When it rains it pours: another Brit calls for immigration reductions

It really does seem like a herd phenomenon, but a herd phenomenon that for once I’m happy to see. The British Islam critics are speaking up on immigration controls for the first time. On June 17 columnist Minette Marrin in the London Times called for ending all immigration from non-European countries. True, under her plan Muslims in Europe as well as Muslim asylum applicants from Muslim countries could continue to enter Britain. Nevertheless, to propose the end of all regular immigration from outside Europe is a radical position in today’s world. On July 2, columnist Leo McKinstry in the Daily Express called for “cracking down on immigration”—rather vague, but still he mentioned the “I” word, which to my knowledge he had never done before. And now in the July 3 Sunday Mail Peter Hitchens, who has protested powerfully the Islamization of Britain, while, to my knowledge, only dealing with immigration indirectly, writes:

If people in Britain really fear the increase of Islamic influence over our society, then they should be much more concerned about reversing the multiculturalism that has encouraged and enabled Islam to extend its influence here. They should be much more concerned about the mass immigration that is establishing Islam here as a significant force. Yet many of the neo-conservatives who rail against Islam are keen supporters of open borders and mass immigration….

The scary language about ‘far-right’, ‘xenophobic’ and ‘nationalist’ is just the jargon that Labour Party people like Mr Kellner use to describe those who want to leave the European Union, those who don’t want mass immigration and those who think that criminals should be punished. As for things turning nasty, I think myself that this would be far more likely as long as there continues to be no mainstream party to speak for the people of Britain on such issues.

For Hitchens to say he wants an end of mass immigration is very significant. Mass immigration means that entire classes of persons, such as the citizenry of entire countries, can immigrate. However we define mass immigration, an end of mass immigration would mean a drastic reduction in the number of immigrants Britain receives each year. To reassert such control over its immigrant intake, Britain would probably have to leave the European Union, which of course it must do anyway if it wants to survive as a sovereign country.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 03, 2007 04:58 PM | Send