Times columnist pens anti-migrant piece – forgetting she is also an immigrant

This is, quite simply put, an incredible own-goal. Author Lionel Shriver has copped a significant amount of flak over the weekend, after she published a column in The Times that denigrated the need of migrants, and insisted that British citizens are prioritised instead.

The irony? Times columnist hits out at ‘costs of migrant support’

The piece has been attacked mercilessly on Twitter, and Shriver has come under fire for using the Grenfell Tower tragedy to enforce her points. She further insisted that the UK ‘must not be embarrassed’ about pursuing policies of self-interest.

“There’s nothing embarrassing or unseemly about the overt pursuit of self-interest. Choosing what best benefits the resident population, elevating the wellbeing of inhabitants above the wellbeing of outsiders, is what governments of democratic nation states are for.”

“Folks who rock up with nothing put especial pressure on limited social housing. Few could have failed to notice that the preponderance of the unfortunates caught up in the Grenfell Tower fire were foreign-born. That was council housing.” | Lionel Shriver

Online community flags contradictions in Lionel Shriver’s stance

However, her demands to relegate the needs of the UK’s immigrant population hits a significant stumbling block. As pointed out by scores of social media users, Shriver herself was born and raised in the USA, but emigrated to London many years ago…

Charity boss schools Times columnist on migrant stance

Lionel Shriver states that the cost of immigration ‘is too high’ for the UK. However, Daniel Sohege – a specialist for international refugee law and the director of Stand For All – has pulled her up on this point. He reasons that things like the Rwanda Policy also cost Britain dearly…

“This is a hot mess of hate by Lionel Shriver, and skips over how the Illegal Bill is liable to actually add about £2 billion to costs as it is. It isn’t an ‘either/or’ argument. You can support communities and asylum seekers by better use of funds.”

“The additional irony being that measures like the Illegal Bill will increase the number of people forced into the ‘shadow economy’ and exploitation. That isn’t even a debate. It has been seen many times and is supported by the Home Office’s own analysis.” | Daniel Sohege