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60k signatures supporting freedom to move between UK, Canada, Australia and NZ. Sign it now!

Guest spreadingwings

By Guest spreadingwings
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Guest spreadingwings

Guest spreadingwings

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The Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation is petitioning the parliaments/governments of the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to allow free movement (to live and work) between the four countries.

 

The petition started 19 days ago. 4 days ago it had 30 000 signatures. Today it's over 60 000. Add yours and give you and your family, and generations to come, the freedom to live and work in any of the major Commonwealth countries.

 

The petition: https://www.change.org/p/parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-parliament-of-australia-parliament-of-canada-parliament-of-new-zealand-advocate-and-introduce-legislation-promoting-the-free-movement-of-citizens-between-the-uk-canada-australia-and-new-zealand

 

The organisation: http://www.cfmo.org/

 

In the news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-31948964

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boganbear PIO Chatter Box

boganbear

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No I won't sign. Look at the mess the UK Is in partially due to free movement in the EU. The Commonwealth ended decades ago and since the UK turned its back on the Commonwealth when it joined the EU, Canada, Australia and NZ have gone their separate ways. The petition itself us incorrect. There is no free movement between Australia and NZ. There are conditions such as character requirement and restrictions on Kiwis receiving benefits and claiming citizenship. There is no free movement agreement between Canada and the U.S either.

 

Australia has no trouble attracting quality migrants and it's strict migration policy is effective. Whilst there are benefits to a free migration zone, one country will take the brunt of migrants and all 3 countries have good migration policies because the do not want to end up like the UK which does not. As separate nations, each has the right to determine their own immigration policies. None of them are going to change as there is no reason to do so. They may prefer migrants from each other countries and ease restrictions but that's all that might happen. Free movement certainly won't.

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mungbean Senior Member

mungbean

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all 3 countries have good migration policies because the do not want to end up like the UK which does not.

 

I think Canada adopted Aus's points-based system anyway?

 

This increasingly sounds like a pre-election distraction tactic to take momentum away from UKIP on the immigration agenda...

 

The quote on the BBC website about sharing English as a "native" language will certainly raise a few hackles, not least in Quebec.

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Guest spreadingwings

Guest spreadingwings

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What benefit is there then to the Commonwealth, if the citizens of member countries don't enjoy practical privileges, benefits and opportunities? Perhaps the answer is to forge a new grouping between the world's top GDP countries: USA, UK, Australia, NZ, Canada.

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Scrutineer Platinum Member

Scrutineer

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The last free movement en masse in the Commonwealth meant millions of Asian subcontinentals and West Indians moving to London, which you might have noticed has not gone down particularly well with many people. This is talking about something different from the Commonwealth - it's cherry-picking four English-speaking countries - which is a good thing IMO and I would love freedom of movement between them, but I can assure you the governments of these nations will never do this.

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grahamffc Senior Member

grahamffc

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It doesn't matter if 60m sign it won't happen. Do you really think any of the countries will want uncontrolled migration? I suspect they would rather carry on the current arrangements which would allow a Korean doctor but not a British brickie. And with the UK's EU membership it would effectively mean opening the door to the entire EU.

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Paul1Perth PIO Chatter Box

Paul1Perth

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I love Canada, see you all later.

 

My wife lived in Canada (Toronto) for a few years. Her Dad got a good job there and she did most of her schooling there. When we met she still had her Canadian accent, I think that was one of the attractions.:wink:

 

When we decided to emigrate if we hadn't have gotten in here we would have tried Canada, neither of us fancied the cold weather though, even my wife wanted to come here much more and neither of us had ever been before.

 

I don't think the petition is going to make much difference TBH. I hope not anyway. Judging by the queue of people wanting to emigrate at the embassy in Manchester when we came, Aus wouldn't be able to cope with the influx. Me and the wife have been saying how we've been spoiled in Perth since we came. We have traffic holdups now in some places and a few shopping centres are busy, it's difficult to find a parking spot sometimes.:wink: Too many people here already.:laugh:

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ArthurPendragon Senior Member

ArthurPendragon

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The last free movement en masse in the Commonwealth meant millions of Asian subcontinentals and West Indians moving to London, which you might have noticed has not gone down particularly well with many people. This is talking about something different from the Commonwealth - it's cherry-picking four English-speaking countries - which is a good thing IMO and I would love freedom of movement between them, but I can assure you the governments of these nations will never do this.

How come the largest English speaking country in the world is not in this list?

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/nov/19/tefl

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mungbean Senior Member

mungbean

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What they speak in India is a version of English that's not quite English.

 

I've lived there, and it's definitely got its own vocabulary and idioms, many of which go back a couple of hundred years but have died out in the UK.

 

I would also say the same thing about the English spoken in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jamaica, Singapore, Malaysia and others.

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Paul1Perth PIO Chatter Box

Paul1Perth

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I've lived there, and it's definitely got its own vocabulary and idioms, many of which go back a couple of hundred years but have died out in the UK.

 

I would also say the same thing about the English spoken in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jamaica, Singapore, Malaysia and others.

 

And Derbyshire, where I'm from. When I met my wife, on holiday in Bournemouth, I was with a bunch of mates in the same hotel. For the first couple of days they thought we were German.:laugh:

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