What controlled immigration means to the Sun

Discussing the issue of immigration can be extremely controversial and requires sensitive handling.

The Sun for their part are at pains to point out that they do recognise some benefit to controlled immigration.

But its interesting to see who they think are beneficial.

In their case study of good and bad immigration on 2/4/08 readers are introduced to Jarek Radwannski.

Mr Radwannski loves the UK, is happy to pay his taxes and doesn’t believe in claiming benefits.

Mr Radwannski, you may have guessed, is a good immigrant.

We also meet Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Sharif built a seven bedroom mansion in Pakistan on the back of lucrative benefit fraud, credit card scams and passport forgeries. Mr Sharif was unemployed before his arrest.

Mr Sharif is a bad immigrant.

Whats interesting to note that good immigrant Mr Radwannski is a white Eastern European man whereas Mr Nawaz Sharif was born in Pakistan.

What these examples infer, whether intentionally or not,  is the divisive and oft-repeated stereotype that while East European immigrants are hard working, immigrants from sub continent Asia are prone to criminal activity and most probably terrorism.

Why choose Mr Sharif who was jailed way back in 2006 as the bad immigrant example?

The Sun should maybe take more heed of columnist David Blunkett in the same day’s edition who said:

“There is still deep prejudice just below the surface in many aspects of life here.

“We must tackle head-on those that wil be whipping up division in the run-up to local elections in a month’s time.”

Does that include your paymasters Mr Blunkett?