Letter: YOUR SHOUT - There is a land of opportunity

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), August 30, 2007

Byline: AP

I HAVE been reading with interest a number of media articles on immigration to and from Britain.

Apparently, almost 600,000 people have arrived in Britain over the past 12 months; that equates roughly to the combined population of Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham City. I wonder if the Government has worked out that this may have something to do with the chronic housing shortage and other problems related to mass immigration.

I don't have a problem with people coming here looking to better themselves. These problems are caused by our Government not doing its research properly and basically sticking its head in the sand, pretending we don't have a problem and that everything is hunky-dory when in fact it is a big mess for everyone concerned.

On the other side of the coin, 196,000 people have left this country looking for a better life. Given the state of our nation, this comes as no surprise to me. In 1993 I left Britain for a better life in Canada, and that is just what I found! Within two weeks I had a job which paid more than double what I had been earning doing the same work in Britain.

The cost of living was about 50% lower and the standard of living was far superior to what I had left behind. I can honestly say to anyone thinking of emigrating that Canada is still a land of opportunity, but not for the faint-hearted. Although I had a really good life in Canada I had family commitments which forced my return to Britain in the year 2000.

However, not a day goes by that I don't regret coming back here. I find that a very sad thing to have to say about the country where I was born.

AP, Prudhoe.