Dogwash

Reader comments continue to trickle in to the Evening Standard's "bin men of Southall" article (also referred to here). Among the more thoughtful and cogent contributions we have this:

I live/work in Southall and think the following changes have now led to the current homeless situation in the area. The Labour governments poor Immigration policy/failure to control its borders resulted in a consistently high influx of illegal immigrants from South Asia the past 15 years. Up until about 2005, a stable economy meant that most of those immigrants were in employment, all be it illegally, which meant, 1: Most didn’t rely on state benefits, 2, there was no real homeless problem. However, in the past 5 years, 2 notable changes in government policy has led to the current situation. Firstly, raids on local businesses that are fined up to £10,000 per illegal worker. Secondly, the ridiculous government points system which has allowed huge numbers of bogus students into the country 'to study’ at bogus colleges. Local business have stopped employing the illegal’s through fear of raids, and hired students permitted to work upto 20 hours per week. The illegal’s (whom the labour government let in so easily in the first place) are now caught in no mans land, and raids are simply a revenue raising exercise for a problem caused by the government themselves. In the past the illegal’s were self sufficient/not on streets. Illegal’s/bogus students should be encouraged to ‘go back home’ but many refuse as they owe debts to agents. Whatever ones point of view, these homeless people need to be helped on humanitarian grounds and the message needs to go out to South Asia of the current dire situation here.

- Indi Singh, Southall, UK, 20/01/2011 01:13

Well up to a point, Indi-ji. It is certainly the case that the recent Labour government acquiesced in, and through seemingly deliberate inaction encouraged, large-scale immigration. That doesn't make illegal immigration justifiable, just because there is a high likelihood of getting away with it.

I have some sympathy for the illegals, who may well have been "mis-sold" the dream of our fool's gold Eldorado by "agents" (sc. traffickers) in India and misled about the legal niceties. For the illegal employers who were the market for their labour, however, I have no sympathy at all. They know the law, or should do. They understand the host culture, or should do. And yet they have knowingly employed people with no right to remain in this country, let alone work here. They have done so out of greed with perhaps a pinch of ethnic solidarity. When the authorities finally decide to put a bit of effort into enforcing the law they have no right to complain. Perhaps instead they should be putting some of their ill-gotten gains into helping their victims.

Tell me, in the Islamic Republic of Bradford it is customary to drive round the streets without benefit of driving licence, road tax or vehicle insurance. When the old bill eventually decide to turn up with ANPR-enabled cameras and enforce the law for once, do you sympathize when the poor dears cry, "Why are you picking on me? It's racist, innit? You've never bothered before."

I'm sorry, Indi. Your analysis is interesting and may well be accurate. But, while Government inaction may have enabled this situation, it was the illegals, their facilitators and their exploiters who implemented it. It takes two to tango. And it's pathetic to blame your dance partner when you're voted off the floor.