Sancho

I wondered how members felt about this -

"Immigrants must not lead 'parallel lives'"

For myself, so long as I don't break the law I don't see why I shouldn't live how the hell I like.

Pollyana

Why should people be forced to get involved with their community!
Some of us are naturally loners, we go to work, we may have a few friends with who, we socialise, but we are more than happy to spend time alone. The last thing I would want to do is 'get involved with my community' -it is made up of nosiy Aussies who all own large dogs that bark constantly, the guys gather in front gardens and yell a lot when there is rugby on TV and the women spend their time herding choldren from car to house to activity to car to house. I have nothing in common with any of them and the thought of intergrating with them makes me shudder!!
As you say as long as immigrants live within the law, let them get on with their own lives, We aren't all party animals!

Geordieborn

I'm sure he knows what he is talking about and has experience to back it up! Perhaps the use of "force" may be a little OTT. Then again there seems to be a lot of it going around in the world today - what an interesting place.

Pulaski

I agree with Sancho about actual immigrants, but the problem comes with immigrants who become parents, and whose children are not integrated into the only country they know as home. It is those individuals, who are neither natives not immigrants, who have become a problem, dissociated from the society in which they live, never able to become productive members of society, and therefore highly susceptible to become, at best, disillusioned, and at worst "radicalized".

modicasa

True, which is why allowing social structures, schools, youth clubs etc to be non integrated is a terrible idea - take note Tony Blair.... You break down barriers by integration, you only have to look at the problems of northern Ireland to see that when there are no walls, the 'problems' become unimportant.

GeorgeYoung

Personally, I don't see the point in moving abroad and not trying to become part of the local society. I would hate to live in an expat ghetto, like my in-laws in Cyprus.

But that's just my personal preference. So long as you are prepared to pay your taxes where you live, I don't see what it has to do with the state.

Pulaski

Exactly! I don't move in "expat circles", am not a member of any expat clubs, don't shop at expat shops, very rarely buy "comfort groceries", and rarely ever meet anyone who is British. In fact I can only think of one face-to-face conversation I have had with a British citizen this year.

I might think differently if my wife was British, but I doubt it.

jonwel

That fits me too, more or less. But I think it's different for people who arrive en masse from a country with a very different culture. People tend to huddle together, especially if they're in large numbers, and build self-sufficient communities. At that point integration becomes difficult, especially for new immigrants, but also their children are less inclined to integrate. You might say, "So what?", but the trouble arises in times of economic difficulty, when they bear the brunt of unemployment etc. etc. I think it's positive if they are able to integrate, not necessarily in "cultural activities" (how many nationals engage in cultural activities?) but in personal relationships, friendships at work etc.
This, however, requires efforts from people who are really interested in helping them to integrate and not in making political capital by criticising them.

Margaret M

Of course it is much easier to integrate if you move to a country that speaks your language to start with.

modicasa

Why should a different country speak your language?

Margaret M

I'm not saying they should, I'm just saying is is probably easier to integrate if they do.