the country as part of being allowed in. The UK has failed on both fronts!
10. Issues like that of Pakistani Muslim rape gangs in our cities have not been addressed, along with ensuring foreigners coming into the country respect its ways, often out of political correctness.
11. While most foreigners entering Britain do so legally, the issue of what to do about including preventing, those entering into the country illegally, has not been satisfactorily addressed.
12. Without national repentance, and with the nation turning back to the God of the Bible, I see that things will only get worse.

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 Past blogs

The following are some of my blogs where in the past I identify some of the issues concerning immigration and how these might be addressed (click on the links):

1. 31/01/15 Illegal immigration
2. 07/03/17 Immigration, Refugees and Globalism
3. 07/09/17 Why I have changed my mind on immigration
4. 13/10/17 Immigration and Islam
5. 12/06/18 Immigration, globalism and a “Christian” approach
6. 16/06/24 Is Immigration the Elephant in the Room?

Appendix 2 – New communities

Two research papers I produced, based on observations made in my own city, Southend-on-Sea, concerning recently arrived immigrants, while dated, remain relevant (click on the links):

1. Missing communities report
2. Faiths and Africa report

Appendix 3 – Foreigners coming into Britain since 1997

According to Meta AI:

Here’s a breakdown of the number of foreigners entering the UK since Tony Blair became prime minister in 1997:

– 1997-2001: During Blair’s first term, the UK saw an increase in immigration, with around 1.1 million people arriving between 1997 and 2001.

– 2001-2005: The number of immigrants rose to 1.3 million, with many coming from Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, after the EU expansion in 2004.

– 2005-2010: Immigration continued to rise, with around 1.5 million people arriving between 2005 and 2010, including many from India, Pakistan, and other non-EU countries.

– 2011-2015: The number of immigrants decreased slightly to around 1.2 million, due in part to stricter visa rules and economic factors.

– 2016-2020: Immigration increased again, with around 1.5 million people arriving, including many from the EU, particularly during the Brexit transition period.

– 2021-2022: The UK saw a significant increase in immigration, with around 1.3 million people arriving, including many from Ukraine and Afghanistan, due to global conflicts and crises.

As for the percentage of foreigners entering the UK legally, it’s estimated that:

– Around 60-70% of immigrants arrive with valid visas or as EU citizens (pre-Brexit).

– 20-30% arrive as asylum seekers or refugees.

– 5-10% enter the country without authorization or overstay their visas.

Please note that these figures are estimates and may vary depending on the source and methodology used.

Appendix 4 – Refugee Action

My friend, I referred to earlier, mentioned “Refugee Action”. I enquired with Meta AI to find out more, and this is what I was told (I should add, while I agree with some of their concerns, as already indicated, I find their use of the term “Far Right” unhelpful, e.g. accusing Reform UK as being a Far-Right group when often/sometimes they were merely expressing valid concerns):

Refugee Action’s “rolling out the red carpet for the far right” statement is a criticism of the UK government’s new asylum policies, implying they’re catering to far-right ideologies. The government plans to reduce protections for refugees, end automatic benefits for asylum seekers, and make it harder for people to stay in the UK long-term.

Key Changes:

– Reduced Refugee Status: Cutting the length of refugee status from 5 years to 30 months, with regular reviews

– Limited Benefits: Revoking the statutory duty to provide support, making housing and financial allowances discretionary

– Longer Waiting Period: Increasing the wait for indefinite leave to remain from 5 years to 20 years

– Stricter Family Reunions: Implementing strict requirements for family reunions

Critics argue these measures will harm vulnerable asylum seekers and play into the hands of far-right groups, like Reform UK, which has been gaining popularity. The government defends the changes as necessary to address irregular migration and “tear our country apart”.

Refugee Action is a UK-based charity that provides vital support to refugees and asylum seekers. Founded in 1981, their mission is to create a fairer asylum system where people seeking safety are treated with dignity and respect.

Their Work:

– Advice and Support: They offer guidance on the asylum process, accommodation, and financial support.

– Resettlement Services: Refugee Action helps refugees integrate into UK communities, providing housing, finance, and casework support.

– Campaigning: They advocate for policy changes to address systemic racism and promote racial justice in the asylum system.

– Training and Capacity Building: Refugee Action provides training and resources for organizations working with refugees and asylum seekers.

Key Initiatives:

– Let Refugees Learn: Campaigning for increased ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision for refugees.

– RAS Voice: A campaigning group of people with lived experience of the asylum system, advocating for change.

– Insight to Action: Providing research and insights to support organizations working with refugees and asylum seekers.

Appendix 5 – CAST

Part of my community activism has contributed to the setting up of groups to help address some of the issues around asylum seeking. This is what Meta AI has had to say about one such group: CAST.

CAST (Communities and Sanctuary-seekers Together) is a Southend-based community group that’s dedicated to ending destitution among asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants with no recourse to public funding (NRPF) in Southend. They’re all about bringing communities together to address isolation and loneliness through hosting and friendship projects, building relationships of trust, inter-dependency, respect, and solidarity.

Their Work:

– Support Services: Providing resources, advice, and accommodation to destitute and homeless asylum seekers

– Community Building: Fostering integration and community cohesion between sanctuary-seek Community action and advocacy to promote fairer representations and challenge systemic barriers

– Empowerment: Empowering asylum seekers and refugees to take control of their lives and rebuild their communities