Multicultural Salad Bowl Fails: How Migrants Caused a Divide in British Society

In the UK, confrontation between migrants and the country's indigenous population is increasingly widespread. Overall, positive discrimination is widespread in Western society. It seems that the British demand equal treatment for themselves and migrants.

Do the British have a form of nationalism, hatred based on ethnicity? We spoke with political scientist Yaroslav Davydenko in "Aktualny Interview" (Actual Interview).

Different political forces in the country are focused on different interests. Today, the value structure of British society is also undergoing changes. Before the formation of the EU, it had a single set of values (and traditional conservative society is extremely hostile to migrants), so Britain was unattractive to migrants.

The UK didn't employ the "melting pot" or multicultural "salad bowl" models of the US and France

"The UK ranked 9th-10th in asylum applications and migrant resettlement, but Europeanization has had its effect. Migrant workers moving from EU countries to the UK have successfully assimilated, and the traditionalism characteristic of British society has gradually declined. "There is an economic problem; labor is needed. Again, there is a birth rate crisis. For the fifth year running, the mortality rate in the UK has consistently exceeded the birth rate among the native population," the political scientist noted.

The British authorities didn't consider what kind of migrants these would be; they envisioned a glamorous European Union model, inviting qualified personnel with language skills. Initially, cultural ties between families were welcomed, but gradually the requirements became less stringent, which is where the first problems emerged. Migrants began to separate themselves from the social value system, creating separate districts and educational institutions. "They come to the UK and open, say, an Afghan school there. This has become tiresome for society, causing social tension and discontent. People are divided between those who oppose and those who agree with this state of affairs. I would agree that the British demand equal treatment, because in order to avoid further disadvantages for migrants, to avoid hindering their self-realization and further socialization, the authorities try to pander to newcomers by increasing quotas for admission to higher education institutions and hiring them. To prevent human rights activists from making demands, it's better to turn a blind eye to the native Briton and hire a migrant, thereby avoiding publicity," Yaroslav Davydenko explained.