Immigrants must learn to be British and Ukip is NOT racist, says Government Minister

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...sian-Tory.html

Immigrants must learn to be British, says Asian Tory

Culture minister Sajid Javid, the first Asian Secretary of State, says those coming to the UK must learn English and "respect our way of life"

Sajid Javid says voters have legitimate fears over 'excessive' immigration

Immigrants must learn English and “respect our way of life”, the new Culture Secretary says as he criticises migrants who have lived here for years but still cannot speak the language.

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Sajid Javid says voters have legitimate fears over “excessive” immigration and are justified in wanting Britain to have more control over its borders.

Mr Javid, the first Asian Secretary of State, defends Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, against charges of racism but insists that only the Conservatives can deliver the reforms to European Union laws needed to cut immigration.

“People want Britain to have more control over its borders, and I think they are right,” Mr Javid, who is the son of Pakistani immigrants, says.

“People also say, when immigrants do come to Britain, that they should come to work, and make a contribution and that they should also respect our way of life, and I agree with all of that. It means things like trying to learn English.” The tough message on immigration, coming from Britain’s highest ranking Asian MP, who is also the Minister for Equalities, will provoke debate on controls to migration in a crucial week of elections.

On Thursday, voters go to the polls across the UK to elect MEPs for the European Parliament. Elections are also being held in 161 English council areas. Immigration is a key battleground in the current campaign and will be central to all parties’ manifestos in the run up to the general election.

In other developments:

- An ICM/Sunday Telegraph poll shows the Tories have overtaken Ukip in the running for the European elections and now lie in second place. They have also taken a 0.7 point lead over Labour in a separate general election poll.

- A ComRes/Independent poll last night shows Ukip ahead of Labour by 11% while a YouGov/Sunday Times poll has Labour leading Ukip by 1%.

- Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, says more coalitions are “inevitable”, declaring that the era of two-party dominance is over. Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, the Liberal Democrat leader says the Coalition “will last” until polling day next May, despite “stark and fiercely held” differences and “intense argument” between the Tories and Lib Dems.

- In his interview, Mr Javid also expresses deep concern over The Telegraph’s disclosures of an alleged plot by radical Muslims to “Islamise” state schools in Birmingham. He goes on to warn that there is “no place” for Islamic law in the English legal system, after reports that Sharia courts have been established in parts of London and the Midlands. At present, most migrants applying for British citizenship are required to provide evidence of their English language skills, unless they are over-65 or have a long-term medical condition which prevents them doing so.

However, there is no requirement on EU migrants to be fluent in English and they are free to travel to the UK to work whenever they choose.

In his interview, Mr Javid suggests that some immigrants who are already well-established in the UK also need to take greater responsibility for integrating with the rest of society.

“I know people myself, I have met people who have been in Britain for over 50 years and they still can’t speak English,” he says.

“I think it’s perfectly reasonable for British people to say, look, if you’re going to settle in Britain and make it your home, you should learn the language of the country and you should respect its laws and its culture.”

The minister insists that the “vast majority” of immigrants want to integrate with the rest of society. The Conservatives have set a target for reducing net migration – the difference between how many people move to the UK and the number that leave each year — to the tens of thousands by the time of next year’s election. Latest figures saw a rise of 212,000, driven partly by the number arriving from Romania and Bulgaria, the EU’s two poorest countries. One minister suggested last week that the party was on course to miss this target.

Mr Javid defends the target but concedes that it is impossible to control levels of immigration from Europe under current EU laws.

“Currently we don’t have control of our borders within the EU and that’s why we need fundamental reform,” he says. One option would be to ban migrants from poor countries arriving until their country’s wealth levels have risen, “so that you don’t have these vast migrations that take place from poorer countries to richer countries in the EU”.

The controversy over Ukip’s stance on immigration, and the views of many of its candidates, continued yesterday. Nigel Farage spoke out to reject accusations that his party was racist and attempted to defend his claim that families should be concerned about Romanians moving in next door.

“Ukip will never allow the false accusation of racism levelled by a politically correct elite to prevent the raising of issues that are of concern to the great majority of the British public,” he said.

“The unfortunate reality is that we are in political union with a post-Communist country that has become highly susceptible to organised crime.”

The Ukip leader also said that “any normal and fair-minded person would have a perfect right to be concerned if a group of Romanian people suddenly moved in next door”.

In his interview with The Telegraph, however, Mr Javid said he did not believe Mr Farage was racist. “Do they have some candidates who have racist views? Of course, and we have seen some evidence of that recently,” he says. “But I don’t think they are a racist party and I don’t think Nigel Farage is racist. I have met him and I don’t think that at all.”

Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, told yesterday’s Daily Telegraph that he also believed that Mr Farage was not racist.

Their comments are likely to be seen as an effort by the Tory leadership to woo Ukip’s supporters by refusing to join the chorus of outrage directed at Mr Farage.

However, Bill Cash, a leading Tory Eurosceptic MP, said yesterday that Mr Farage’s party was undermining Conservative chances in marginal seats, which could deny the party a Commons majority next year and prevent David Cameron holding a referendum on Europe. Mr Cash claimed Mr Farage was doing “untold damage” to the Eurosceptic cause and “toxifying the debate” with his divisive rhetoric.

Michael Fallon, the Tory energy minister, suggested his party would campaign to leave the EU if Mr Cameron’s negotiations in Brussels failed to deliver a better deal for Britain.

He told the BBC: “If we don’t get the reforms we want, yes of course the Government will then recommend a 'no’ vote ... but we’re not going into these negotiations planning to concede defeat. We think we can get these reforms.”

Whilst Mr Javid may be correct in what he says, that immigration should be controlled and that integration rather than multiculturalism should be demanded, the big problem is that the Tory Party doesn't stand for any of these things. Cameron is not going to get any meaningful renegotiation with the EU, Freedom of Movement is not up for renegotiation and his government have failed time and time again to get immigration under control.

The Tories talk a good game, but we've heard it all before. This fruitcake has had enough of them.

Thoughts?

[FlyingJesus]

"Immigrants must learn to be British, says Asian Tory" except he doesn't. At all. Respect our way of life =/= BE MORE BRITISH

[-:Undertaker:-]

"Immigrants must learn to be British, says Asian Tory" except he doesn't. At all. Respect our way of life =/= BE MORE BRITISH

Ah, yet again Tom reads something entirely different to the rest of us. What a suprise!

Face it mate, the tide is turning: the consensus is shifting in away from multiculturalism and towards integration.

[Chippiewill]

Rhetoric doesn't make something true.

[GommeInc]

Playing devil's advocate:

“People also say, when immigrants do come to Britain, that they should come to work, and make a contribution and that they should also respect our way of life, and I agree with all of that. It means things like trying to learn English.”

He doesn't say they must learn English and he certainly doesn't say they should only respect the British way of life. He seems to be hinting that immigrants should at the very least try to learn English - which would be a huge benefit to have some basic skills in the language as misdiagnoses in hospitals because of language barriers can be incredibly inconvenient, as well as taking up employment, housing and utilities.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Rhetoric doesn't make something true.

That is true, after all his party is all rhetoric and no action.

- - - Updated - - -

Playing devil's advocate:

“People also say, when immigrants do come to Britain, that they should come to work, and make a contribution and that they should also respect our way of life, and I agree with all of that. It means things like trying to learn English.”

He doesn't say they must learn English and he certainly doesn't say they should only respect the British way of life. He seems to be hinting that immigrants should at the very least try to learn English - which would be a huge benefit to have some basic skills in the language as misdiagnoses in hospitals because of language barriers can be incredibly inconvenient, as well as taking up employment, housing and utilities.

True, he doesn't go far enough but then again it's still a start.

[FlyingJesus]

Ah, yet again Tom reads something entirely different to the rest of us. What a suprise!

Face it mate, the tide is turning: the consensus is shifting in away from multiculturalism and towards integration.

What are you on about I read the words he actually said, it's usually a good idea to do that when trying to quote someone

[lemons]

[The Don]

Ah, yet again Tom reads something entirely different to the rest of us. What a suprise!

Face it mate, the tide is turning: the consensus is shifting in away from multiculturalism and towards integration.

Er no, Tom is completely right. Read what he actually says "learn english and respect our way of life" does not mean become British. Talk about Twisting words.

[peteyt]

I don't think they should have to life like us but yes they should at least respect the ways of your country like they would expect us to support our ways. I've always been a believer that we have too many people coming in and that we should control immigration a lot more, but I also don't want what some want, for all that do come in to be turned into british people and act like british. I'm a big fan of a multicultural country and would love to travel the world and see lots of different cultures one day, I just think we should have a better control and those that do come over shouldn't in a sense bite the hand that feeds them. I also think a lot of people agree with this, it's only UKIP that seems to have the balls to admit it.