Migrant strike needed to change narrative

The time must have come for a migrant strike in these islands. Only then will the wider population realise just how much vital work is done by migrants. Migration has been a key theme in the current election campaign. No party seemingly wanting to view it in a particularly positive light. The populist narrative, so favoured by the right wing media and fuelled by many politicians, is that migrants are a drain on the economy. They come, claim benefits and put a strain on the public services. The reality is somewhat different. Migrants provide a net gain to the economy. Most work or study. Many don't stay but work, pay their taxes and receive very little in return by way of public services, before going home. Indeed, many public services, such as the NHS, would grind to a halt without migrant labour. Migrants have been the backbone of the construction industry in the UK. Refugees seeking asylum are a different category. Migrants coming in by the infamous boats across the channel are a tiny percentage of net migration. And if we want to stop those, then this country needs to stop fuelling the causes. So stop selling arms into theatres of war. Also, address climate change seriously. The media panders to the anti- migrant agenda. In reality more people coming to work and study should be welcomed as the sign of a buoyant economy. Migrants ofcourse should not be allowed to undercut pay and terms and conditions of indigenous workers. And it is true that immigration has been used in the past as an incomes policy to keep wages down. There is also the moral question of taking much-needed skills from the countries of origin. The unfortunate thing is that anti- migrant sentiments sell newspapers. So, many of the myths about migration have built up over the years. There always needs to be a scapegoat. The dominant media narrative is that migration is bad. So reducing migration is good. It has become a numbers game. Political parties are measured against their ability to cut migration. The idea that migration is good and the UK needs more of it is an anathema in this debate. There is a rapidly ageing population in the UK. When this is added to the damage that leaving the EU has done to the economy, migration is needed now more than ever. Migrants play a huge role in keeping the NHS and care sectors going. They work in education, transport, construction and hospitality to name but a few sectors. Without migrants these and other parts of the economy would not function. The irony is that many in our population most dependent on migrants' labour also seem to be amongst the most virulently opposed to it. A sign of the level of misinformation in the general immigration discourse. A migrant strike would show just how vital migration is to these islands. At the end of the day, we are all migrants. Everyone came here at some point, some more recently than others. White Anglo Saxons don't have some sort of exclusive right. Anti-migrant sentiment is not, though, a uniquely British phenomena. The rise of far right parties on the back of anti- migrant sentiments was evidenced in the results of the recent European Parliament elections. The narrative needs to change, especially relating to those coming to work and study. On refugees, the asylum system does need reforming with clearing the claims backlogs and ensuring safe routes being the way forward. Also, putting more resources into peace rather than war making and tackling climate change would stem the causes. So let's turn the page on immigration - start looking to the positives, turn the negative narrative around. Recognise the fantastic gift of culture and diversity brought to these shores by migrants. Remember we were all migrants once. But maybe that strike will be needed first to help bri g about that change?