Where did you get this information from? Because I can tell you it is nothing but racist rantings.

Immigrants in Spain come from very different countries to those in the UK. They comes mainly from Latin America, Romania and Morocco because they have the same (or similar) language or historic links. Just like most immigrants in the UK come from the former colonies which helped the UK get rich i.e. India, Pakistan, South Africa and Australians.

South Africans have actually given the most immigrants to the UK over the past 10 year, bet you dont mind them though, given that they have white skin?

The Spanish immigrants dont then travel on to the UK, they simply dont, they dont want to be in the UK because they dont speak the language and they have no cultural links to it. Of course some might, but we are talking tiny numbers

In regards to the benefit system. Well each country chooses the system they think is fair. All I know is that the council estate near my flat in London wasnt filled with immigrants but white British (mainly) teenagers with small babies.

And you are what nationality?

Yes I am too (although I am fluent in Spanish), but I am not a hypocrite because I am not anti-immigrants

Hmm, what nationality is that then?

Thank the Lord, I´m not, can go all day here without necessarily seeing a black or coloured face, other parts of UK are like a different country to me. Certainly not racist, but I don´t feel I´m missing out on anything by being the way we are.

I think he used to be English.

British, I thought that would be obvious

Are you sure?

*sigh* By saying 'embarrassed by the Brits' I was not referring to immigration, nor inter-EU labour movement, nor racism. I was referring to those people apparently not prepared to even attempt - let's see - maybe 12 words in the language of the country they are visiting.
Think about it: Please, thankyou, goodbye, hello, yes, no, do you speak English, beer/wine/whatever. (numbers dealt with by fingers!). Nothing but common courtesy and not making assumptions about waiters, etc., speaking other languages.
Same applies, in my mind, to anyone visiting or living in any country. Yes you could go down the discussion about those living somewhere, but I'm just trying to ward off comments that I've overlooked that!

and chaps, as to bringing skin colour into the thread

No, not at all. Judging by his spelling, I don't think English is his first language.

Someone was bemoaning his lot for being surrounded by immigrants, I merely reported the situation as it is in my neck of the woods. There are whole swathes of UK that are not enjoying the multicultural advantages of having lots of immigrants living near them, my area is one of them. But your suggestion about my racism was anticipated and not totally unexpected, that's why I added the "racist" bit to my post. The racisism card is always played by people that think they know other people's views, but of course, they know nothing. And to think this all started because someone had the temerity not to learn Spanish before holidaying there and upsetting you.

You just cant win can you....words in your mouth type stuff.

Now where did I write that immigrants to the UK had to be fluent in English?

Mind you, if we could sling out of the UK all those who were not fluent in English, we could offload all the chavs and pikeys....

I'm an immigrant that is learning the language, and striving to improve all the time. I'm unlikely to achieve true fluency unless I ditch my wife and marry a Spaniard.

yeah ok, lose an arguement so you start throwing the R word at people in the hope they will duck out of sight. Fat chance here matey.

what happened to all the filial links we have with the Poles, Lithuanians, Romanians?
listing former colonies that fought hard and gained their own independence over 60 years ago is a bit of waste of time. how about still giving these countries £millions of support every every year, whilst they take their own GDP and spend it on weapons, train terrorists to blow us up. We have given them special status for over 60 years in the immigration queue and because WE cannot afford it any longer they arent happy.
But once any person has been accepted in any eu country they have the right of travel and life in ANY eu country.

Whats that based on ? the number of lunches you had last month? give us all a useful reference.
I think you will find that the majority of South Africans are actually black, whites are in a distinct minority. But then you probably never experienced apartheid in 1960's Cape Province.

well considering those you mistakenly think are the only South Africans are actually Boers and have their history in Holland they don't have cultural links with the uk either.
See also my note above about Eastern Europeans who have no cultural links either, but it doesnt stop them. They go where there is the least resistance.

yup thats right, Spain, France, Germany, Italy have a different benefits system, if you havent put in you dont take out.! Berlusconi had an ear bashing from Sarkozy because of all the Libyans who landed at Lampedusa who were shipped to the mainland, given a train ticket and told "France that way!" Not a couple but several thousands. I believe they had special trains.
see the excellent documentary on the Lampedusa problem that was broadcast about a month ago.

please get back in your own little bubble and sit there twiddling. In the meantime, I have been out this afternoon socialising with a Lithuanian, and a West Indian. I don't mind who I talk to, why else do you think I am here. But do not call me racist when you feel you arent getting your own way