Immigrants bring in fresh ideas, more vigour: Lord Paul
Immigrants bring in “fresh ideas, more vigour and much greater desire for success”, NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul said, favouring investment in immigrant communities on a “long-term basis”. “Investment in the immigrant communities has to be looked at on a more long-term basis and not a short-term basis to suit some short-term results,” Lord Paul said while participating in a debate on immigration at the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee yesterday.
“Otherwise we are in the same situation as the financial community which has been looking for short-term results — and look at where that has got us. Short-termism is always dangerous,” he said.
Lord Paul, himself a member of the panel which was discussing a report on immigration, said “I believe everyone on the Committee agreed on the contribution to the workplace and the economic benefits that the immigrant community has brought to this country.” “Immigrants bring fresh ideas, more vigour and much greater desire for success.
This is natural because in order to be a success in a new country, one has to work at least 25 per cent harder to be counted at par,” he said adding, “I know this from my personal experience and 40 years of hard work.” Lord Paul said there was no bigger example of the benefits of immigrants than the victory of Barack Obama in the US presidential elections.
“He was not elected because he was an immigrant. He was elected because he brought new hope to the people of the United States and to the world.