I had no idea tbh. Didn't even think New Zealanders were averse to immigration. What I find funny is that this country has had the same wave of immigration for centuries... and the same xenophobic reaction to it. The massive French influx in the 17th century was met with the same abuse. The Jewish wave of immigrants in the 19th century once again were feared by us Brits. Then the infamous "no Irish, no blacks, no dogs" policy in the 1950's. The Asian migration of the 1960's and 70's.
The funny thing is, over any hundred year period it's the foreigners that become assimilated into British culture (while adding some degree of their own of course) and then the next wave is considered to be "the threat to our way of life" until they're assimilated and the next lot arrive. It's simply the Pole's turn now.
I won't say everything is perfect, there are problems (especially with the disconnect between certain communities) but I honestly believe the net worth is far more positive than it is negative. I work in the public sector and I see it every day.
The "foreigners" has always been the easiest scapegoat. Easy to point to as a one dimensional issue rather than a multitude of complex, usually economic issues.
I'm not so sure about the assimilation as you put it at least in later migrations.
Paradoxically earlier influx came at times where even the establishment was openly hostile...foreigners didn't have rights so were forced to more quickly adopt the indigenous language, customs etc attempt to hide their "difference" as much as possible. Their imported culture was not respected and met with hostility...integration was forced upon them.
Also Immigration during the 17th and 19th centuries came at a time when huge amounts of workers were needed due to different stages of industrialisation. Even in the 1950's after WW2, workers were needed to rebuild.
Since then two things have happened...1) our society has introduced equality legislation that ensures a respect for incoming immigrants cultures and identity. 2) the traditional areas that immigrants head to, inner cities no longer offer the high levels of employment that previous migrations allowed.
So you now have the situation where minorities become the majority in certain areas...are not forced to change their identity much, language etc. Then add second and third generations that have no job prospects in deprived areas with the associated poor housing, poor health, poor education and cultures within cultures occurs where they are bitter about their prospects, fearful of the hostility shown because they have become the scapegoats and feel like they are not part of the state they live in.
This can be seen when migrants from the 60's 70's are among the loudest to ask for restrictions now.
Now clearly I'm not going to suggest we should go back to a removal of rights for immigrants to force integration lol..
I'm also not anti immigration. I like you love cultural diversity as it adds to our country- a country built from layer on layer of migration for a thousand years but how do we encourage a mutual respect? If there are areas where second or third generation immigrants are in the highest unemployment bracket is it wise to be bringing more in from yet more cultures when we haven't figured out how to assimilate previous waves? Rather than focusing on ensuring we look after what are now being 2nd and third generation UK citizens?
If we are failing to provide good housing, education and employment to previous immigrants or their children?
As you can see, I haven't discussed poor "white" populations that live side by sidemail with previous arrivals. This was deliberate as it is too wast to look like the old "poor white man's jobs been robbed by the foreigners "...I think it's more that they live in the same areas with the lack of job opportunities, poor housing etc...it's a shared problem rather than one or the others fault.
So what do we do? Do we only let in specialists? Highly educated? People who will create jobs as well as fill them?
How do we say to the jobless already here there is a job but it's not well paid probably menial but better than nothing without it seeming like we are saying this is all you are worth?
How do we encourage inner state migration...i.e. you are unemployed in Birmingham there's a job in Manchester ...move we will help you to move. If a Pole is prepared to change countries to get a job how do we create a culture where people move to other parts of the country?
I haven't a clue.