How has the arrival of asylum-seekers or immigrants affected the

attitude towards foreign people in general?

Immigration, especially due to wars or other turbulent events in a country, has been a topic of
discourse in many countries and is a theme that runs throughout media, politics, and everyday
life. In recent times, the Russian war with Ukraine and the attack on Israel have made this
topic very relevant due to millions of people have immigrated and are looking for asylum
from Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. Immigration is a topic over which, more often than not,
people’s opinions are very much divided as the beliefs over the policies and attitudes that
should be taken towards immigrants and asylum-seekers vary greatly. Moreover, the fact that
many politicians take strong stances relating to immigration has made this, in many cases, a
political issue rather than a humanitarian one, which it in my opinion should be.

As Benjamin Zephaniah mentions in his blog about immigration and asylum-seekers in the
UK, many people want to immigrate to the UK not because it is the best choice, but rather
because they have connections, hopes, or skills that can help them start a new life in the UK
more easily than they could in other countries. This is true in many cases. For example, after
the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainians immigrated to Estonia because of the
similar climate, food, and culture, among other reasons. In my opinion, this furthers the
notion that immigration should not be taken as a “numbers game”, but rather an issue of how
to provide the best help possible to people looking for asylum, based on their needs and
skills.

On the one hand, the arrival of asylum seekers and immigrants has evoked strong reactions
from both the governments/politicians and the general public. Some people say that the
government should not let immigrants into the country and that these people should look for
help elsewhere. Others say that all immigrants who want to come, can come and that the
government should do everything in its power to provide help for these people. Many
politicians use views about immigration as their points for running to look for support from
like-minded people among the general public. So, usually, whichever viewpoint rules in the
general population gets implemented into the policies created by the government. Often, the
media and politicians influence the opinions of the public through “soft propaganda”. I.e.
newspapers showing immigrants in a bad light or downplaying their story or politicians
talking about “nationalism” and how immigrants are taking jobs away from the locals, among
other opinions that are often ill-informed and designed to scare are persuade the public. This
has the effect of creating a “single story” about the immigrants and asylum-seekers, which
will unreasonably negatively affect the opinions of the general public regarding immigrants,
asylum-seekers, and foreign people in general. This is very damaging, as this has led to
foreigners being targeted by verbal and physical aggression, discrimination, and abuse.

On the other hand, the arrival of asylum-seekers and immigrants has, in many places,
introduced the locals to new cultures and people that they would not have otherwise met. If
those experiences are positive, the existing opinions of foreigners might be positively
affected and new positive opinions might be created. Furthermore, seeing the immigrants
face-to-face distances people from thinking about them as just numbers but rather as actual
people with similar problems, needs, and wants as themselves. So, the arrival of asylum-
seekers and immigrants could create a better understanding of them as people, rather than
numbers, among the general population and thus positively affect the attitude towards
foreigners in general.

In conclusion, the arrival of immigrants and asylum-seekers has had varying effects on the
attitudes towards foreign people in general. Although one shouldn’t generalize the attitude of
an entire country based on some people’s opinions in that country, different countries have
had varying responses to the recent influx of immigrants and asylum seekers, some receiving
them with open arms and others with words of hate or not at all. One thing is clear: we should
avoid the dangers of the “single story” and treat each person, not as a number, but as a human
being.