Opinion: Wary of Roma, Europe cold-shoulders its new eastern workmates via Reuters -John Gelmini

Europe – Satellite image – PlanetObserver (Photo credit: PlanetObserver)

Dr Alf is right, immigration is a Pan European problem but it is only a problem because European Governments have failed to address the problems of exports, skills, productivity and growth and have encouraged immigrants to do the work which their indigenous populations cannot or will not do.

Much of Germany‘s menial and blue-collar work is done by Turks. Britain’s home-grown food is harvested and packed by Eastern Europeans. Surly service in restaurants and hotels, once the province of people who would make the fictional Basil Fawlty sound polite, has now given way to much quicker and better service from Poles and assorted Europeans.

Our own lower social classes (C1s, C2s, Ds and Es), if they are not working, are deep in slumber until the latest edition of “Jeremy Kyle” graces their flat screen televisions or a summons from the DWP forces them to present themselves at a dole office.

In my late father’s village in Italy, 20 kilometers from Cremona, the home of the Stradivarius violin the population of 3000 people is now comprised of 1200 indigenous residents and 1800 assorted Sikhs, Sri Lankans, Roma, Chinese, Somalis, Libyans and Punjabis.

The sons and daughters of the indigenous population there are working on the Milan Bourse,studying in America and working across the world because the prospect of working in agriculture or not working at all is not attractive.

Without growth and jobs people will leave for better opportunities elsewhere so Europe’s leaders need to step up to the plate and start taking action.

The UK press are there to sell newspapers and will often pander to the baser instincts of the uninformed in order to do that whilst at the same time giving us little slivers of fact.

John Gelmini