EU migrants are needed to staff our hospitals

THE article in your newspaper (March 15 2017) entitled ‘Hospital staffing levels under threat due to Brexit’ demonstrates the extent to which we need EU migrants.

The letters by G Kent and Dick Hayball are significantly different as to require to respond to each one individually.

G Kent’s assertions about immigration threatening our infrastructure are reasonable concerns; however, I would argue that immigrants, through taxes in particular, help our infrastructure to cope with population increase.

A better way to improve our ability to cope would be to raise the taxes paid by the very wealthy, and to clamp down on individuals and companies who use tax avoidance methods. (Think Panama Papers).

G Kent also refers to the news coverage on the problems allegedly caused by immigration, highlighting that because the press reports overwhelmingly on the negative effects of immigration while under representing the positive effects, many people who are not racist at all come to support anti-immigration policies.

As for the question of morals, I would argue that the aforementioned article on the hospital’s staffing problems shows us that we do need foreign doctors and nurses, whether we like it or not.

On the issues raised by Mr Hayball, firstly I will ask him. what actual hard evidence is there that this nation is ‘overcrowded’? I don’t know all the facts but I am not convinced that Britain is overcrowded.

In response to his assertions that Imams issue death threats, I will say that although a lot of Muslims identify strongly with Britain it by definition means a minority don’t, and I maintain that those carrying out such threats are part of that select minority.

Criticizing all Muslims for this is like criticizing everyone who voted to leave the EU because a select minority carry out hate crimes against not only immigrants but also members of the LGBT community as well.

It is also illogical to blame Islamic immigration for FGM, because, whether it happens in Britain or elsewhere, FGM is still an abhorrent practice.

As a side note, as you mention ‘weasel words’ like Islamophobia, I must point out that I did not accuse you of being Islamophobic and I sincerely and whole-heartedly apologise if anything I have said has been interpreted to say as much.

My case rests.