VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS: EU referendum vote will be a borderline decision
What this referendum boils down to is the salient issue of immigration
FOR ALL the swipes and jabs, scaremongering, one-upmanship, duels and discussions of the last few months, something suddenly became apparent at the Jewish News-J-TV ‘Brexodus’ debate between Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell on Tuesday night.
Forget for a moment about the financial Armageddon that Britain will apparently hurl head first into upon exiting the EU – the likelihood of which seems to change as much as our summer weather.
What this referendum really boils down to is the salient issue of immigration: it’s the burning topic of 300,000 newcomers a year that just won’t go away.
For those who favour Brexit, the ongoing immigration crisis lies at the heart of their argument to take back British sovereignty and stave off the dual threat of Islamisation and rising support for ultra-nationalist and extremist parties – neither of which are particularly tempting for the UK Jewish community.
But so too is immigration at the heart of concerns for those who wish to remain.
Without the arrival of new migrants – and as our citizens become wealthier and more skilled – who exactly will fill the gaps in the workforce?
And what of the fight against terrorism? A Brexit could spell disaster for fighting cross-border crime, shared intelligence and the European Arrest Warrants.
Each of us faces a profound decision in just seven days’ time. Curiously, it seems the most compelling issue for many voters lies outside our own borders rather than within.
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