Living in a police state

This is not about food, but it’s such a striking story that I had to post it…

I was chatting to a friend who works in the Chinese restaurant industry here in London, and she was lamenting a change in the UK immigration laws which means that foreign students will no longer be allowed to work part-time while they live here.

Anyway, she said, large numbers of Chinese students and young people had decided to leave the UK for Canada, because of Britain’s ‘CCTV culture’. ‘They just have the feeling that they are being watched all the time, and it’s no longer fun to be here. And first the authorities asked for fingerprints, now irises, and they want to take everybody’s DNA and keep it for six years!’

When people from China want to leave the UK because of the decline in civil liberties, you know you’re in trouble…

5 Responses to “Living in a police state”

  1. James

    When I was a foreign student in the UK (1982-84) I wasn’t allowed to work even part-time…

    Still, that sounds pretty bad. I am reminded of a comment one of my friends said about technology that is pretty ominous: Anything that can be done for you, can be done to you.

  2. Peter

    The abundance of CCTV throughout the UK doesn’t seem to have curtailed levels of crime although the authorities in charge may have loftier ambitions as to whom the target audience is…

    BTW, Ms. Dunlop, when will you be gracing Canadian shores w/ a book tour? Just curious is all.

  3. Fuchsia

    I’d love to visit Canada. I was actually invited to take part in a Chinese food conference in Toronto earlier this year, but was unable to go because of other travel commitments (I was either in China, about to go to China, or just back from China – can’t remember which). If the opportunity comes up again, I’ll jump at it.

    I’ve heard a lot about the Chinese restaurant scene in Toronto, and it would be extremely interesting to explore it. And having had the privilege of working with the amazing Susur Lee at an Asian food conference in Barcelona a few years ago, I hope sometime I’ll be able to taste his cooking on his home turf.

  4. James

    I’ve heard the Chinese (and other Asian) restaurants in Vancouver are pretty good. I did stop by an interesting place in Nanaimo a few years back that was some sort of Chinese-Thai fusion place.

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