Immigration relates to the movement of peoples from one country into another, for residential rather than visiting purposes, which may be for a number of reasons, including economic, familial, social or personal. Migration to escape persecution, political or otherwise, is termed 'asylum' and should be distinguished from the wider concept of 'immigration'. However, the two terms are widely conflated in the UK at present. Immigration and asylum are the responsibility of the UK Border Agency, which is part of the Home Office. Background Modern-day immigration traces its roots back to the British Empire, which to varying degrees inculcated a sense of Britishness in local populations - a sense amplified by large-scale imperial participation …show more content…
The debate has switched in recent years from 'Commonwealth immigration' - largely a euphemism for Caribbean black and Asian people taking up their rights to settle in the UK - to asylum seekers coming to the UK from conflict zones or other areas where they are persecuted. But the issues at stake remain the same in the UK and elsewhere. Those receiving the brunt of criticism are the 'economic migrant' and the 'benefit tourist' - people seen as coming to the UK, not to escape persecution, but to find employment and enrich themselves or try to take advantage of the UK's benefit system. The extent to which these immigrants actually exist remains unclear, but they are frequently cited by some of the British media. There are also concerns about illegal immigration: the open internal borders of much of the EU, and its long borders with poorer countries in the east, have led to 'people trafficking' by organised criminal gangs. Indeed, illegal immigrants are particularly vulnerable to involvement in criminal activity or exploitation in the black economy because of their poverty and lack of legal status to work or claim benefits. Any involvement of immigrants in crime is frequently highlighted by the media, worsening their image