Immigration and Repatriation: The British Nationalists’ Solution

Today the English Defence League is featured prominently in the news due to their actions in Woolwich last night. It got me thinking about many of these ‘far-right’ groups and their anti-immigrant policies, especially repatriation. (I acknowledge that EDL don’t profess these views publicly, instead they focus on cultural assimilation and anti-Islamic policies). It also made me think of the Falklands, ownership of which has received much attention again recently with its inhabitants voting overwhelmingly to remain under British rule and protection.

The old battle cry of the anti-immigration lobby is “go home”. This is reflected by the BNP, who states it wants “firm but voluntary incentives for immigrants and their descendants to return home”. Let’s examine that concept shall we.

The 2011 Census shows 7.5 million foreign-born residents in England and Wales (out of 58 million). This excludes Scotland and Northern Ireland and is only immigrants, not those descended from immigrants. So imagine if BNP succeeded in its goal and they all left?

What if other countries did the same? Imagine those across the world, who are descended from British immigrants to their countries, choosing to come ‘home’? Let’s take a guess at percentages in a few countries who would be eligible:

• USA: population 316m – assume 50% eligible making 158m.
• Canada: population 35m – assume 50% eligible making 17m.
• Australia: population 23m – assume 80% eligible making 18m
• New Zealand: population 4m – assume 76% eligible making 3m

So that’s 196 million people who would be eligible to come here if we followed the BNP’s ridiculous repatriation policy.

And while we’re considering this line of thought – what about the Falklands? Many in Argentina lay claim to the Falklands due to its brief ownership by their country over 200 years ago. They say that the UK is a colonial power who shouldn’t be there, it should stick to Europe where it belongs, not the south Atlantic.

OK then Argentina, let’s do a deal: you can have the Falklands if you go and live there; but you have to vacate Argentina. As 97% of Argentinians are of European ancestry, mainly descended from the Spanish-speaking conquistadors who took the land from the indigenous Amerindians, they should leave too. Either colonialism should be reversed, or not: but be consistent.