What are the consequences of Britain leaving the bloc or
Brexit? Why does this affect immigrants in Britain? How do immigrants
contribute to the force labor in Britain?
Immigrants, mostly from
Eastern Europe, are traveling to Britain for job opportunities. In Boston,
England, the workers are dressed like prisoners in orange clothing, pick up
kale, work a long day and afterwards return to camp that is surrounded by
barbed wire and security fences, are paid the minimum wage, and are required to
have their fingerprints scanned before entering the farm. Their employer is
Staples Vegetables, which supplies supermarkets in Britain and Europe.Immigrants from Eastern Europe are allowed to travel to Britain because
Britain is a part of the European Union (EU). These immigrants are legally in
Britain because of the European Union’s principle of freedom movement and
labor. This issue is important because on June 23rd of this year,
the country decide to stay in the EU. Many
foreigners are going to Britain because Britain has a generous welfare system,
which “attracts” migration. On the one side of the debate, is Prime Minister
David Cameron, who is listening to the concerns of the Britons by trying to put
restriction on benefits that workers from other EU countries can claim in
Britain. On the contrary, George Osborne, the chancellor of Exchequer, wants to
increase the minimum wage, which would increase migration to Britain. Some
people are upset that these foreigners are taking over by taking jobs and
receiving the social welfare benefits, while the foreigners are afraid that they
will have to return home and leave behind the life they constructed in Britain.
In the
beginning, I was a supporter of Britain leaving the bloc or Brexit. However, my
opinion has changed after reading this article. These immigrants are working in
horrible conditions and are being treated like prisoners. Additionally, these
immigrants receive minimum wage for this hard labor. In the agriculture
business, its tough. You have to deal with a lot of things, but the most
important one is that its hard labor, imagine how your back feels at the end of
a day picking produce? These workers are receiving housing, but its in a camp
with barbed wires and security fences. Why so much security? They are not
prisoners, they are workers. When I read that a native Briton complained that
there were to many immigrants and wanted his town to go back to the way it was;
I was disgusted. It reminded me of all the people that are in support of Trump and
his big wall idea. These immigrants are not doing any harm. They are working
for cheap labor so that people in Britain and the EU can have cheap produce.
Additionally, these immigrants are spending their money in Britain since they live
there. I was saddened to hear a story of an immigrant who had a taxi company,
but since he is a foreigner, he does not know if he has to leave his company
behind if Britain decides to leave the EU. Some Britons sound like they are
afraid of outsiders. Its ridiculous. I could maybe understand in the
economically sense that the immigrants are benefiting from the welfare system.
However, these immigrants are going for jobs as well. There are also lazy
Britons living off of the generous welfare system. Most immigrants move to
places because they want a better life and to find a job because maybe they
have to send money back home. I am appalled to see how all these developed
countries like the US and Britain be so cold? It’s the humanitarian thing to
help the people in need. If Britain wants to stop migration, it needs to help
the less-developed nations. I am very curious to know the outcome of the June
23 referendum.
