Ignore the factless, xenophobic voices. Immigration is vital for the UK. Millions of lives depend on it.
First published in February 2020.
When I was 16 I wanted to be a nurse.
I worked weekends in a care home to gain experience while I did my A levels.
I ended up working in a challenging behaviour unit in a learning disabilities hospital. I loved it. I worked with people from across the world.
I did my A levels and took a year off to gain more experience.
I cared for offenders. I cared for people on psychiatric holds. I learnt so much. I went on to do my nursing qualification at Leeds University. I learnt more and qualified.
I worked in A&E, dealing with mental health patients. I loved my work and the difference I made.
I left nursing after a while but I still worked the odd shift to keep up my registration. I worked again in care homes.
PMP XTRAThis week's @theipaper cartoon#PritiPatel #Immigration pic.twitter.com/zKzbdVKdaO
— Ben Jennings (@BJennings90) February 21, 2020
I cared for your parents, your grandparents.
Not bad for an immigrant from Donegal. I know that the Irish have an exception in the new immigration laws. We earnt that.
But the point still stands.
Immigration is vital. The UK cannot function without it.
I wouldn’t have met the threshold. How much value do you put on your loved ones care? One immigrant? 2, or 10, or 100?
Immigration is vital. Lives depend on it.🔷
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[This piece was first published as a Twitter thread and turned into the above article on 21 February 2020, with the author’s consent, with the purpose of reaching a larger audience. It has been minorly edited and corrected. | The author of the tweets writes in a personal capacity.]
