Immigration and the politics of fear, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• Donald Trump criticized European leaders at the UN General Assembly for their open border policies.
• Tommy Robinson led a 1,50,000-strong anti-immigration rally in the UK.
• Reform UK proposed scrapping Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for migrants.
• Shabana Mahmood introduced stricter requirements for permanent settlement in the UK.

Detailed Insights:

• The focus of immigration debates has shifted from illegal immigration to denouncing legal migration and raising nativist concerns.
• Reform UK's policy proposal to scrap ILR aims to replace it with a five-year visa requiring higher income and language proficiency.
• The new requirements for permanent settlement in the UK include a 10-year qualifying period, high English proficiency, and proof of societal contribution.
• Concerns are rising that the UK may move towards creating two tiers of residents, with legal migrants facing precarious conditions.
• The article draws parallels between anti-immigrant rhetoric in the US and the UK, highlighting the dangers of nativism.
• Ernest Renan's view of a nation emphasizes shared memories and the desire to live together, which is being undermined by current immigration debates.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nativism: The political policy of promoting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants.
• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR): An immigration status in the UK that allows a person to live and work in the UK without any time restrictions.
• Infiltrators: A term used to describe people crossing borders, often with negative connotations.