Blair tells immigrants to assimilate or stay home

JaJae · 12-09-2006, 03:56 PM

Blair tells immigrants to integrate or stay away
By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent
Published: 09 December 2006

Tony Blair has told immigrants they have a "duty to integrate" and said immigrants should stay away unless they are prepared to accept Britain's traditional tolerance of other faiths.

Independent Online Edition > UK Politics

Conform to our society, says PM

Prime Minister Tony Blair
Mr Blair urged the public to embrace multiculturalism

Speech in full
People entering the UK must be prepared to be tolerant or not become part of society, Tony Blair has said.

In a speech at Downing Street, the prime minister said that tolerance was "what makes Britain" and warned "we must be ready to defend this attitude".

The threat came not from "generalised extremism" but "a new and virulent form of ideology associated with a minority of our Muslim community".

The Muslim Association of Britain said Mr Blair's speech was "alarming".

Wars 'not helping'

A spokesman said the prime minister should be "investing in our society" to help the deprived, rather than investing "millions and billions in illegal occupations" which had "not helped to promote multiculturalism in this country".

If you come here lawfully, we welcome you. If you are permitted to stay here permanently, you become an equal member of our community and become one of us
Tony Blair

"Rather than standing up and lecturing us, it's time he puts his money where his mouth is," the spokesman said.

Mr Blair also used the speech to reiterate a crackdown on funding for religious and racial groups, saying in the future they would have to prove they aimed to promote community integration. This measure was recently announced by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly.

Conservative community cohesion spokesman Dominic Grieve said the speech was a "remarkable turnaround".

"Many of the problems in relation to the issues he addresses are at least in part the consequence of a philosophy of divisive multiculturalism and political correctness that has been actively promoted by the Labour Party over many years at both national and local government levels."

Funding crackdown

Liberal Democrat communities spokesman Andrew Stunell said: "We must ensure that the voices of moderation have their say, but support for organisations must not be distorted by government-driven targets or Tony Blair's personal agenda."

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He said: "The right to be in a multicultural society was always implicitly balanced by a duty to integrate, to be part of Britain, to be British and Asian, British and black, British and white."

Mr Blair said "multicultural Britain" should not be dispensed with, adding: "On the contrary, we should continue celebrating it,"

But he said the suicide bombings in London on 7 July last year had thrown the whole concept of a multiculturalism "into sharp relief", the prime minister said.

"The reason we are having this debate is not generalised extremism. It is a new and virulent form of ideology associated with a minority of our Muslim community.

"It is not a problem with Britons of Hindu, Afro-Caribbean, Chinese or Polish origin. Nor is it a problem with the majoirty of the Muslim community."

'Essential values'

But he said there was a "problem with a minority of that community, particularly originating from certain countries".

The failure of that part of the community to integrate did not mean multiculturalism was dead, said Mr Blair, but it would be useful to define "common values" all citizens were "expected to conform to".

"When it comes to our essential values - belief in democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, equal treatment for all, respect for this country and its shared heritage - then that is where we come together, it is what we hold in common."

Mr Blair also said: "If you come here lawfully, we welcome you. If you are permitted to stay here permanently, you become an equal member of our community and become one of us.

"The right to be different, the duty to integrate: that is what being British means.

"And neither racists nor extremists should be allowed to destroy it."

Race equality

Mr Blair said the Equal Opportunities Commission would be looking at concerns about women's status inside Muslim communities. It will report in the spring.

He also praised Tory leader David Cameron, saying it was "not conceivable in my view" that he would seek to exploit immigration to win votes.

Labour MP Keith Vaz MP has criticised the newly formed Commission for Equality and Human Rights for taking just one of its nine commissioners from a background in working for race equality.

Only chairman Trevor Phillips had this experience, he added.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Conform to our society, says PM

I think it's nice to see Europe finally standing up to their immigration problems. I think a lot of this is related to much of what I said in this thread:
The effects of Islam on Pakistan and the world

Immigrants need to realize that they are immigrating to a new culture and a society. They should not expect the society they immigrate to to conform to their cultural needs. They choose to take themselves out of their culture and into another culture. They need to learn to deal with that and stop expecting everyone else to conform to their desires. As a while English speaking male I don't expect to go to Mexico and suddenly have their government run everything off in English for me. Just the same, I don't expect to go to Iran and follow my American culture without certain hiccups. People leaving their home countries (especially if they enter a new country illegally) need to expect certain culture conflicts and it's their job to work them out, not mine. I like to think I'm a fairly nice guy. If you come here legally and need some help, I wouldn't mind going out of my way or putting some tax dollars into helping you out. But once you come over here and start demanding things I get turned off and suddenly am not willing to help you. It is not my obligation to conform to your needs. And if you come to a nation illegally, you're lucky to not be in jail, so keep your mouth shut. Anything you complain about means nothing to me.

Diamond Cross · 12-09-2006, 05:26 PM

When I was in Germany I pretty much kept my opinion s to myself and didn't act rude unless it was by accident more than by design. in doing so
I earned a measure of respect because by brother's Mother in law kept slapping me on the butt from time to time.

Plus she was was having a hard time with one of the other American guests there who was just plain old rude. When we went to eat at a restaurant in Czech he pissed all over the floor because he was angry at them for charging a paltry .50 euro (actually pronounce oiro where I was) for using the bathroom.

They also used a lot of coins. I still have about fifty euros in one and two euro coins left over.

But I made a splash. One of the girls there started joking around that I was her boyfriend. It was a joke because she was already married.

RMNIXON · 12-09-2006, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Diamond Cross

But I made a splash. One of the girls there started joking around that I was her boyfriend. It was a joke because she was already married.

Yeah, I get it. But you were in Europe!

RMNIXON · 12-09-2006, 05:30 PM

I never thought I would praise the British Labour Party! But this guy has the biggest balls since Maggy Thatcher!

motivez · 12-09-2006, 06:31 PM

Sounds like he has the right idea, but IMO it's unrealistic to expect first (and sometimes second) generation immigrants to ever fully integrate.

While they should make every effort to do so for obvious reasons -- why would you want to feel like an 'outcast' or that you don't belong in a nation you're a citizen of? -- it is often unrealistic.

I think all immigrants should bring with them the level of tolerance and acceptance that's standard for that nation though, regardless of what generation they are.

6SpeedTA95 · 12-11-2006, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Sounds like he has the right idea, but IMO it's unrealistic to expect first (and sometimes second) generation immigrants to ever fully integrate.

While they should make every effort to do so for obvious reasons -- why would you want to feel like an 'outcast' or that you don't belong in a nation you're a citizen of? -- it is often unrealistic.

I think all immigrants should bring with them the level of tolerance and acceptance that's standard for that nation though, regardless of what generation they are.

I think you have a good point, the problem is that many do not even attempt to assimilate to their european cultures.

Blair is exactly right you need to try to assimilate or go back home. A good friend of mine is from India, he came over here in the 3rd grade(I think). His parents are very well integrated into our society and his brother and himself are 100% assimilated IMO. They have different perspectives and POV's on some issues but thats to be expected and thats what makes this country great. Fact is they tried to assimilate and were hugely successful.

It's good to see someone with the balls to say whats necessary and the UK is losing a good leader in Blair