There has been near universal condemnation of Trump’s immigration policies, but it seems to be that they simply do in one stroke what most European countries have done incrementally. The UK is a fairly typical European country in this respect so lets see how it compares.
This is a rough summary, and I welcome corrections, but the overall picture is pretty accurate.
| Trump | UK |
|---|---|
| All no Syrian refugees in | Allow some in after previously admitting virtually none |
| Prevent people likely to be refugees from boarding flights | Prevent people likely to be refugees from boarding flights |
| Allow in no-one from seven unstable and violent countries | Make entry extremely difficult for anyone from most of the world |
| Might change rules for highly skilled workers – no one knows in what way yet | It is already very difficult for highly skilled workers to get visas |
| Scapegoats immigrants and panders to Islamaphobes | Scapegoats immigrants and panders to racists |
| Easy visas for rich people, even if they are violent criminals | Easy visas for rich people, even if they are violent criminals |
What is the difference in motives of end results? The main difference is one of rhetoric. Trump has said, in that past, that he wants to keep out Muslims, British politicians use more subtle language, but they make sure that racists are reassured that immigration will be reduced.