Your say / immigration
‘I do not feel fully welcomed by the government’
When videos of the Labour Party’s conference on Monday began to surface online, I felt a mix of half terror and confusion.
In her speech during the conference, home secretary Shabana Mahmood says that “contribution is a condition” for immigrants to be welcomed into the UK, and proposes a “series of tests” or conditions that immigrants must adhere to in order to live here.
These include “not taking a penny in benefits”, learning English to a high standard, having no criminal record and giving back to the community in ways like volunteering.
is needed now More than ever
As if that were not enough, immigrants will soon have to stay for ten years (as opposed to the current five-year period) before qualifying for indefinite leave to remain in the country.
As a young Indian student currently on a Graduate Visa, I pay national insurance, receive no benefits, work diligently every day, have passed an approved English language certification and have no criminal record.
On paper, fulfilling these conditions and paying a yearly fee of £1,035 to avail NHS services surely should be enough “contribution” towards an honest life here in the UK.
But somehow, it is not, and despite doing all of these things, I do not feel fully ‘welcomed’ by the government.
At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Monday, Shabana Mahmood spoke about the need for contributions from immigrants to qualify for indefinite leave to remain in the UK – photo: Labour Party UK
Despite spending thousands of pounds every year we stay here, immigrants like me are made to feel like freeloaders trying to grab opportunities that are meant for others.
But has anyone who has said immigrants are stealing jobs actually tried to understand what it looks like to apply for a job as an immigrant?
As someone seeking ways to continue pursuing my journalism dream, I spend hours pouring my heart into applications, curating my cover letter and CV, and refining my portfolio, targeting roles in companies that have sponsorship licenses and advertise roles meeting the minimum salary threshold of £33,400.
Soon enough, however, in small letters inside brackets, my eyes land on the dreaded words: ‘Sorry, we do not offer sponsorship,’ and I lose the chance to apply for a role even before showcasing my skills and worth.
There is a growing presence of Union Jack and St George’s flags across Bristol – photo: Martin Booth
The thing is, I’m okay if I am not paid an exorbitant salary. I want to write honest stories about real people and represent the voices of those who are often unheard through my articles. I do not want to be rich; I just want to live my dream and be happy.
However, I seem to not have that opportunity, as I was born in a different country, speak a different native language and don’t hold British citizenship. That means I need a company to not only offer me a substantial salary, which is uncommon in early career journalism roles, but also to cover additional sponsorship costs.
I believe people are fundamentally kind, but if I had to choose between an employee who did not require sponsorship and one who did, even I would choose the former, simply to reduce costs.
I wrote the same thing in a previous opinion piece published in July, but I’ve seen it much more acutely since.
I am not criticising the need for rules and regulations, and I am not naive enough to think that everything should be free.
Another anti-immigration protest is planned to go ahead in the city centre on Sunday – photo: Rob Browne
Despite paying everything required and fulfilling all necessary conditions, I can feel my voice being drowned out by the cries of the far-right and racist groups taking centre stage and politicians making promises about reducing immigration.
Before moving to Bristol to study in 2023, I grew up in India and dreamt of being a journalist there. However, the current political situation within the country also poses a threat to free speech, and as a result, India has very few honest and trustworthy journalists and media organisations.
Knowing how much freedom I have to voice my opinion here in Bristol, for example, to write this opinion piece without fear, means a great deal to me.
When Mahmood talks about ‘contributions’, I wonder if my coverage of van dwellers, budding authors, independent food businesses and much more will be considered as enough?
Added to the looming frustration of trying to find a sponsored role by the time my visa expires is the surge in far-right and racist voices within Bristol and the UK.
I woke up on Sunday to find a St George flag fluttering from a window in a house visible clearly from my bedroom. My initial reaction was one of pure anger, but it soon turned to fear. What if the owners of that house saw me? What could happen?
Recently, a nine-year-old child in Brentry was shot with an air gun in a racially aggravated assault.
And that was not a standalone incident. In September, Bristol24/7 reported on at least four incidents of hate crime and racial attacks in the city.
What number are we waiting for it to rise to before we take a united stand to erase racism?
I can understand the need to protect borders. But must that protection come at the expense of kindness? I fear for anyone who believes patriotism requires speaking against or belittling other nationalities.
To witness far-right protests, read racist comments, face sponsorship rejections and see race-motivated attacks in my home city has been overwhelming. It has left me questioning my place and whether my abilities matter if I wasn’t born here.
This is an opinion piece by Karen Johnson, a reporter at Bristol24/7
Main photo: Jaime Little
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