How Important Were The Immigration Policies In The UK General Election?

1) Introduction Refugee crisis, border control, immigration, referendum, European Union, Brexit. The last years have been a rollercoaster for the United Kingdom. Many important decisions were taken or will soon be taken that will not only be decisive for the future but also provide a long-term change in the life of many citizens. With Brexit just around the corner, much has been discussed about the place of the immigrants. What will happen to the UK citizens living abroad, the EU citizens living in the UK and the refugees who do not have the choice to go back to their country of birth? In view of that, the following research question was elaborated: How important were the immigration policies in the 2017 UK general election? The aim is to attempt a better understanding of where the immigration policies were placed in the snap election, as it is deeply connected with the current context that Britain is living. To achieve this goal, the political manifestos from the main parties were analysed: Conservative, Labour, Scottish National Party (SNP) and Liberal Democrat (LibDem).

The parties could have chosen a different perspective to focus on. For instance, it could have been said that they would stand firm on the approbation and respect of immigrants and the development of a kind and harmless rhetoric on immigration. However, words are powerful and influence us in different ways. A negative impression formation would probably have a greater impact on the reader in order to draw attention to the injustices that will no longer be tolerated, while also criticizing the current attitudes and opinions being held by the government, the media and the citizens. Regarding the relationships we build through language, James Paul Gee states