The Impact of the Immigration Debate in the UK

The Impact of the Immigration Debate in the UK
Since the referendum in 2016, debate over Brexit has filled the news. This is especially prevalent now, with the increasing possibility of a "No Deal" Brexit, or the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement. This could have devastating effects on the UK's economy. So how did things get this way? What caused people to vote to leave? One of the main reasons people voted for Brexit was immigration. While there are many complex reasons, such as arguments for complete sovereignty, immigration is largely responsible for people voting to leave the EU. This is because as a member of the EU, the UK wasn't able to fully set it's own immigration party, and despite taking in less immigrants than many other member countries, this caused resentment among many British citizens. Similarly to the immigration debate in America, people voiced concern over immigrants taking employment opportunities away from British citizens, and using up government resources, which is especially prevalent due to the Britain's National Healthcare System. The debate over immigration was divisive, and many staunch opponents of immigration were criticized for being racist. Brexit was no less divisive, with barely over half of the country voting to leave the EU. Regardless of whether or not those who opposed immigration policies had valid complaints, it seems as though Brexit might have been a poor way to handle this issue. A No Deal Brexit seems increasingly inevitable, with both Theresa May, the prime minister, and the EU unwilling to compromise on an exit deal. The date the UK is currently scheduled to leave the EU, March 29, is looming. The problems and negative effects of Brexit might turn out to be far worse than any that immigration could have possibly presented.

Citations:

Goodwin, Matthew. “Why Immigration Was Key to Brexit Vote.” The Irish Times, The Irish Times, 15 May 2017, www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/why-immigration-was-key-to-brexit-vote-1.3083608.

Blitz, James. “Brexit Timeline: Key Dates in UK's Divorce from EU.” Financial Times, Financial Times, 29 Jan. 2019, www.ft.com/content/64e7f218-4ad4-11e7-919a-1e14ce4af89b.

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