We live in a NIMBY world! Integration should be beneficial

We live in a ‘Not In My Back Yard’ (NIMBY) world, where we all want great public transportation but nobody wants trains passing through their back garden, we don’t want the bus stop outside the front of our homes and we don’t want the airport flight path directly over our homes

It is the same with immigration, integration, multiculturalism and race-related intolerance

Governments must prepare to INVEST. Not just in settling and integration of immigrants BUT improving the communities into which they are to be settled. It should be a hugely beneficial move to have immigrants settle into your community: there should be a set stipend (benefit) paid to those living in those areas, new facilities should be built: schools, hospitals etc. And a heavy investment in social workers working with not just the immigrants BUT existing locals in those areas, such that it becomes a massive advantage if your area is selected to settle newcomers in. It should be a means of overall community improvement such that anytime a community is selected, it should be like a lottery win to those already living in those areas, so that they and the newcomers benefit hugely and that togetherness is what will aid integration.

Yes, hand-in-hand with the above, is the need for a robust immigration system or the whole world will empty out to try to get to the same country and such systems can be exploited, but if handled with care, it is achievable and it will mean that immigrants fully integrate and begin contributing to society quicker BUT most importantly, it removes intolerance that currently brews from envy and a perception by some, that handouts are given to immigrants while locals struggle to obtain the same. The reality is that immigrants do not have existing support networks and alienating them is generally detrimental to everyone in the long run. The key is to incentivise not just the immigrants (so that they choose to integrate properly) but more importantly, to incentivise their hosts: the communities in which they are settled should benefit immensely. As a taxpayer, I would be happy to pay more to provide the proverbial ‘handout’ to not just the newcomers but to the communities they are settled into, instead of ending up with areas that feel they are at a disadvantage when immigrants show up

And a small explained above, along with all that, should be a robust system and in the long run, such an expensive approach (and it will be, as the heavy investment in those communities where they are settled must be truly transformational and not just some superficial tweaks. Cash should be given out to those host communities, schools, hospitals, sports complexes etc. built) will totally change the present situation and society will be a lot better for it

We can’t keep dumping immigrants or asylum seekers in deprived areas where the existing locals are already in dire need of assistance that they feel they are not getting and then hope for tolerance, integration and cohesion. It really is a no-brainier. Heavy investment must go in and must be for both the newcomers as well as the existing locals in those communities so that the introduction of the newcomers bring in that massive advantage all round. Will this ever happen? Unlikely, as our decision-makers do not live in the impacted communities and they have achieved their NIMBY status and as such, do not believe they need to listen to the communities who feel impacted by the dumping of newcomers and have to cope with those new cultures etc. We tell them they just have to get on with it, and when they complain, we call them racists and right-wing fanatics, while majority of us enjoy our posh areas and retain NIMBY, BUT we talk about wanting to see immigrants settle into society etc. (provided their not next door to us of course!)….

Things must change. We can effectively eliminate intolerance, racism etc., if we innovate. Develop society together. Those directly impacted must receive that heavy investment so that it changes their lives and those of the newcomers all together