Bricks, Blood, and Business: Indian Migrants of Britain
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Political Shifts and Economic Contradictions
Britain once thrived on liberal migration policies but is now reversing course.
Brexit and rising populist rhetoric like Reform UK party and now Labour Party, have fostered hostility toward immigrants, undermining the economic benefits they bring—especially in vital sectors facing labour shortages like healthcare, construction, and care work.
Misplaced Focus: Legal vs. Illegal Migration
Public discourse often conflates legal migrants with unauthorized ones. Indian migrants—largely legal and economically valuable—are unjustly targeted under new stringent immigration policies, despite not being part of the small-boat crisis dominating headlines.Migration as Civilizational Backbone
Migration is a timeless phenomenon integral to the progress of civilizations.
From ancient dispersals to modern diasporas, it has built economies and enriched cultures. Yet, in today's world, it is increasingly constrained by borders, nationalism, and political calculations.
Indian Contribution to Britain’s Modern Institutions
Post-World War migration, particularly from India, played a vital role in Britain’s reconstruction. Indians excelled across sectors—retail, healthcare (NHS), transport, small businesses, and corporate leadership—making them the largest and among the most economically successful migrant communities in the UK.Moral, Historical, and Economic Imperatives
Britain’s imperial legacy and economic dependency on global labour call for a more humane, historically conscious immigration framework.
Politically motivated clampdowns on legal, skilled migrants—especially Indians—threaten Britain’s global standing, economic resilience, and moral credibility.
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MAY 2025
If you have heard of 'River of Blood' speech of 1968 and 'Island of Strangers' speech of May 2025, you would have guessed our topic of discussion today.
It is controversial and highly consequential.
Migration has been a cornerstone of human civilization since the beginning of time.
From early human dispersal out of Africa to the great diasporas across continents, the movement of people has shaped societies, cultures, economies, and nations.
However, modern times have complicated this fundamental human process through the imposition of legal and political borders, and the increasing ability of governments to control who moves, when, and why.
One of the most ambitious modern experiments in freedom of movement has been the European Union, allowing citizens of 27 member states (formerly 28 before BREXIT) to live and work across borders without visas.
This policy has been deeply aligned with the ideals of inclusion, economic integration, and collective progress.
It has not only supported labour mobility but also strengthened social cohesion and economic development across the continent.
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Historically, Britain’s own development has been heavily reliant on immigration.
Similarly, the relatively open border arrangements between the United States and Canada, though not as liberal as the EU, have proven mutually beneficial.
Economic, social, and security cooperation between the two nations has strengthened because of coordinated immigration policies.
Historically, Britain’s own development has been heavily reliant on immigration.
Post-World War II reconstruction, the Windrush generation, and waves of migration of Indian
origin migrants from East Africa and South Asia played a critical role in rebuilding British infrastructure, healthcare, and economy.
Over 13 Lakh (1.3 million) Indian soldiers served Britain in World War 1 and over 25 Lakh (2.5 million) soldiers Indian soldiers served British army in World War 2.
By the early 1970s, Indians owned over 20,000 corner shops (Kirana Shops), becoming the backbone of Britain’s retail convenience network. The image of the "Asian corner shopkeeper" became iconic.
Indian migrants filled crucial roles in public transport (especially London Transport), textile mills in the Midlands and Yorkshire, and most notably, in the NHS, where they became a backbone of the health system.
Indian-origin entrepreneurs excelled in small and medium enterprises. Families pooled resources to build businesses, leading to economic upward mobility.
ब्रिटेन में भारतीय प्रवासियों का संघर्ष और सफलता: खून, पसीना और कारोबार
Companies like Jaguar Land Rover, under the Tata Group, symbolize this success at the highest corporate level.
The Patel community from Gujarat became dominant in the UK’s hotel and restaurant industry, owning a significant share of budget hotel chains and curry houses.
Indian families placed a high value on education, leading to a disproportionately high representation in medicine, law, and engineering.
By the 1990s, British Indians were among the highest-earning ethnic minorities, with higher education and employment rates than the national average.
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Considering that Indian form the single largest ethnic migrant community in Britain, the latest policy seems to be directed towards the Indians.
How quickly some politicians forget this foundational reality.
Until 1994, Britain experienced nearly zero net migration, meaning immigration and emigration balanced each other out. It was only in the wake of globalization that immigration surged.
Ironically, Britain benefited immensely from globalization, what could be seen as a form of “legal colonization” of labour from developing countries, yet now attempts to close the gates that once brought prosperity.
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However, in the last decade, the UK has reversed its trajectory.
Brexit became a watershed moment that challenged the very ethos of free movement and inclusive development.
The political rhetorical promise of "taking back control" included shutting down the pipelines of legal and economically vital migration.
The economic consequences have been severe, from labour shortages to inflation in basic goods and housing delays.
Historically, European powers have lacked natural resources and large labour forces, pushing them toward colonial expansion.
Much of their accumulated wealth has roots in this exploitative global history.
Today, exploration takes the form of trade agreements and multilateral economic blocs, such as the WTO and EU.
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Historically, European powers have lacked natural resources and large labour forces...
So, what has gone wrong in Britain?
Back in 1968, Enoch Powell gave his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech, warning against rising immigration.
Despite his inflammatory rhetoric, he received significant public support, sparking protests and strikes.
This anti-immigrant sentiment, while subdued at times, has never truly disappeared.
In recent days, the current British Prime Minister delivered what some commentators dubbed the "Island of Strangers" speech.
While less bitter than Powell’s, it was filled with an undercurrent of suspicion toward immigrants.
It was followed by a white paper proposing stricter immigration policies: heightened English-language requirements, a 10-year wait for permanent residency, and tougher life-in-the-UK exams.
The government claims these steps aim to establish common civic standards.
But the stated goal, to bring net migration to zero, is not only economically impractical but socially counterproductive.
Considering that Indian form the single largest ethnic migrant community in Britain, the latest policy seems to be directed towards the Indians.
Immigrants play a vital role in running Britain’s economy. According to London’s Mayor, immigrants contribute an average of £12,000 per year to the economy, while using only £4,000 in public services.
Moreover, one-third of fast-growing UK businesses are immigrant-led.
The nation must not forget that both former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Indian) and current Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch (Nigerian) come from immigrant backgrounds.
Yet, populist rhetoric now outweighs economic logic.
According to the UK Parliament, 20% of NHS staff are foreign nationals, and 30% of nurses are immigrants. As of 2023, over 30% of doctors in the NHS are of Indian heritage.
Indian-trained doctors, especially from states like Kerala and Maharashtra, have been recruited since the 1950s.
These numbers should inspire gratitude, not hostility.
Unfortunately, immigration policy shifts with the political winds, welcoming during shortages, hostile during campaigns. This inconsistency hurts Britain’s long-term interests.
As of 2024, there are over 100,000 vacancies in social care, 131,000 unfilled NHS roles, and a looming shortfall in meeting the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes.
These are not positions most young Britons aspire to fill.
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Other than migrants, then who will fill these positions, if Britain must run?
A generational disinterest in low-wage, high-responsibility jobs has created a national labour identity crisis amongst the Britons.
Other than migrants, then who will fill these positions, if Britain must run?
Despite this, public discourse remains fixated on reducing migration.
Powell-era and currently Brexit-era xenophobia still simmers, as evidenced Southport riots and targeting of migrants.
Worse still, political narratives commingle legal and illegal migration. In this mix up, the legal migrants and the refugees are the victims.
In principle, human migration is a natural movement from zones of instability, such as war, famine, and persecution, to regions of peace, opportunity, and order.
If people flee from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, or parts of Africa and the Middle East to Europe and the UK, the receiving nations must also confront their own geopolitical footprints in those conflicts.
There is an element of British and West's accountability for the refugee and illegal migration crises currently unfolding.
Europe and the UK are currently facing high levels of unauthorized migration, much of it driven by human trafficking.
Since 2021, nearly 700 people per week have been crossing the English Channel, often in unsafe conditions. There are no Indians in those small boats.
This is the true crisis, not the legally sanctioned migration like that of Indians, that props up national institutions.
There have been two acts of parliament in last decade and still the net-migration is out of control.
The government’s current approach muddles the real issue: illegal migration facilitated by criminal networks. Targeting legal immigrants will not solve this.
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There is an element of British and West's accountability for the refugee and illegal migration crises currently unfolding
Recent trade deals, such as the UK-India agreement, underscore the irony of current policies. Britain has agreed to fast-track visas for chefs, yoga teachers, and IT professionals. How can it reconcile these obligations with a zero-migration target?
Britain is at a crossroads. Policymakers must define a coherent vision, balancing economic needs, youth disengagement, illegal migration, trafficking networks, and the broader context of global interdependence.
Traditionally, the Labour Party has been more open to migration.
Yet, its recent shift appears to be a reaction to the Reform UK Party, whose platform is staunchly anti-immigrant. According to Nigel Farage, net migration has quadrupled in the past 20 years.
That may be statistically correct, but context matters.
Statistics can be distorted, as in the case of Coventry, where 28% of residents were born outside the UK, twice the national average.
But that figure ignores the role of post-war immigrants from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, and Eastern Europe who helped rebuild the city after WWII.
The most common countries of birth for foreign-born residents in Coventry are:
· India: 4.5%
· Poland: 2.6%
· Romania: 2.4%
· Pakistan: 1.5%
· Nigeria: 1.1%
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The numbers have grown because each migrant also bring along 3 to 4 dependents. It is natural and humane expectation.
In any humane immigration policy, family reunification should be sacrosanct. Banning dependents of skilled workers is not only cruel but counterproductive. It undermines the social stability that migrants seek to build.
To those in Reform UK or Labour Party, now pushing for tighter borders: let us not forget that for 250 years, Britain maintained nearly 200 colonies across the globe, often ruling lands where they were “immigrants.”
Migration is not a threat to society; it is the very foundation of human geography and civilizational progress.
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...let us not forget that for 250 years, Britain maintained nearly 200 colonies across the globe, often ruling lands where they were “immigrants”
To curb it blindly is to wage war against the natural rhythm of human history. Britain must not lose sight of this in the fog of political expediency.
When the British Prime Minister delivers ‘island of strangers’ speech he is to only reacting the political opponent, it is short sighted and disruptive.
India has been jewel in the British crown and Indian have contributed positively to the fabric of British society.
Any dilution or restriction to inclusion of Indians in Britain will be no less than hostility and betrayal.
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