Immigrant's view

The increased figure has prompted Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green to demand an annual limit on immigration.
He said the increase is making life difficult for teachers and parents. The Government said it is trying to "bring students weak in English up to speed".
According to reports, figures uncovered by Mr Green show 565,888 primary school children do not use English as their first language - an increase of more than 25% since 2004 (452,388).
In some areas, more than 70% of four to 11-year-olds do not have English as their first language.
And in secondary schools, 10.6% of pupils normally speak a foreign language - up from 8.8% in 2004.
Mr Green said: "The shocking figures show why we need an annual limit on immigration.

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Are these figures really shocking for anyone? Not for me, I guess... Just look around. How many English people you can see when you going out? In the shop, uni, underground, bus, pub?
To be honest, I don't see much much of them. Maybe I'm not a good example because I live in more student-type town where there's a lot of foreign students, but anyway.... I've been in other towns and cities around the country. I have seen lots of people. And average of them haven't been English. Most of them have different accents, so various ethnic origins, many of them even cannot speak English. But they live here. Some of them live in UK for very long time. Many send their children to local schools... But when their kids are coming back home, they enter the world of their parent's country, whatever and wherever their country is. Many of immigrants seem to live their live being 'next to Britain', never becoming a part of it.
And personally, I don't think if annual limit of immigration will make any change. It's too late already... So where's the real, genuine Britain? I'm afraid that it's lost.

Ethnic minorities, racial, cultural and generally immigration issues, together with their media and political portrayal, are the best examples of political correctness process, happening in this country.
Topics concerning minorities rights are really popular recently. But this country seems to be lost in creating more and more laws and rights to satisfy the immigrants and make them feel like home, neglecting their own, British citizens. If I was British, I would be very angry about it.
Once you come to this country, you don't have to try to be 'British'. But you cannot force all elements of your own culture to be accepted here, because some of them simply don't suit.
It is you first, who need to accept some rules.
But how can one be able to tolerate the typical British-life rules when they are making their three year old children walking barefoot or wearing sandals while there's 7 centigrades outside?!(while the same children, being in Asia, would be playing in scorching weather)...
If some cannot understand even the weather differences, how they accept these more serious issues, like law, customs, culture or acceptable/unacceptable behaviours?...
It is us, immigrants, who need to adjust to Britain, to have a right to speak about our demands toward this country.

What's obvious, Britain and United Kingdom in general have been facing some serious immigration problems for few years now. And it is going to get worse in time.
But I'm afraid that in all that immigrant/emigrant fuss, Britain has lost its track. I'm afraid that what we see now is Britain adjusting to its immigrants.
How is it possible that in some places around UK British children are minorities in their schools? Doesn't it sound like some really dark and not funny joke for you? For me, it does.

Well, I assume that, maybe, as one of the immigrants, I should not say out loud what I think about that. Yet, I will because I'm hoping to leave this country as soon as I finish my higher education here, because that is actually the main reason why I'm staying here.
I am very glad that after Poland joined EU, I got the chance to come here and study. I pay the same fees as English students, I got a student loan, I don't pay tax, I am treated as 'one of them'. Generally, I use the opportunity of being, studying and learning how to live my life abroad. This is quite a lesson. I appreciate this fact, I am very thankful to British and EU governments, because I am going to use my time here as beneficially as I can.

But I came to UK with the plans to come back to the place where I belong. Because here is not my place. Here is just one of these places that you visit at the beginning of your independent life, the life of a young adult, looking for your own space, the one where you stay for longer.
I have never planned to stay here 'for longer', I have never planned to have a regular family here, to put my children in this country's schools.
Why? Because I simply cannot imagine that. This country is so much different than mine. Even if it is still one and the same Europe, even that we have so much in common - the history, some habits and behaviours....I just feel that all Great Britain is loosing its personality. It is no more English-Scottish-Irish-Welsh country. It is multi-language, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic country that is constantly loosing its integrity. And it is loosing it more and more recently, this time mainly because of the inflow of immigrants from Western Europe countries, such as mine.
I am not trying to say that I am different or better than other immigrants from Poland.
But how can you come to the foreign country looking for asylum, job, home and shelter without knowing the language?! (yep, many of my countrymen, living and having families here, wouldn't be even able to read and understand what I am saying here).
Ok, sometimes you've got this situation that you just couldn't learn the language before. But why, while being here, some many foreigners so succesfuly avoid any contact with domestic British culture? Why they don't even try to learn the language? Why they are not even looking for the job, getting benefits from council, at the same time moaning and complaining that they don't have enough money and satysfying life. It looks even worse now (ehh, credit crunch...).
But for God's sake, people! This country opened its doors for you to come and get what you want ,and what do you do? You come here to sit and wait until someone serve you everything ready on the plate. And then - pass you a tissue, asking if you don't want a refill.
Maybe people'll understand it some day. But until UK government do something, nothing will change. Not for better, anyway...

So I am quite glad that I have some different plans for the future. Of course, everything can change.
We'll see.