Thread by @dgurdasani1

All of this. The rhetoric around immigrants in the UK media is dehumanising. We're treated as if we don't contribute, take up resources, and are unwanted. Despite bringing vital skills to meet shortages, contributing actively to the economy and society. 🧵

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1441885279888019460

It's devaluing to see how we are depicted in the media. The immigration system in the UK is hostile- anyone who has been through it knows that. The Windrush scandal wasn't an exception in home office policy- it's very much the rule as to how the home office treats migrants.

Every aspect of home office policy is hostile
-This includes the NHS surcharge, no recourse to public funds while paying full tax, NI.
-paying £2000/visa
-'deport first, appeal later' policies

Home Office has lost 75% of their appeals against applicants for refugee status

The Home office has tried to deport hundreds of highly skilled migrant workers, the majority of whom had lived with their families in the UK for >10 yrs. Most of these were overturned at tribunal/judicial review, which shows that these activities by the home office are unlawful.

It's no wonder there has been a huge exodus of immigrants since Brexit, and there are now shortages across multiple sectors including healthcare, where they're having very real impacts on ability of the NHS to provide even basic routine care to communities.

This is an act of self-harm by the government. Their rhetoric on immigration over the past decade has spurred anti-immigration sentiment, and racism. Immigrants contribute hugely to society & there will be key skills shortages without immigration.

A struggling NHS that has been devastated by a pandemic & lack of govt response *and* been underfunded for a decade means we are unable provide people with even routine care. Staff leaving from a combination of being hung out to dry during a pandemic + Brexit will worsen this.

So now we have difficulties with provision of even basic routine healthcare, food supply shortages, medicine supplies, and energy supplies. The government were warned about this repeatedly. And they did nothing to avert it, continuing to demonise immigrants for their own failings

I'm astonished that the govt expect people to come in to fill in these shortages by giving them *3 month visas* to help tide over an entirely self-created crisis.

People won't come if they don't feel valued. Why should they?