How many migrant workers don’t speak/ learn English? . Practically zero. This is just a dog whistle idea from the bigoted cabinet aka Demonic Cummings
Good Morning Sunday 19th April 2026
Government are proposing to bring in a points based system from next year. Immigrants will need a job offer, earn at least £25600 and speak English. A good thing or not
How many migrant workers don’t speak/ learn English? . Practically zero. This is just a dog whistle idea from the bigoted cabinet aka Demonic Cummings
I have been living in Norway for a while. They have a similar system. You cannot move there unless you are either able to support yourself (and it is an expensive country to live in so that means a MASSIVE amount of private income) or studying at an established university, or have a job which is professional in nature and pays over a set limit.
This is true of Iceland as well. These countries may be European but they are outside the EU and so choose to set their own limits. Each country has an ID number system and until you satisfy their criteria, your ID isn't issued. Without an ID you cannot earn, cannot go to the doctor, cannot have a bank account, cannot rent or buy....endless things. So you are forced to bend to the rule or get out.
If you do not meet the criteria you are sent back after 6 months. Seems to work for them.....
Of course along with higher wages will come higher prices. Which is probably a good thing as we will buy less which must be a plus for the environment. I would like to know what these economically inactive people are doing now? The bulk is made up of pensioners, students and the sick. People are not economically inactive without a reason. No one lives off of fresh air.
If you do not meet the criteria you are sent back after 6 months. Seems to work for them.....
That sounds very familiar. Under EU Freedom of Movement member states are entitled to 'send back' non-nationals who, after six months, are not employed and who are not self supporting. I understand that this is rigorously applied in some member states. The UK never bothered...
I think the cabinet members earn so much money that they don’t realise that £25,600 is not a realistic salary in the areas in need.
'Economically inactive' also encompasses stay at home parents who are bringing up children and unpaid carers. Both these things are economically beneficial to the country, they're just not being recognised as such because the people doing it are not being paid a wage for their services.
Are we saying that we want a country where every single adult is in paid employment while their nurturing responsibilities are carried out by other people in paid employment (and whose wages absorb a large chunk of the wages of the person who is employing them)? That seems to be a very sad state of affairs and indicates a mentality which knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Myself, husband and all our AC had part-time jobs the minute they were legally allowed to work, ranging from paperboy, ice cream seller (seasonal), pot washer in local pub, waiting/washing up in local coffee shop, Saturday girl in clothes shop through to working as a trainer in local gym.
I do not buy into the concept that school/college/uni is so hard nowadays that work is not an option.
Unfortunately the reality for some is that they just do not want to work in any job they deem to be menial.
Not everyone is as perfect as you and your family, GG13.
Goodness, this thread has really brought out the smug, self satisfied and sanctimonious..
I think this is still being said by a number of people:
Luke 18:11 KJV: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
MaizieD how flipping rude, I am far from smug, just had the work ethic installed in me at a young age as both my parents worked full time.
I continued working through raising our children and they grew up knowing if they wanted something they had to,work for it as opposed to us handing over the money to pay for it.
Our AC friends have also worked through college, one of the girls in a local hospice and one in a care home.
The language problem.
I only have the experience of working in 2 care homes and my mother in law being in a care home.
It was a problem in the ones I worked in as in most residents were in varying degrees of dementia/ Alzheimer's. That coupled with loss of hearing caused residents distress.
The ones I worked in would not acknowledge this problem but the one where my mother in law was cared for was very aware so took steps to remedy the problem.
I've asked my neighbour ( a retired care home inspector) if this is a problem. She confirmed that it was, but, not one we talk about ?
Although most migrants do speak some English, those working in agriculture, packing operations or factories do not have much English. Those from Eastern Europe would be most affected, it does not affect their ability to do the work because their supervisors speak the native language.
Obviously migrants working in health and care environments do need good English.
*pinkquartz: " Imagine you live alone and the only person you see each day is your Carer.
That person cannot speak English and you do not speak-any other language except English."*
Well, I can imagine that it must be very distressing but how often does this actually happen? Would such a carer be sent to a person living on his/her own? Have you personally come across such a carer, pinkquartz ?
I live in the hills of S.W,Scotland you would be hard pushed to find a farm that grows fruit, the only veg you will find are tatties and turnips. Where am i supposed to buy Apples, lettuce,berries etc Davidhs ?
Pinkquiz you were very rude and dismissive about the disabled and work, it shows you have no understanding whatsoever of the disabled be it physical or mental and their ability to work. there use to be a government scheme where the disabled could do work with a support worker helpng them but I believe this has been stopped. Also the factory employing just disabled people was closed so the government is doing nothing to help them work or be cared for. At the moment I am fighting for 3 extra hours a week for my daughters care, I will get it eventually but what a fight and it shouldn't be so.
My daughter has daily care, three times a day and to be honest the ones that were the most caring and efficient were those from abroad, even with their limit English.
Overall I don’t think a points based system will make much difference to the number of migrant workers in the UK because the work needs to be done. Much of it is manual work that cannot be replaced by technology. As students make up a large slice of the 8.4 million inactive that Patel refers to, they could be made to contribute more (many do) but I don’t see it happening.
Controlling migration has got to be good as long as we are willing to accept the restriction of liberty and beaurocracy that would be involved. Australia and the US are particularly tough do we really want that system.
This is only one experience but in all the time mum was home cared she never had anyone who couldn't communicate with her. Understanding the limits of her communication skills seemed to be more of a problem and that didn't matter what the language skills of the person giving the care were but rather more on their training and experience.
While in the care home she had, I think, three carers who do not have English as their first language but it has never caused a problem. Two of them speak our language as well as many whose mother tongue it is. One of those is in a senior position.
Most who come to this country from elsewhere want to learn to speak the language and tend to find jobs where they can do that. Some are highly qualified and learning English so they can go back to using their own skill set is why they do a job where they need to learn.
Thank you from a disabled person to the only three posters on this thread who called out quizqueens disgusting ableist post. It attacked people with physical and mental disabilities. It’s now deleted. Are the rest of you happy with a poster expressing comments like that? Do you even notice them? . Do you agree with them? Do you even care? Why didn’t you say anything?
Greta
yes multiple times
suziewoozie
I didn't see that post......do you want to PM me what it said?
GGMK3
I think you have not understood what i am saying
it is not the same in a care home.
I mean a person living alone.
Barmyoldbat
pe you did
you are quoting a name similar to mine but I don't think you mean me.
Can you clarify please.
pinkquartz it’s a bit late now. It’s caused harm but at least 3 people cared. I can’t believe that the rest of you didn’t see it- this is a very interactive thread. The charitable expiation is that you ( in general) don’t understand the concept of ableism and how rife it is today. The less charitable explanations font bear thinking about. And this is a week where we now know that BJ and DC espouse whole heartedly the concept of eugenics - you do know don’t you that as well this being used to wipe out Jewish people, it was used as a reason to send many disabled people to the gas chambers?
She meant quizqueen
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