Integration takes time, you'd need to measure over a period of at least 100 years to capture how the incomers assimilate into the resident population - and what the social and economic impact is.
i.e. the Barking Somalians - what does the area look like in 20 years when there's a whole generation of young adults of Somalian descent, then 50 years out when they have kids. Who have they married? Have the majority stayed? What macro events have informed the micro?
Issue is that all the current brouhaha is built upon timescales shorter than a TV series run - so you have the shock of forrins who don't speak the language/speak all funny, and are likely all members of that ISIS, and they'll be (assumption!) taking low paid jobs due to low levels of English and qualifications recognised in the UK.
My Grandad had a funny accent his whole life - but he was from a country that had (and has) English as a second language, at a very high level, for pretty much the entire population. He was also a GP whose qualifications transferred. His kids also spoke funny - but that was due to growing up in Wolverhampton.
My Grandad moved to an area with a lot of Maltese families - it's a natural thing to do.
None of his children live in Wolverhampton, they all left when they were of the age to go to Uni, I went there for the first time for his funeral.
We're now around 70 years since he first came over, I live in London, my brother is in Winchester, my cousins are in the US, Malta (of course), Canada, and Kent (from my Grandads kids, not the whole family).
Where will we be in 30 years? I don't know, the majority of us are contributing to UK "society" at the moment (albeit through the medium of bicycles in my case), and the odd post notwithstanding I'd not say I was an offence to social cohesion. We shall see I guess.
Integration takes time, you'd need to measure over a period of at least 100 years to capture how the incomers assimilate into the resident population - and what the social and economic impact is.
i.e. the Barking Somalians - what does the area look like in 20 years when there's a whole generation of young adults of Somalian descent, then 50 years out when they have kids. Who have they married? Have the majority stayed? What macro events have informed the micro?
Issue is that all the current brouhaha is built upon timescales shorter than a TV series run - so you have the shock of forrins who don't speak the language/speak all funny, and are likely all members of that ISIS, and they'll be (assumption!) taking low paid jobs due to low levels of English and qualifications recognised in the UK.
My Grandad had a funny accent his whole life - but he was from a country that had (and has) English as a second language, at a very high level, for pretty much the entire population. He was also a GP whose qualifications transferred. His kids also spoke funny - but that was due to growing up in Wolverhampton.
My Grandad moved to an area with a lot of Maltese families - it's a natural thing to do.
None of his children live in Wolverhampton, they all left when they were of the age to go to Uni, I went there for the first time for his funeral.
We're now around 70 years since he first came over, I live in London, my brother is in Winchester, my cousins are in the US, Malta (of course), Canada, and Kent (from my Grandads kids, not the whole family).
Where will we be in 30 years? I don't know, the majority of us are contributing to UK "society" at the moment (albeit through the medium of bicycles in my case), and the odd post notwithstanding I'd not say I was an offence to social cohesion. We shall see I guess.