20th May 2008

Dear editor

It's timely that on the day the Telegraph publishes a letter from Jim Steinke and friends, calling for an honest debate by the mainstream parties on immigration, the Star publishes the story of Claude N'Deh, who faces deportation to Cameroon. Claude campaigned against the execution of 9 schoolboys. He was arrested and tortured (I have seen the scars) and then fled the country. His twin children suffer from sickle cell anaemia, and won't get the medical attention they need in Cameroon. Our current system of granting asylum appears to be a lottery, not based on whether the applicants have a just case, but based on meeting targets. Some people, who are clearly economic migrants, are allowed in. Others like Claude, who present overwhelming evidence that they face persecution in their home country, are sent back. Whilst encouraging unlimited
migration for cheap labour the Government is turning back people fleeing criminal regimes. I am ashamed that my country is showing so little compassion to those that need it most.

Blaming immigration for all our woes, as the BNP do, misses the point. There are unfilled jobs on offer because the UK pursues a rate of economic growth that cannot be sustained by the work of people already living here. Foreign workers come to take those jobs because their own economies have been exploited by the policies of wealthier countries– such as ours. The Green Party has a liberal migration policy and wants greater global justice and equality, so people who migrate can do so on the basis of choice, not economic hardship.Where migration patterns increase or decrease population levels it is essential that social, economic and environmental pressures are mitigated in such a way which fully respects the rights of migrants and existing local populations

Our economy should not be dependent on inward migration, as this results in more overcrowding, qualified workers being poached from poorer countries, and exploited labour in the grey economy. Failed asylum seekers are not allowed to work, so may resort to illegal work where they have no rights, are vulnerable to exploitative working conditions and likely to be paid far less than the minimum wage. We need a national economy that works within environmental limits – including a stable population – with less growth overall, together with an international economy which does not force people to leave their homes in order to provide a decent living for themselves and their families.

Yours sincerely

Graham Wroe
Sheffield Green Party