Life of an Immigrant in the United Kingdom

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Introduction

It is important to note the fact that being an immigrant in the UK is both a great opportunity and challenging experience filled with a wide range of obstacles and barriers to overcome. I would like to state that the given speech will primarily focus on various aspects of living in the UK as an immigrant on the pros and cons basis. Moreover, the credibility factor comes from my own personal experience being an immigrant from Cameroon and from analysis of the current information on the subject. Learning about an immigrant’s experience of living in the UK is of a major interest for many individuals, including the ones planning to do so and the ones already in the process of being in the UK.

Preview

The first point revolves around economic factors, which address the subjects in regards to the standard of living and employment. The second point focuses on social factors, which address the UK’s multiculturalism and racism. The third point is centered around political factors, which primarily accentuate the subjects of governmental support and citizen obligations.

Economic Factors: Pros

The main point number one is that the United Kingdom is among the top developed nations in the world with a strong economy, and thus, offers higher standards of living to many immigrants, but there are still some employment-related challenges. The key pro is that the United Kingdom has higher standard of living compared to many other nations, which benefits immigrants as well. For instance, the UK is ranked in the top 20 nations in regards to the Quality of Life Rank, which means that it has high levels of healthcare and safety, and low pollution rates alongside other important factors (“Standard of living by country,” 2021). In addition, the purchasing power, cost of living, and legal institutions are properly set to ensure a decent standard of living (“Standard of living by country,” 2021).

Economic Factors: Cons

The key con is that being employed is much harder for an immigrant compared to locals, and the options are mainly at the minimum wage levels. For example, it is stated: “Black and Muslim minorities have twice the unemployment rate of their white British peers” (Heath & Richards, 2020, para. 2). Thus, even if one is able to land a job, the position will most likely pay close to minimum wage amount. It is important to note that economic factors aside, a life of an immigrant is also affected by social forces.

Social Factors: Pros

The main point number two is that the United Kingdom has rich cultural heritage and highly multicultural, which is due to its outstanding degree of tolerance, but racism and racial inequalities are still present. The pro is that the UK is a welcoming nation for immigrants due its ability to cherish its rich cultural history as well as be open to other cultures, which makes it highly multicultural. In the case of ethnicity, in London, white people represent only 69% of the total population (“London population,” 2021). In the case of religions, the capital city has “the highest percentage of people identifying as Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish” (“London population,” 2021, para. 20).

Social Factors: Cons

However, the con is that despite the overall outstanding achievements in regards to multiculturalism, racism and racial inequality are still present to a noticeable extent. For example, in the case of inequalities, it is stated that “major ethnic and racial inequalities persist in employment, housing and the justice system” (Heath & Richards, 2020, para. 2). In the case of racism, 18% of the British public agreed that some ethnic groups are inherently inferior to others, and 44% believed that some groups are more hardworking than others (Heath & Richards, 2020). The last important factor that affects an immigrant’s life in the UK are manifested in the political dynamics.

Political Factors: Pros

The main point number three is that the general political environment in the UK is focused on having a strong government, which ensures the provision of key structures, but comes at a cost of taxes and strict regulations. The key pro is that the UK’s government is highly democratic and provides essential necessities, such as healthcare. For example, NHS of the UK can be considered as among the outstanding examples of free healthcare, which not only benefits the British public, but also immigrants. In addition, the key judicial and political institutions are democratic, and have no indication of corruption, which is present in many developing nations.

Political Factors: Cons

The integral con is rooted in the notion that the stated support from the government evidently comes at a price, which is manifested in taxes, because they are high in the UK. For example, high tax rates put a great deal of financial strain on immigrants, who face employment and poverty challenges. Immigrants alongside other members of the British public are subject to a wide range of costly obligations, such as insurance, utilities, bills, etc., which are more expensive than in developing nations. For example, electricity price can be high in the UK, and they are also measured in kWh consumed. Although there are many other factors that affect an immigrant’s life in the UK, these three cover the most critical ones.

Overview

By overviewing the stated main points, it is evident that immigrating to the United Kingdom is an important step in a person’s life, which why one needs to be aware of all the benefits and challenges of such an endeavor. At the end of the day, being an immigrant in the UK and experiencing these influences might not pros or cons for one, and each person will have a different experience. The United Kingdom has its own problems, but so do many other developed and developing countries. Which is why it is important to look at these factors defining and unique features of the country rather than positives and negatives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, being an immigrant in the UK will most likely improve one’s standard of living, but there will be employment challenges. The UK has a highly multicultural and tolerant society, but it does not mean that the issues of racism and racial inequality are absent. The United Kingdom’s government is highly effective at ensuring democracy and provides free healthcare, but it comes at the cost of higher taxes. Despite all the pros and cons, it up to an individual immigrant to decide whether these factors outweigh each other. My experience of being an immigrant is mostly a positive one, and I believe that I am highly fortunate to be a member of this society.

References

Standard of living by ciuntry. (2021).

Hearh, A., & Richards, L. (2020). How racist is Britain today& What the evidence tells us. The Conversation.

London population. (2021).

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