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Immigration
Immigration is a sensitive issue in many countries. In April 2011, the UK 
put in place an annual cap of 21,700 skilled workers allowed into the coun-
try from outside the European Economic Area in an attempt to reduce the 
number of immigrants by 2015. Immigration from within the EU remains 
open. According to the Office of National Statistics, net long- term migration 
to the UK in 2010 was 226,000. Such figures have been considered unsustain-
able, mainly because of increased pressure on the social services, housing, 
health and education facilities, and opportunities for employment.
Legal immigration consists of the movement of people between countries 
to acquire eventual citizenship as well as those seeking long- term permanent 
residence. Short- term visitors and tourists are not considered to be immi-
grants. Many people who wish to come to another country are essentially 
economic migrants seeking better employment opportunities and many 
will remit their wages back to their home country. The downside is that 
there can be an increased burden on the state, especially on welfare 
services, if immigrants are unable to obtain work. In times of recession,
large- scale immigration can cause resentment if immigrants compete for job 
vacancies.
Illegal immigration involves crossing international borders without the 
required documentation, passports or visas, thereby violating the immigra-
tion laws of the destination country. It often involves
people- trafficking 
and the over- staying of work or student visas in order to continue working 
in the host country. Illegal immigrants run the danger of experiencing racism 
and exploitation of their labour, including low wages, long hours and poor 
conditions. They tend to live in social isolation, often in ghettos, with no 
legal access to social welfare, and may turn to crime if excluded from oppor-
tunities to find work. Many illegal immigrants are trying to escape from 
poverty and unemployment in their home country, from political and social 
unrest and from the results of national disasters, as well as attempting to 
avoid criminal justice in their country of origin. The UK has set up the Border 
Control Agency to check for illegal immigration and to vet asylum seekers.
Despite the negative perception of immigration, there are many positive 
advantages. Immigration enriches the culture of the host nation and provides 
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Multiculturalism and Diversity 205
additional skills and labour, filling existing skills gaps and counterbalancing 
those countries with an ageing population. The resulting religious and 
cultural diversity also enriches society.
However, we need to realize that there is often opposition to immigration – 
mainly the fear of job losses and erosion of the host culture. We need to 
recognize that this is often expressed by people of the receiving culture 
as hostility towards ethnic minorities. Nevertheless, immigrants often 
wish to retain key aspects of their original culture, for example, religion, 
language and social customs. A British Asian explained this as follows: 
‘I am British, but I am also Asian. It is not a matter of forsaking one culture 
for another, but of having the space to express them both, individually 
or together. However Western my lifestyle may appear, I will always enter 
social situations thinking and feeling like an Asian.’