Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 801597,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/801597/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 209,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "immigrants live in first world conditions. So, immigration has created many nations. You hear of Christopher Columbus who is said to have discovered certain lands that people were living in. Madam Temporary Speaker, immigration has been there in the past, but still remains a key global issue. In modern political trends, immigration is top of it. Indeed, when President Donald Trump became President, beyond all expectations, his first Executive Order had to do with issues of immigration. We all remember that out of the blues after taking over the presidency, he decided to use Executive Orders, which had been used a little bit sparingly in the past, to address issues of immigration. The target was immigrants from Muslim countries. It has remained a very live and painful issue in the United States of America (USA). In Europe, debate is being shaped by policies on immigration. Brexit, to a great extent, was a reaction to the perception by the British that opening up to the European Union (EU), would be opening their borders, not just to products from Europe, but people with skilled and unskilled labour from Europe and beyond. There was concern that certain members of the European Union like Spain, Germany and Portugal were already allowing African migrants to settle in. At some point, we went to Spain as a Parliamentary delegation. When we visited a public library in Madrid, we were impressed by a huge banner written: “Refugees are welcome.” That banner attracted a lot of love and wrath in equal measure. There are those who believed that Spain should remain pure without immigrants coming in from Africa. Sometimes we forget that even some of those wonderful buildings we see in Spain and the whole of Europe were built with the resources and wealth coming out of Africa. They were built on the backs of labourers and slaves from Africa, Asia and other parts of the world. Madam Temporary Speaker, when other European countries opened up their borders and took in immigrants, it had a ripple effect. Some British were saying that if they allow them in through other partner States, then they will come in and take over their jobs. Despite the suspicion around Brexit, it is interesting to note that the leadership of London – Britain’s most important city – has been taken over by people who are first or second generation immigrants. They are doing an excellent job. In Germany, for example, debate and the continuation of Chancellor Markel’s term was characterised by serious debate on immigration and her policy on opening up German borders for migrants from other countries to come in. Here in Kenya, migration and immigration is an issue. The Somali conflict has resulted in the joke that the Somali capital is now Eastleigh. Indeed, if you walk around some hotels in Nairobi, for example, Intercontinental Hotel next door, you might think that it ought to have been in Mogadishu rather than Nairobi. This is because of conflict and instability that have forced innocent men and women from Somalia to come and make a living in Kenya. As for the South Sudan conflict, we grew up with many South Sudanese people in Nairobi City estates. Due to the conflict in Uganda; a good number of Senators here were taught by teachers who were Ugandans. In fact, Uganda had very well trained civil service – teachers and doctors – and many of us could have passed through the hands of Ugandan doctors who migrated to Kenya as they waited for their country to stabilize. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}