A Facebook book on migration

Image by sitmonkeysupreme via Flickr

Source: Computer Weekly

By Mark Kobayashi-Hillary

Migrant Tales is a book project being developed by me, Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, and Angelica Mari from Computer Weekly which will capture real-life stories from the migrant community living in the UK. The aim is to reach out to migrants from all sections of society, wealthy or poor, legal or illegal, successful or struggling.

The media and political parties, with both using populism to gain votes or sales, have simplified the immigration debate. We want to hear the voice, fears, and expectations of the migrant community - along with the experts and policy makers.

The final goal is to paint a picture of how migrants contribute to British life in the twenty-first century, raising awareness of the realities of migration

We are using Facebook to gather real stories from real people. Take a look at the page here. Please also tell your friends and family about this project and the Facebook page.

if you can't post information to the wall or if you would prefer to speak to us, get in touch with us on:
migranttales@gmail.com

The book takes this as a starting point for the debate:

1. The idea of a "job for life" is dead.
2. You are now competing with people from all over the world for your job.
3. Companies are using the Internet to send work to countries where labour is cheaper.
4. Companies can produce more because of better technology. This efficiency means they need fewer people.
5. Across the UK, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
6. But, if you have the skills, you can migrate and find work in any country.
7. The media and the public complain about immigrants. Experts say immigrants are essential for economic growth.
8. Politicians of all parties want to restrict or ban immigration.
9. Immigration was the most controversial and discussed subject during the 2010 UK general election.
10. If you are not British, but living and working in the UK, what is your contribution to the country?

If it sounds interesting then please become a fan of the book page on Facebook and take a look at the questions we are asking there.