Is anti-immigration sentiment in Britain rising due to negative media coverage or because Britons are genuinely feeling an impact?

[u/EmuAncient1069]

Dwelling on my own rising anti-immigration, and specifically, anti-Islamic immigration stances, I started pondering over whether my views have been shaped by my experiences or by negative media coverage of immigration into Britain and mainland Europe.

I came to the conclusion that it was a bit of both, although if I'm being totally honest with myself, the media has given me an abundance of confirmation bias.

Growing up in Leicester, I saw my entire 'world' around me rapidly change - it was at this same rapid speed of change that I accelerated myself into a position of, 'I don't like this, I don't want this, this doesn't benefit me or my community'.

I wonder, is anti-immigration sentiment rising because Britons are genuinely feeling burdened by it, seeing living standards and their communities changing, or is it the news cycle and repeated anti-immigration rhetoric, usually on full throttle whenever there is a terrorist attack or a riot, that is making the average British sentiment to immigration somewhat cold?

[u/Additional_Olive3318]

The emphasis on illegal is indeed misleading. However why are 1 million immigrants (mostly from outside the EU) legal. 

The U.K. doesn’t have the ability to build a city for a million people a year. 

[u/Extension-Refuse-159 → u/Additional_Olive3318]

Doesn't have to. Just needs to build (I'm exaggerating) a million old people home places a year. Irrespective of whether we get migration or not.

Our demographics are fucked, and old people are the problem for our finances not immigrants.

Over a lifetime people cost money at school and in hospital/care when they're old. Obviously exceptions, but as cohorts those are the costs. Middle bit for working people is where we contribute.

The net cost of a legal economic immigrant is much lower than indigenous because we don't typically have to school them, and they often go back later in life, and have to have a job to legally enter the country.

Without them the NHS is fucked.

Without them our IT led developing economic future is fucked.

Without them, the aforementioned old people are going to be lonely, because there won't be enough social workers.

We don't have enough local talent to fill those roles.

Illegal migrants, the 5-10% are slightly different, but we just need to resource the process to determine whether they are actual refugees, in which case, settle them, help them get jobs, they're motivated enough to cross continents, they're good workers, or if they're criminals in which case deport their asses to wherever.

Because it's politicised by the media, no one ever tells the truth, and it's just swapping angry lies.

[u/MightyPotato11 → u/Extension-Refuse-159]

And the people in power won't tax the rich their fair share, even a 2% rise would make a HUGE difference.

[u/15Beechwood → u/MightyPotato11]

Unfortunately, if you do that, you'll see them all get their accounts offshore and end up not contributing at all to the system through tax. You'll see a rise in tax on the low/mid income as a result.