In recent years immigration has become one of the most debating issues in the UK, especially in England. The merits and demerits of the net migration figure of 330,000 in 2014 into the UK have been debated in length and breadth all over the UK, again especially in England. The fact is immigration is mostly an English concern while in Scotland immigrants are in general welcome.
Migration of people from one place to another has been there throughout the history of mankind. Demographic change is natural because by nature man seeks to have a better life. It is also caused by human behaviour and activities such as war and conflict between nations. The most important element missing in this debate is what role historically the nations collectively known as Western Europe has played in causing mass migration into Europe.
Mass migration in a huge scale began when the West invented gunpowder and gun. They started a movement to the Americas called ‘pilgrimage’ with boats full of guns and gunpowder! In Plymouth seafront there is a spot called ‘pilgrimage point’ where the first so-called pilgrims started their boat journey from. History tells us what the pilgrims had done to the native population of North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. They are now land of ‘white people’. The English were the biggest colonisers. One-third of the world was under their control. The English language was forced into all these places making it as the most popular language in the world. The consequence of all these historical actions cannot be avoided.
Jatindra Saha
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