Immigration

Last night I went to see the Gilbert and Sullivan production of HMS Pinafore. It was very good and I smiled particularly at the song For he is an Englishman because we've joked that when one of our friends becomes a British citizen we should all stand outside the office where it gets finalised and break into a rousing chorus of the song (possibly waving little union flags and pouring celebratory tea). It made me realise that I have a different gut reaction to the thought of immigrants than most people. When I think of people becoming British citizens I think it's Wonderful. I love my country with a similar sort of not entirely logical passion to the way I love Cambridge and my college. I think it's great when other people vote with their feet to join us in this rag-tag bag of a country. Also, all of the immigrants I've met have struck me as a boon to the country.

I wish other people felt like me. I'm very disappointed to hear that the Home Office is reducing the number of student visas. The government has just slashed funding for higher education and now it's increasing the barriers to recruitment of universities' most profitable students. I know that what they're cracking down on are the sort of low level courses which a lot of people enrol in just for the visa, but, if you don't mind my English, who gives a fuck? I know people who've enrolled in courses just to get visas and I don't think that the world would be a better place if they'd been swiftly evicted from whichever country they were trying to secure residence in. I think the world would be a better place if they'd been able to obtain visas and work permits without the bureaucracy of having to pretend to be a student. I also know quite a few people whose lives have been made absolutely miserable by not being able to obtain visas or work permits, despite being upstanding useful people to about the place. I also know people who've had to jump through ridiculous hoops, at great expense to the public purse as well as themselves. That's ignoring the more serious cases of people being murdered or tortured or left permanently traumatised because sending refugees back to countries where they'll be killed has become a vote winner.

I love my country, so I love hearing about people coming to share it with me. I just wish more people would adopt my attitude rather than acting like Gollums who don't want to share their 'precious' with anyone else.