Hear UK's voice on integration issue, letter published in the Financial Times

Written by Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP and published in Financial Times on Fri 4th Mar 2005

Sir, John Kay ("A recipe for a healthy debate on migration", March 1) makes some reasonable points. But his presentation of the menu choices for a healthy society as either tomato soup or tossed salad is unnecessarily polarised. In life, as well as for lunch, I would like both, though not liquidised together.

I fear that if we start from Prof Kay's apparent assumption that the goal is across-the-board assimilation of minority communities, we will not get very far. Indeed, the objective of conformity of immigrants with the host society stumbles over the fact that society is itself heterogeneous.

The better objective is integration and the challenge is simultaneously to define a common civic space and identify those areas where diversity is both valid and valuable.

"Natives" need to make an effort to understand the background, origins, language and religion of their newish immigrant neighbours so it is not just a one-way street. Just as stability and ballast may be given to a society by the long history and memories of its existing members, the risk of lapsing into introversion and stagnation is countered by the dynamic and questioning contribution of those who live on boundaries between the minority and wider community.

Without being complacent, I believe this is an area where Britain has a great deal to contribute in helping stimulate a frank European dialogue over the development of a 21st century model of integration. The question of whether the state or (as I believe) the individual should possess the freedom to decide whether or not to wear the Muslim hijab, Sikh turban, Christian cross or Jewish skullcap is a fascinating example of honest disagreement.