4.4) (1985-c2010) immigration as a political issue Flashcards

1
Q

when did britain join the EEC?

A

1973

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2
Q

how did the EU’s free movement of people impact the UK’s population and economy? and why?

A
  • according to the 2011 census, the UK pop. grew 3.7 million in 10 years
  • UK citizens took advantage of this by working in the EU, buying property or moving for retirement
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3
Q

why did people support the free movement of people? // how would it benefit the economy?

A
  • it meant that employers could find workers they need to grow their business
  • more tax would be collected from employees and the larger number of workers
  • increased shopping would make the country richer and create more jobs
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4
Q

what did free movement mean from eastern european arrivals?

A
  • when 10 new nations joined the EU in 2004, the labour government adopted an ‘open door’ policy
  • this led to 300,000 people moving to the UK by 2004 (mainly from poland)
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5
Q

where did the easten europeans live and work after 2006?

A
  • they spread out all over the country, unlike previous immigrant groups
  • mainly worked in hospitality and construction
  • many of them were highly skilled and well-educated
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6
Q

when were controls imposed on migration from eastern europe?

A
  • after the 2008 banking crisis, many returned home due to britain’s weakening economy and under-resourced health and education services
  • when romania and bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. the government said that their nationals had to have work permits and they restricted numbers for 7 years
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7
Q

why did some people not support free movement?

A
  • anti-immigration feeling grew in working-class communities due to austerity and rising wealth inequality
  • many felt that their wages were being undercutted by immigrants and putting pressure on school and housing -> hence support grew for UKIP
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8
Q

why did economists argue that free movement was good for britain?

A
  • migrants did low-paid jobs that powered the economy and kept inflation down
  • tax revenue was needed to pay for the pensions and healthcare of the aging population
  • if finance, good and jobs could move freely through europe, so should people
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9
Q

what is some data that shows immigration was beneficial to the economy?

A
  • gov report 2007: immigration contributed 6 billion to the UK economy
  • 2009 UCL reported that immigration had a great benefit as it paid far more in tax than it received in benefits
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10
Q

how did the number of asylum seekers increase between the 1990s and 2000s?

A
  • conflicts in south-east europe, west and east africa and western asia caused a mass movement of refugees to europe.
  • some sought asylum in the UK → asylum applications rose at the end of the 20th century from 4,256 in 1987 to 84,130 in 2002
    reasons for this: fleeing civil wars (somalia, afghanistan), foreign intervention (afghanistan, iraq, syria) and the collapse of the soviet union
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11
Q

why did britain accept refugees? and under what terms?

A
  • 1948 - british gov. signed the UN declaration of rights, which stated that ‘everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution’
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12
Q

what was the 1985 schengen agreement?

A
  • there were open borders and no passport control between most european countries
  • meant that anyone could travel easily and successfully throughout europe
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13
Q

what were public attitudes to refugees like?

A
  • there was growing feeling against asylum seekers was fuelled by the british national party and national newspapers
  • the media referred to it as a ‘migrant invasion’ and suggested that asylum seekers were only in the UK to seek benefits
  • these widely spread beliefs led the benefits system to be closed to asylum seekers
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14
Q

why were the asylum and immifration acts introduced?

A
  • more and more people were applying for refugee status due to worsening conflicts in other parts of the world
  • these made immigration from outside of the EU harder
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15
Q

what was the 1993 asylum and immigration appeals act?

A

made the definition of the term ‘refugee’ much narrower and more specific to alter who would/could be deemed a refugee

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16
Q

what was the 1996 asylum and immigration act?

A

it became a criminal offence to hire migrant workers without a work permit

17
Q

what was the 1999 immigration and asylum act?

A
  • it replaced welfare benefits for asylum seekers with vouchers to buy food and essentials.
  • the amount was not much and they were forced to buy food from only certain shops
18
Q

what was the 2002 nationality, immigration and asylum act?

A

meant that anyone who seeked to become a british citizen had to pass a ‘life in united kingdom’ test

19
Q

what were some reasons that sykum seekers chose to come to the UK?

A

only 1/3 chose to come to the UK and this was because:
- they could speak english
- family members already in the UK
- colonial links beteween home country and the UK
- believed that britain was safe and stable

20
Q

how were political refugees and asylum seekers treated?

A
  • many were detained in the over 40 detention centres with terrible conditions
  • they couldn’t choose where to live and instead were put in accomodation that no one else wanted
  • 1/5 of women experienced sexual violence after arrived
21
Q

why was the UK accused of being a ‘soft touch’?

A
  • it was estimated that 280,000 people, who had been refused asylum, were still living and working illegally in the UK with no access to benefits
  • the press argued that these were economic migrants who earnt more here
  • others said that their work in low-paid jobs contributed to britain’s economic boom
22
Q

how did britain attempt to control people illegally entering the UK?

A
  • border controls were tightened
  • people were deterred from trying to get to the UK
  • measures taken against the families, landlords and employers of asylum seekers who failed to get refgee status
23
Q

what was the ‘war on terror’ and when did it start?

A
  • the war on terror was an invasion of iraq by the US (george w.bush) following the 9/11 attacks
  • bush states that its aim was to remove weapons of mass destruction
  • there were 151,000 deaths as a result of this war
24
Q

why did the british parliament vote to join the ‘war on terror’?

A

the british parliament voted to join the ‘war on terror’ following the 7/7 bombings in london

25
Q

what happened in the 7/7 attacks?

A
  • 4 suicide bombers killed 52 and injured 700
  • they blamed the british involvement in the invasion of iraq
26
Q

how did londoners respond to the 7/7 attacks?

A

they stressed the unity of the citizens across cultures and religions to come together in grief and take pride in the city’s diversity

27
Q

how did 7/7 attack lead to a rise in islamophobic incidents?

A
  • after the attack the press began to demonise the entire religion rather than focus on the minority with radical beliefs and this encouraged racist groups like the EDL and BNP
  • parties like BNP were also successful in local and european elections suggesting that they were gradually gaining support
28
Q

what were two racist/islamphobic groups and what did they do?

A
  • BNP: the british national party - it was set up by members of the former national front
  • EDL: english defence league - a far right islamophobic group
    • they attacked areas where lots of muslims lived and tried to imitate the attacks of mosely’s facists in the 1930s
29
Q

what were two organisations that responded to the attacks of the BNP and EDL?

A
  • hope not hate and unite against fascism
  • they [anti-racist protestors] faced the fascists who were marching through areas of large muslim populations in greater numbers
30
Q

what was the government’s ‘prevent strategy’?

A
  • it was a scheme to stop young people from becoming terrorists and it was aimed at young muslims
  • some saw it as a necessary means to counter extremism
  • others felt that it was divisive and wouldn’t have the desired effect
31
Q

what is extremism?

A

the holding of extreme political or religious views

32
Q

why was there also a rise in anti-semitic feeling at this time? (2000s)

A
  • there was a rise in anti-semitic incidents partly linked to the israel-palestine conflict
33
Q

what are some arguments that support the idea that immigrants have brought problems to the UK?

A
  • pressure on housing, schools, resources etc
  • destabilisation of the area
  • overpopulation
34
Q

what are some arguments that support the idea that immigrants have brought benefits to the UK?

A
  • immigrants pay taxes so the economy benefits - in order to pay the pensions of the older aging population
  • immigrants are more willing to do low-paid, low-skilled jobs
  • more young people entering the workforce
  • more diverse communities, less tension and divide