Why do i see so many immigrants (India, Pakistan...) in London?

Question

Recently I spent a couple of days in London (before taking the Eurostar to France), i really liked it, the pubs etc, but just being observant I was surprised by the number of immigrants, in streets, hotels, restaurants, I would like to know what is happening? Many seem nice but I don't remember seing this when i travelled to London 10 years ago (or 20 when i was young), it was mostly real British people then. I know France has problems with mass immigration from North Africa i just wanted to know if London has similar issues with India or Pakistan (or are they from another area of the world i am not able to identify? please inform me)

Some demographic (statistic) data can be useful

Answer 1

when i'm on public transport, all you can hear is foreign languages being spoken, no one bothers to even learn english anymore, because they know our silly system will give them a nice house, money every week and free hospital care regardless. they come here and expect everything on a silver platter, and our stupid system gives it to them.

i'm not originally white british, my father is swedish and my mother is an arab, but i was born here and i am sad to see the country i grew up in go down the drain like this, mostly because of bloody gordon brown.

Answer 2

I was here 10 years & more ago there were plenty of Asian immigrants then, perhaps you're not as observant you think you are.

Answer 3

Because our countries immigration laws and controls are a joke.

Yes allow professionals in but the amount of asylum we offer is ridiculous, they just come here claim benefits get their rent payed have kids that join gangs and knife people.

We live in a world where you cant say anything because its not PC as you yourself just proved.

lets face it asylum here must be attractive, full well fare and benefits a national health service and the bonus of gaining having kids here who are born UK citizens.

I mean come on some places have the road signs in Arabic and polish now!

I am not racist, i know of the good and bad of all races - i have cousins in Manchester who are mixed race, half black -  i am mixed race myself but I'm British and i thing we have way to many unskilled foreigners in this country, add to that the lack of integration particularly from Muslims and you have problems.

Sorry if any of that offends but its my opinion as a Brit and i feel strongly about it too.

Answer 4

When the English took control over India they brang a lot of the natives back with then to England as servants.

Answer 5

Because they emigrate to the former British Empire as a former part of this Empire.

Answer 6

I dunno, theres not many asians in Scotland TBH.

Answer 7

There are many reasons for the situation on which you commented.  Some are obvious, and some less so.  

Firstly, almost everyone has heard of London, so it's an easy place to aim for- and get to!  So along the way, many immigrants have gravitated to London and communities

become established there.  

Secondly, the UK has a reputation for being soft on illegals, and if you want somewhere to subside into the indigenous population, London is a good place to start- because lots of immigrants already live and work there.  Thus, London has a significant proportion of the illegal migrants now residing in England.

Thirdly, if you want to do business and make money, London is a good place to do this- which is why so many Indians live and work there.  Many Indians are involved in the legal profession, trade and finance- and London is the centre for such matters.

Fourthly, if you want to be among your own kith and kin, you move to where they are already established.  For example, the East End has many Bangladeshis, whilst in Harrow and Southall, there are many Indians.  And in SE London, in Brixton, there is an established W Indian community; and so on.

Compared to the 1950s, present day London is markedly different.  Today, it seems that its demographic mix and character is changing, day by day.  Whether these population changes are a good thing or a bad thing, only time will tell.  Right now it seems, London, given its ethnic mix, could well claim to be the migrant capital of the world!  

For my part, as an Englishman, I feel very sad that the London I knew 50 years ago, has all but disappeared.  Though memories linger on, they grow fainter by the day.    And when my generation are gone, who then will remember London as once she was?  If progress is change, is change progress?  In the case of London, that is a moot point!

Answer 8

Tom S you are rather narrow-minded.

I'm sure that if your could earn 5times as much as what you earn now in a different country you would consider moving. This is what htese epople do.

Would you consider me an immigrant? born and raised in england but my grandparents immmigrated from italy and my father is from iran?

Culture is not culture these days without a bit of everything in it.

Would you not rather England was full of different cultures bringing what they can to the table to make great britain greater?

And as for the old *their taking all our jobs* excuse (this isnt directed at you tom) that many people LOVE bringing up in these situations... if you got off your *** and off benifits then maybe there wouldnt be so many *foreigners* working in *our jobs*. They do a better job anyway!

So leave these people to their business... i may be alone in my views but i truly  belivev the multi nationality of this country is what makes us stand out formt he rest of the world

Answer 9

anyone can turn up at a airport/ferry terminal.and they are let in.why think you should ask the government  that question?

Answer 10

Because they come over here to pay taxes to enrich our poor government. !

Answer 11

Its the same everywhere now not just London.  Im in the northwest and hear foreign accents every time I go out.

Answer 12

A lot of these "immigrants" you speak of are actually "real british" people - we live in a multicultural society and many of these "immigrants were actually born and grew up here.

So what our society has changed, isn't that happening everywhere.

So you want to stay away from the "politically correct"  - well i think you are just being down right insulting to all the British people here who have indian or pakistani heritage. You are obviously very narow-minded

and before you assume i am of indian/pakistani heritage - i want to inform you that i am not - white british actually.

Answer 13

England has the largest # of Indians outside of India.  Maybe you didn't go out that much 10 years ago.

A lot of those "immigrants" are second and third generation already.

Answer 14

When you last visited London, we waited until you were gone and then invited loads of people from India and Pakistan to get on these big boats and sail to Thanet.

Christ knows why but every invader we've ever had has landed at Thanet.

Then we sneaked them all into jobs where they or their off-spring would eventually meet you and create this whole delusion of yours.

Really...it was no trouble at all.

Answer 15

welcome to the new multinational uk.. times have changed.. won't be long until a civil war breaks out, i don't reckon, not that i have a problem with other minorities but some people do.

Answer 16

Depends on who you want to define an immigrant.  Loads of UK asians were born here, technically they are not immigrants.  

Of the immigration from the Indian sub-continent, many came over after the second world war in response to calls by the likes of Enoch Powell to help re-build the UK.

Hope you find the links of use.