UncleKev

I think the general opinions seems to be that there are some half-wits in all societies that are racists, and it is pretty fruitless trying to compare two relatively tolerant societies like the UK and Australia to see which is worse.

I am truly amazed by the poster who talks about Aussies in London using the word "paki" as an insult. I worked in London for years alongside loads of Aussie, Kiwi, South African expats. Never once heard an Aussie used the "P" word in the form of an insult. Astounding stuff.

Its a shame that it is still possible to roll out the old faithfull sterotypes like "White Australia Policy" like the OP did, and then stand back to watch the reaction.

I think that the litmus test for both Britain and Australia is that if they were truely racist countries, why would so many immigrants be streaming into both countries. Real racist countries are those like China where they try to ban people from speaking there own language, or Africa where you can get hacked to death for being in the wrong tribe.

But having said that we are not immune from racism.

Here is an example of some of the abuse that I had to endure when I first set foot in Norwich as a naive expat IT conrtactor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhItu9MT0MU

Dorothy

You're right again, GG. I was exceedingly fortunate that my parents instilled in me and my siblings an attitude not only of tolerance (a term I hate - who really wants to be "tolerated"?) but of acceptance.

Bibbs

I grew up in Perth, out in the sticks (Armadale as it was then). From the age of 4 to about 12.

I'd seen extreme racisim from the "older" generation. Grandfathers who refused to by eggs from "dings" or would call me a "turk" if I misbehaved.

But the other side were the "spade a spade". People who'd use the term "paki" in the same way as "aussie" or "pom". As an abbreviation of where the person was from.

You'll get all sorts everywhere. But I've personally found the UK worse.

BristolBeary

I can second that. Working as an IT contractor with 6 aussies I always remember the Aussie female I sat next to (mainly because she was really fit)

I was going through the visa process then and we'd talk loads about Australia and other things in general. Many occasions she used the word "Paki" but never in a racist way - it was not offensive to her, I had to correct her on loads of words that were deemed racist in Britain and that I said you better not use here.

Looking at it I think I've mistaken racist comments here in Perth when its simple just the difference in culture (as in whats a racist word in Britain isn't in Australia) and sometimes we cant make that adjustment.

Gazzap

What are the opinions on this:
I see many people mention, in reasons to emigrate- "Too many immigrants in UK now", quite funny as they themselves want to become immigrants....
It has always troubled me a little that these kind of people want to, and do emigrate to Oz.
Although I do suspect a lot of them think Australia is "UK with more sun" and end up going back when they are disappointed

BAY

I don't think its funny . The problem I suspect that most people have with immigration in the UK is that it is uncontrolled. In Australia it is controlled and people who emigrate to Australia are invited to do so and have to meet strict criteria.

Dorothy

I think you'll find that immigration to the UK is also controlled with strict criteria. My husband and I first looked at emigrating to UK but didn't meet the criteria so looked at Australia instead. You should take a look at the Home Office website to see what the requirements actually are before making these statements.

BAY

I stand by what I said . It is uncontrolled. Anyone who has recently lived in the UK will tell you that. I am in particular referring to immigration from from those Eastern European countries that have recently joined the European Union.

Gazzap

OK, my example was probably a little open-ended....what I was getting at, is that I have personally seen and heard people make it obvious that they want to, or have moved to Oz as they see it as a ''white man's country'' (I know that isn't accurate, but non-the-less that is what some people still think- going back to the title of the thread).
Gaz

BAY

Not seen or experienced this. Australia has a large mutlicultural mix just as the UK does. So "UK with more sun" would be a multicultural country with more sun ! Most people I meet have come to Australia because of the climate and because of dissatisfaction with the UK ie. economy, crime, uncontrolled immigration etc. Nothing to do with Australia being seen as a white man's country.

Gazzap

Of course everyone has different experiences don't they...
I'm glad you haven't experienced it. I did when I lived there before, and have experienced prospective emigrants say it.
As an example of the kind of people try this link:
http://www.pomsinperth.com/discussio...asily+offended

As for "Uk with more sun" again I opened myself up to the pedants I was referring more how certain people like to see the UK- ie how UK was "in the good old days (before ANY large amounts of immigrants)".

Mikeyc

They are EU citizens moving within the EU (a fundamental right), EU citizens can move from one EU state to another, just like Australian Citizens can move from one Australian state to another.

I find it funny that all the Brits complain about the Polish moving to the UK (which they have a right to), yet at the same time the Brits are packing places Spain, Portugal and France! – which, without the EU movement laws, they wouldn’t be able to do! They can't have their cake and eat it!

UK immigration is just as controlled as Australian.

Mikey

JR230898

Why is it that you are 'particularly' referring to those from Eastern European countries? Is it the numbers? Is it their socio-economic status? Is it that they don't speak English well? What is it? State your position.

Mikey has a great response:

"all the Brits complain about the Polish moving to the UK (which they have a right to), yet at the same time the Brits are packing places Spain, Portugal and France! – which, without the EU movement laws, they wouldn’t be able to do! They can't have their cake and eat it!"

Yes, the Eastern Europeans are in the UK in numbers, as is their right to do so...and...at the same time...Brits are positively flooding the sunny bits of Europe, in particular, Portugal and Spain.

Can you see the hypocrisy in your position?

Devlin

It is far easier for someone to emigrate to Australia than it is for a non EU citizen to emigrate to the UK. This is just a fact, all you lot complaining about uncontrolled immigration to the UK are simply delusional imo.

UncleKev

You are right if you are only talking about legal immigration.

The big problem that the UK has is illegal immigration. Forged passports, immigration officers at Heathrow turning a blind eye to incomers from their own ethnic group (seen this with my own eyes BTW), people coming on ferries and destroying their papers and claiming political asylum using carefully rehearsed scripts. Its a mess and the other continental countries that have more draconian attitudes to illegal immigrants and asylum seekers are happy to see the back of these free loaders and assist them in any way possible to get to the UK. The lack of an identity card and generous public services make the UK a honey pot to your average destitute person from the third world.

You cant blame them for wanting to come to the UK. I was in Italy last year and masked police were beating illegal refugees with batons, while posses of local Italian youths attacked their camps armed with baseball bats. Far from the warm welcome that they get when they land in the UK.

Kevin Rudd would be happy to do the same to Australia, but the distance from the source countries probably makes it unlikely that we will see the same sort of massive inflows of as the UK has.

The solution to exponential growth in the population of bankrupt countries in Africa and South America is not to just airlift them all into the UK and Ausralia.