UK voters' panel: Chris Li

MEET THE PANEL Name: Chris Li Age: 26 Lives: Bournemouth Works: Sales Current voting intention: Labour In 10 words or less: "Graduate, family man, political activist" Watch message

My family and I work seven days a week. We contribute a lot to the British economy and local community.

I really don't know why, as immigrants, we have suddenly become the target in this election.

Sometimes I wonder what Michael Howard's own immigrant parents would think of their son's aggressive policy on immigration.

I personally would like to ask him to play a fairer game and not label immigrants.

None of us really know the number of illegal immigrants currently in the UK, so how can we expect the government to know the figure?

VOTERS' PANEL: IMMIGRATION Chris Li Tonia Barton John Devenney David Jones Gerry Harris Ayub Khan

When the Tories shout random figures aggressively, I would prefer if they kept their mouths shut.

A society without immigrants would not be in the best interest of our country.

When we have a low birth rate, longer life spans and a good economy, we need people from abroad to fill the labour market.

In the long term, the Tories' plans would not only harm our economy, they would also damage Britain's international image.

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Your comments:

I think the Conservatives have basically tripped themselves over with this issue. Their aggressive attitude towards this subject has put me off from voting for them. My parents were immigrants themselves when they came here, but I was born here. No one in my family takes benefits and we contribute a lot to the economy. When bigots try to mask their own racism by claiming that immigrants abuse our system and take our houses and benefits it's complete nonsense, driven by hypocrisy.
Anon, UK

Chris is absolutely right about Michael Howard's aggressive policy on immigrants. Oh no, it's never about race but guess what? I am a white Canadian who has practically never been at the receiving end of xenophobia in the UK, unlike the sad experience of so many non-white people. This 'illegal immigrant' drive isn't about white Australians or about French. It is a clear (and disturbing) code for race.
Gloria McShane, Darlington, UK

I think Chris has the wrong end of the stick, Howard is not targeting anyone. He is not going to kick all immigrants out, that's the BNP's policies, not Tories. I wish people would listen to Howard in full and not assume.
Stuart Morris, Bournemouth, UK

Immigration is an issue, it has to be controlled. British people are losing out on housing and jobs. Economic immigration is the problem, why should my taxes pay for this when the money should go to better hospitals and more police on the beat?
Pauline, Leicestershire

I should start by stating that my wife is an immigrant. My problem with Howard's policy is it seems to be about some immigrants and not others. Nice white, healthy, wealthy immigrants who can help the economy - that's fine, come on in. Horrible dirty, eastern-European, African, homeless, penniless, desperate immigrants with nowhere else to go - find somewhere else, you work-shy layabout. It makes me sick.
Paul, Glasgow

The current anti-immigration argument is not about colours: it's about numbers. Over 1 million more people - mostly white - have entered the country than have left it since Labour came to power in 1997. That's legal immigrants - not counting the hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers. Meanwhile the government are building millions of new houses in the south east and blaming it on single occupancy householders. It has become so un PC to criticise immigration that people are too afraid to state the obvious: we're full.
Martin Russell, Exeter, UK

Whilst always in the background, this has only become a prominent issue because of the right wing press but look at the raw data: less than 8% of the population is immigrant and they account for less than 1% of new housing. They are worth billions to the economy and we would have no NHS without them, as even Enoch Powell acknowledged. Further, Asylum seeking is down by a huge percentage. In other words, look at the facts and don't be lead by the nose by the scaremongering Daily Mail et al
C Powell, Portsmouth, UK

So Chris, you 'would prefer if they kept their mouths shut.' But, you have a right to spout your misguided and ill-informed opinions, but others haven't? If you don't like free speech there is an alternative for you.
Paul, Bolton, England

I am immigrant I work 60 hours a week. On my way to work I pass DDS, when I see most of them they are immigrants. I agree with Howard.
Ali Haroune, London

Chris is putting forward the wet, liberal approach we currently have in this country toward immigration. Yes we need control and I also expect the government to have such control that it can advise down to the bottom figure exactly how many immigrants come into the country each year. It is not racist, fascist, biased or discriminatory. The UK should have tighter border controls and as for the Conservatives shouting figures aggressively what about Labour burying them conveniently? No one is saying no immigration what we are saying is no more illegal immigration and some form of control.
Marc, London

I don't think Paul (London) is living in the real world. If illegal immigrants don't 'take our jobs', 'cause crime', or 'take our benefits' then how exactly do they survive here?
Richard, Bristol

Britain should not quit UN refugee convention, but should control asylum and immigration problems sensibly.
James, UK

I think the points Chris has made are excellent, the Tory party is out of date and needs to be stopped. Also I do not think it is Tony Blair's job to know the number of illegal immigrants in the UK. I mean how would he know they are "illegal"? I think that Labour's attitude to this subject is excellent.
Phelim Brady, Guildford, UK

Surely by definition the number of illegal immigrants is not known unless they are arrested. So the very best anyone could know would be the number apprehended. We are all immigrants or descended from immigrants at some point - it is only a matter of how many generations we have to go back. This is one issue that should be dealt outside of politics instead of being used to frighten people. But there again, true Brits have always had to have a "bogeyman" to shift the blame to for our own shortcomings.
Tony Gore, Brent Knoll, UK

Immigrants have not suddenly become targets, and everyone who thinks so has a clouded mind. Immigration policy is the issue - a very valid one which needs to be debated. We are overcrowded, and the current system is shabby. It's just as well someone has finally had the guts to come out and say it.
Colin, Glasgow

Chris Li doesn't seem to understand the Conservative campaign very well. I was quite surprised at his assumption that Michael Howard is "labelling" immigrants. Mr Howard is only saying that we are being flooded with immigrants and this needs to be controlled. Yes we need immigrants to cover certain areas of employment that we cannot cover ourselves due to the low birth rate here. But we also need to take care of ourselves and our economy. It doesn't surprise me that Chris Li doesn't know the number of immigrants here but the government does, that's its job!
Neil, Longfield, England

Chris: I'm afraid I do expect the government to take an interest in the large numbers of individuals who come into the UK illegally. I was born in this country and expect my government to look after the interests of people born here. Overcrowded public transport, housing shortages and the drain on public services are caused by individuals who have no legal right to be here. It's a joke - the Labour government and its head-in-the-sand approach does more to damage community and race relations than an honest debate by people who were born in this country who are sick of it being abused.
Jason, London, England

I think the Tories are referring to future immigration, not people already here legally. This is why it's difficult have a proper debate. If anyone talks about future immigration they are immediately accused of having a go at those already here. All the immigrants I know are hard working, educated and nice to be with - it's just that we're trying to have a debate about population increases over the next 10 years.
Tony, London, England

I am immigrant myself. However, I don't see what's wrong with controlling the number of immigrants. The government needs to know how many people come in and how many we actually need. That's a proper control. If your house is unable to hold a party of 100, what will you do? Invite less people and hold party of 50 or even 20? That's exactly the point here. I am a life-long Conservative supporter. Labour will increase taxes and more people will be put on benefits.
Leo Huang, London

The whole point is that the Government doesn't know how many illegal immigrants there are which means they have lost control of our borders. Is Chris really saying there can be no debate on this as the Conservatives don't share his own view point? If he wants to point a finger of blame let's look to the right wing section of the press who print wholly inaccurate stories on immigration and the BNP who spout nothing but lies when it comes to immigration.
Dee, Glasgow

Chris says: "I really don't know why, as immigrants, we have suddenly become the target in this election." I think some people are missing the point. Controlling immigration is not about racism or labels, it's about preserving our nation for those of us who are entitled to be here. That includes those that were born here as well as those that are legal immigrants. There are however far too many people who are here illegally. That is where the control is needed. Our country is unfortunately not big enough and I think it is up to the government to monitor it and implement stricter controls.
Natalie, Berkshire, UK

The Tories have never once said that we would be better off without immigrants. They address an important issue which needs a clear and open discussion without people dismissing what they are saying and jumping on the media bandwagon. Random immigration will not help this country. However controlled immigration, encouraging immigrants with the skills where there are a shortage in this country, will be good for any society. I for one agree with the Conservatives' immigration policy.
James, High Wycombe, UK

I completely agree with Chris. My father was an "economic migrant" from Ireland. I am now MD for a company and, I hope, contribute to the ongoing economic success of the country. Many businesses are constrained by the shortage of staff, both skilled and unskilled. Market forces have the primary impact on economic migration - if the jobs weren't here, the immigrants wouldn't come. The debate needs to separate out provision of asylum (subject to international obligations and basic humanitarian concerns), economic migration (desirable and controllable), and illegal migration (which cannot be controlled without some form of identity system). The notion that policing our ports is going to prevent illegal immigration is completely fanciful. In case no one noticed, there is an awful lot of coastline.
Brian Scannell, Milton Keynes, UK

I am an immigrant who went through the asylum process 20 years ago. The process was full of pointless red tape (eg I wasn't allowed to work and had to stay on benefits for two years, despite having qualifications fitting a major skill shortage at the time). You can only come down hard on illegal immigration if you have an efficient, open and fair system for admitting desirable migrants into this country. Immigrants made the USA into the number one economy in the world.
Andrej Popovic, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK

After watching Panorama on BBC1 last night I realised why the government does not know the extent of the numbers of illegal immigrants. Too many private sector businesses are hiring illegal immigrants as a way of boosting their profits. They are not reporting illegal immigrants because employing them is a tax avoidance scam. Employers hide illegal immigrants in caravans and overcrowded accommodation and then blame the government for the explosion in people smuggling. The extent of illegal immigration is deliberately hidden by these criminals, though I doubt many of them would think of themselves as criminals. And, regrettably, many of them, perhaps the majority, are British.
Roger, Kent, UK

Chris Li's comments are unfair. When has Michael Howard said that he wants "a society without immigrants"? He has never said that. He simply wants to see a tighter system like the one in Australia, and a clampdown on illegal immigrants. That is what I would like to see too, and there's nothing racist or "aggressive" about that.
Chris Wilson, Northampton, UK

You Say: "None of us really know the number of illegal immigrants currently in the UK, so how can we expect the government to know the figure?" I say: They run the country, maybe that is a good reason why they should be the first ones who should know!
Paul Petersen, Guildford, UK

Chris says "because none of us really know the number of illegal immigrants currently in the UK" it is unreasonable to expect the government to know. Is he perhaps suggesting that private individuals should start counting immigrants and supplying the numbers to the government? Surely, the reverse of what Chris says is true, that none of us really know the true figure because the government has lost count - and that is simply a failure of government. Also the Labour Party doesn't want voters to know the true numbers.
Richard, London, UK

Paul Peterson and Richard need to think a little bit more carefully, and perhaps actually read what Chris Li has written, before jumping onto the Tory bandwagon so quickly. Of course it's hard to estimate the numbers of illegals - they don't exactly line up to be counted - but Chris has hit the nail on the head when he wonders why immigrants have suddenly become targets. Immigration is not a real problem at all right now - they don't 'take our jobs', or 'cause crime', or 'take our benefits'. They're just an easy target for hate and resentment. It's sad, racist, and very disappointing.
Paul, London, England