Ministers’ plans to cut immigration by slandering their own country are a disgrace.
Sofia Capel
Romanians and Bulgarians soon to be granted freedom of EU movement, ministers of the UK government are planning an anti-Britain campaign to scare off future immigrants.
It is an excellent example of British politeness. Because telling a people: “You don’t want to come here” is not as rude as saying: “We don’t want you here,” right?
It’s the same technique you would use when you don’t want someone to come to your party. “No, seriously, it has already peaked, there’s no point in you coming here.”
But the thing is that I have been to that party, and it’s great. I am still here. And I don’t want to go home.
I came to England six years ago to work as a nanny. I looked after rich people’s children and made sure their mothers could go to work everyday.
I was meant to stay a year, but a year went too fast. Six years on I can’t see myself ever going back, because I love England. There isn’t another place in the world where I would rather be. I love her with all her faults; with TOWIE, with rain, with streets that smell of chips, grease and beer, with unemployment, Boris Johnson and happy-slappin’ chavs.
I spend insane amounts of money on education I would get for free in my native country. I struggle to achieve a degree in a language that isn’t my own. I pay three times as much for my London flat as I would do back home. I wore a Union Jack dress for my last birthday.
If someone were to force me out of London I would chain myself to the nearest lamp post and tell them to cut off my wrists if they wanted me out of there. Because that’s what you do when you love a country. And I would never pretend not to, so I wouldn’t have to share it with someone else.
The ministers proposing to slander this beautiful country in order to keep it ‘safe’ from immigrants should be ashamed of themselves. Immigration is either legal or it isn’t. Europe is either united or it isn’t.
I’m from Sweden and because of our good reputation I have always been treated well here. Why not give my friends in the East the same warm welcome?
Furthermore: Bulgarians and Romanians aren’t stupid. You may get away with eating chocolate mousse and telling your curious little sister that it’s dog poo, but Britons happily staying in Britain while claiming it’s hell, well, it’s not very convincing, is it?