Immigration regulations can have a profound impact on the lives of this community in the United Kingdom. The Prisma took to the streets to hear the views of immigrants on the changes to immigration policy that came into effect on 8 April. The Prisma series: “UK Borders and Lives”.
Pablo Muñoz
Walking around the streets of South London, the melody of Latin American accents can be overheard as the city blares. Some walk with ease as they enjoy the changing weather, now that spring is upon. Others plod tired as the weight of hours worked lays on their backs. Despite the outer differences to the naked eye, and the circumstances in which each is involved, all have a story on their coming to the UK. Each of those stories was made possible by immigration policies that welcomed their eager drive and want for a better life. Those same policies are now changing, and their input on these changes, through their first-hand experience, is one of the most valuable ones to have.
Luis, 45, was born in the province of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, and works as a chef in a restaurant in London. Before he moved to the UK he was living in Aluche, a neighbourhood in the southwest of Madrid. He believes that the changes in immigration rules will affect Latin American immigrants “quite a bit” because “each day that goes by the cost of living is increasing”. He pointed out that the UK’s economy is “blocked” after Brexit, which has consequently made the government “more reactionary”.
“You have to see how much more radical governments are nowadays regarding immigration worldwide, not only here in the UK, but also in the USA, in Europe. The only one that is being a bit more flexible regarding immigration is Spain”, he says.
Luis thinks that people are not “to blame that the world economy is in such a state. We are human beings, and if some things are not going well in one place we must move elsewhere.”
“Obviously” – he adds – each country is going to look out for their own interests. However, if you are already living in a country there should be ways that the government can help you, as an immigrant, to help with your integration in the land. You cannot punish them.”
Luis did not believe that these changes come from a place of discrimination or fear of immigrants, but that “the economic situation across countries” is what can then lead to “the rise in far-right ideas that will point the finger towards immigrants”. He joked that “when things are going well, everyone is happy with one another”.
Marnith, 44, is Peruvian, from Lima, who came to this country in search of higher wages. She emigrated to Spain, to Avila, in 2007, and to the UK more recently, in 2020. She explained to The Prisma the long, expensive process to legally immigrate to Spain, all the bureaucratic and health-related requirements she went through, and the pains and expense of regrouping her family to Spain.
In her country, she was trained as an educator, but when she came to Spain, she had to work waiting at tables at a restaurant.
In London, she is a shopkeeper.
All the hardships she has had to endure during her time as an immigrant have made her point of view on immigration “selfish”, by her own account. She told me that she believes there’s much “corruption in Latin countries, and many people come to Europe with a fake passport or visa”.
Marnith also told The Prisma that she believed the changes brought out by the Home Office were positive for the immigrants who are here now. She argued that the economic situation in the country is not good, and that the UK does not have the ability to accommodate more immigrants coming in right now. While pointing towards the empty shop in which she works, and where The Prisma had the chance to interview her, she said that “there are no clients because people have no money in their pockets”.
She fears she might lose her job, pointing out that it used to be two people working at her shop, and now it is only her. “I have lived through this in Spain, and I see that the same thing is happening here”, she said. “If there’s no opportunity for those of us who are here now, living here, just imagine how little there will be for those who want to emigrate to the UK now”.
There was a joint study from the University of California and the Catholic University of America in 2021 which investigated the effects of the 2008 Great Recession on immigrants, which found that immigrants are the most vulnerable group when a recession comes, which suggests that a weaker economy can struggle to provide the stability required to integrate new arrivals effectively.
Jason, a 29-year-old grocer originally from Cali, Colombia, complains that some people who come to this country illegally and commit crimes in the UK are the ones who are to blame for these changes.
“I believe that there has been some bad faith towards immigrants by making the requirements to come here near impossible to fulfil for the good people who work and have done nothing wrong”.
He came from Spain, where he lived for most of his life in the Canarian island of Fuerteventura, to work. He managed to open his business and says many people come to him looking for a job.
“I own a business. People work alongside me. I employ people, and I give opportunities for people to progress. I provide a service. I am doing nothing wrong. However, many people come to me nearly every day looking for a job -mainly Moroccans, Indians, Albanians…-, but they have no legal documentation.” He said: “If I had the opportunity to do that 13 years ago, why can they not have the same opportunities as I did when I came over?”
(Photos: Pixabay)
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