Ben v7

When are you coming back to the UK Brit_In_Japan? I'm looking forward to hearing if any of your views change on your return, considering you've been away for some time.

turboman786

Core values....LOL!! No values would be a better sumary of most brits theses days...gone are the days of being 'great'

Leslie

We should stick to the orignal British tolerant and fair minded way of life, and those who come to live in our country should be expected to adopt the same sense of values, or go home!

Les

JTaylor

Do you mean abide by the Law Les? What would be your 'British Values' test? What's your definition of tolerant in this instance? Sorry for the probing questions, I'm just intrigued .

The Zohan

Hi Chaps

Just moved to another country, been here since Sunday.

Off to the beach after work (in 40 mins) – life is hard

My experiences of another culture and country so far.
Had to have a job and sponsor before I arrived there.
I am applying for residence status
I have to abide by the law and respect the culture.
Severe punishments and deportation after a hefty jail sentence in a harsh prison regime if I screw up.
No benefits for non residents and if I loose my job/sponsor I have to leave.

The country has severe penalties for any crime, caught drink driving and expect 3 month in jail straight away.
Caught robbing or stealing then long prison term keep offending a kiss a hand goodbye.
Drugs, anyone importing any amount will go away for life.
Subsequently there is little of this sort of crime or problems related to it.

I do not have to swear allegiance to anything just behave and fit in.

Most if not all locals I have met have been friendly and courteous to me

I just have to fit in, work to earn and behave myself, resect the local customs and culture whilst there. I am trying to pick up the language as i go on. most people speak English but i would like to be able to understand what is being said and contribute in Arabic as well if required. At the ver leasti ned to say hello, how are you, goodbye and f-off (driving standards are pretty bad)! I think it is just common courtesy as much as anything.

No PC bull**** to deal with.

All seems pretty fair really.

Not sure if the UK needs these core values, it needs to stop letting in criminals and work shy scroungers as the UK has enough of its home grown ones. Respect and morals have taken a nose dive under Labour and the last conservative rule and things must change for the better.

Not sure if NL are the people to be preaching about this given their track record.

JTaylor

Sounds great Paul, glad you're having a nice time.

Brit_in_Japan

Once again you haven't answered the question. Are you Teflon Tony?

You said they have no interest in learning English. What do you base that on?

I'm sure there are ecomonic migrants which have poor grasp of English, but it doesn't mean they don't want to learn or aren't in the process of learning. Perhaps you should spend some time in a non-English speaking country and see how you get on if they only provide forms in the local language.

Ben v7, I am back in the UK now (the location part on my posts is a clue ). Will take a few weeks to settle in. Have bought a car for commuting (start new job next week). Need to find somewhere to stay now. Will keep you posted

OllyK

I usually take an English > X dictionary and phrase book with me or purchase one on arrival, and your point is?

Other than for the asylum seekers, surely providing the forms in English only, would be a good indicator of the efforts that they've made to adapt prior to coming and how prepared they may be to integrate? Would you move to a non-English speaking country without at least having had some basic language lessons first?

For the assylum seekers, give them english lessons in the camps until they can understand the forms

Brit_in_Japan

My point is there's a difference between having a phrasebook or knowing a few phrases in another language and being able to negotiate their bureacracy .

I did move to a non-English speaking country without a comprehensive understanding of their language. I studied a little before I went, but was nowhere near proficient. I have friends in the British Embassy in Tokyo. They spend a full year on an intensive Japanese language course before they can even start their jobs. That includes learning hiragana, katakana (the 2 Japanese syllabries) and approx 1500 kanjii.

You really think that providing immigrants with some help in their native tongues is a bad thing? Surely it's good thing that they understand the rules and regulations and abide by the same rules as the rest of us. I was glad that Japan provided some literature in English, but largely I had to rely on Japanese friends to negotiate the system.

Petem95

Apparently BBC news held a little section on what are British values, and the spokesperson they asked was from the Muslim council of Britain...

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thre...809963&#809963

Interesting to read all the comments on the 'have your say' section however (link above) - people really have just had enough!!!

lozgti

Ooh err.I think a certain politician from the 60's might be correct.

Lots simmering under the surface in this country looking at the replies.

Best get my tin hat out

Suresh

I agree with UB that this is a load of politically-correct toss. From the bbc story:


However, Harris Bokhari, from the Muslim Association of Britain, told the BBC's Five Live it was a "knee-jerk reaction" because teaching British values in schools would not have prevented the London bombings.

"What was the reason why these people actually committed these disgusting acts?

"And unfortunately it was our foreign policy, it was the issue of the illegal war, the illegal occupation of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the continuing abuses of the Palestinian people, the illegal occupation of Palestine by the Israeli state."


This really, really ******* infuriates me . What do this idiot "Harris Bokhari" and the scum who did the July bombings think Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan have got to do with British people living in Britain that they should be angered by it? The answer is absolutely nothing whatsoever of course - if they really are British that is.


If people don't want to integrate, then they should stop bleating about it and bugger off to live in one of the wonderful places that that they fell more connected with.

Leslie

JT,

I think you must know at least as well as I do what I mean about a tolerant and fair minded society. The only way to teach this is by example. Of course it follows that observance of the law of the land you have settled in it all part of all that.

I think Paul Hapgood made the most revealing and accurate comment when he said he had to observe local customs, work to support himself, behave himself, and fit in.

The last comment in Suresh's post says it all-spot on in fact.

lozgti,

Enoch Powell was nobody's fool and it is frightening to consider what he said.

Les

JTaylor

I've enjoyed this thread; lot's of interesting points of view. One thing that's really come out of it is the sense of resentment felt buy otherwise level-headed people. When asked to except cultural change people often recoil and repel, I just hope that the huge numbers of honest, hard working immigrants who make such a positive contribution to this country don't feel the backlash. I'm concerned about the support that the notion of forced repatriation receives. This is the preserve of the BNP and they're making up a lot of ground off the back of it. We may not see rivers of blood just yet, but we ought to be a little careful.

Reality

That's the real threat in NL's current lack of immigration policy