5th April, 2004
NRI Press
Neena Gill MEP

I have watched with growing trepidation the debate unfold over immigration implications of the pending enlargement. "Benefit tourists", "4m heading from east", It is not just the tabloids who have had a field day but also some of the broadsheets.

As an MEP for the last four and a half years, I have become accustomed to dealing with distortion and exaggeration by the media when it is anything to do with Europe. However, what has really horrified me is how our press has gone on the frenzied rampage in reporting the issue.

All the so-called facts are without evidence. OK so a couple of journalists did go and interview some of the most down trodden and marginalised groups in eastern Europe, the Roma, and asked them would you like to go to the land of milk and honey where the streets are paved with gold? 'Surprise, surprise' they said yes they would buy the 'bus ticket' if they could afford it. Extremely scientific, let's not propagate the myth that it is easy to come into the UK, it isn't!

Some newspapers are calling for an honest debate on immigration. Good, let's have one. However the facts need to be crystal clear. I am first generation immigrant, albeit I didn't make the decision, my parents did and they were economic migrants in the 60's but in those days it was not quite the term of abuse as it appears to be becoming today. We were welcomed at least by the government, not exactly with open arms by everyone else, but tolerated at least.

The life of a new immigrant is hardly a bed of roses. I remember within a few weeks of arriving in the UK my mother started to work in a factory and continued to do so for the next thirty years. She worked double shifts, night shifts, whatever she was asked to do. She had a reason to do so. That was to give her children a better future.

I for my part have worked since the age of sixteen initially weekends and holidays and since graduation continuously (except 6 months maternity leave). I know I am not an exception, this is typical of the majority of migrants, and the facts prove that we put in more than we take out, just under 5 of the population are recent immigrants, they make up approximately 8% of the workforce and contribute 10% of the GDP. I think a pretty good deal for the host community.

Most migrants do not uproot themselves, leave their families and friends behind and experience the tremendous upheaval both socially and emotionally only to come and live on benefits." Living on the margins of society" is not exactly the immigrant dream! Does anyone really believe that people hide in containers or in the undercarriage of an airliner, risk life and limb and leave their home to claim social security in the UK? Only a fortnight ago we were lamenting the tragic death of 24 cockle pickers. They were working in poor conditions and for wages that none of us would have accepted. They could have made more on benefits! Would you leave your home for this? Most people prefer to stay where they are.

Therefore, I am for an open and honest debate about immigration but Michael Howard (another child of migrants) thinks that we have to deal with migration as a challenge to the BNP, which is dangerous and totally misguided. Causing hysteria throughout the country will not prevent a rise in racism or the far right, it only fuels it and gives it credence. I have no problem with a calm and debate about integration and how to readdress problems experience where communities have been polarised.

Where there are problems with integration, let's find the answers, but I don't think there are any blanket solutions. The arguments about protecting ourselves from the BNP are dehumanising potential new citizens and depriving them of basic respect and dignity.

Only by co-operating closely at the European level can the evil trade in drugs, prostitution and pornography can be tackled. Enlargement will make this effort more effective. Already, we have signed a pre-agreement pact to tackle organised crime with the applicant countries. The EU will ensure that police forces cooperate right across the continent.

The fears of mass migration as a result of enlargement I believe to be totally unfounded. There is no substantial evidence to back the perception that there will be a 'free for all', we do already have mechanisms in place that prevent this. Furthermore, the facts speak for themselves, firstly, there is very little migration within the European Union.

Currently only 2% of the EU's population cross borders. Secondly there is an inherent contradiction in the scare stories that argue that on one hand all our jobs are going over there and on the other hand all the people are coming over here. Surely, both of these can't be right, the two movements cannot happen at the same time.

Finally, what is more likely to happen is that to bridge our skills gap we will cherry pick, and pinch the brightest, best and most dynamic citizens from over there to contribute to our economic prosperity.

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Neena Gill was the first and still is the only British Asian MEP in the European Parliament