I was talking to a friend the other day and his words intrigued me. He asked me how I would like having an Albanian gangster living next door me. The truth is, I would not like it very much. Then again I would not like any gangster of any nationality living next door to me. Gangsters are not very nice people, particularly people traffickers. However, I’d say the chances of that are slimmer than getting hit by lightning, so I am not unduly worried.

My Business

My business is in recruitment. I operate in the mechanical and electrical sector, my partner, in civil engineering. In my of 25 years of recruiting staff at every level, I must have dealt with people from at least 20 different countries. It is like dealing with anyone else; they are just people. Looking back, I think I have only ever employed maybe half a dozen Albanians. I can’t remember anything remarkable about them but they certainly weren’t gangsters.

What I am saying is that a lot of what we are hearing is utter bullshit. It’s all about a government in crisis wanting to create a distraction. Immigration is an old favourite to put the shits up cowards and the politically ignorant. This crisis is one of the government’s making. It is a combination of ineptitude and constructed chaos to make the masses look away from a cost of living crisis that has only just started. The truth is, if the government were serious about immigration, this recent problem wouldn’t exist.

Overcrowding

The current overcrowding situation in detention centres could have easily been avoided with a functioning processing system. By having that in place it would be simple to push through genuine asylum seekers and send back those without a legitimate claim. We know that people from Afghanistan, for example, will clear the process, whilst those from, say, Albania, can be assessed more thoroughly for human rights abuses or criminal activity. It’s not about being a soft touch, it is about doing things in a reasonable and safe manner.

Then of course, there is the cutting off the head of snake. Many of these people are arriving after giving their life savings to gangsters who have sold them a dream of a better, more prosperous life. There is big money in people trafficking, so why not spend money and time stopping traffickers by installing a legal processing system. The majority of those crossing the channel are the victims, not nasty gangsters about to move into your neighbourhood. Process them properly and there is no work for the gangsters.

Cooperation

The overcrowding and the cost of hotels is also unnecessary. It can all be sorted with better processing and co-operation with our European neighbours, in particular France. France do take in far more refugees than the UK but those who have made it to Calais and Dunkirk are trying to get here due familiarity with either family, or the English language.

Suella Braverman knows this. However, she also knows that 25-30% of the electorate behave and vote on impulse and fear. She knows by using words such as ‘invasion’ she can shore up the majority of that 25-30%, even the ones who can’t pay their bills. Playing a tune to bar stool fascists is all the government has left. If these people dared look beyond their instant impulse, they might see this is one big con. A distraction from the reality of Brexit and all its financial damage.

A Question to Oneself

When it comes down to immigration, I always like to think how I would want to be treated if I was fleeing war and persecution. I would hope that people would be nice to me. If I had been desperate enough to get away from slaughter on a plastic boat, I would hope for a bit of decency whilst I rebuilt my life.

If humans fleeing persecution are treated well, the majority of them respond accordingly. They appreciate the gift of starting their lives again by working hard, adapting to their new surroundings and giving back to their new society. I have seen it first hand. For example, one of my clients is married to a leading London eye surgeon who fled the Balkans at 14 years old with just the clothes she was wearing.

Give humans a chance and they will respond. Treat them like the shit on your shoe and they will likely fall into crime, or become victims of organised prostitution and people trafficking. People don’t cross oceans on toy boats because its an easy option.

They do it because it is the last chance they have.