- Anti-immigration groups in Western countries oppose Indian professionals entering sectors
- Maya argued Indians do not steal jobs they are unqualified for and work hard
- Social media reactions to Maya's video ranged from praise to calls for nuanced debate
Since the late 1990s, debates around whether skilled immigrants, including Indians, take local jobs have surfaced in several Western countries. From doctors and engineers to scientists and software professionals, some of India's brightest minds have immigrated in search of higher pay and better opportunities.
While people in India debated the then-emerging concept of "brain drain," anti-immigration groups and politicians in some countries began opposing the influx of Indians into various professional sectors.
More than 25 years later, the debate continues to make headlines. With the rise of the Internet, people have become increasingly vocal about their opinions, often expressing them without filters and influencing like-minded individuals.
The result has been social friction, online and offline hostility towards Indians, discrimination against South Asians, and debates around stricter visa policies.
Maya, a London-based Polish influencer engaged to an Indian, recently took to Instagram to share her take on the subject. In less than 12 hours, her reel garnered more than 500,000 views, and the Internet is applauding her perspective.
Polish Woman's Viral Take On Indians Stealing British Jobs
Maya quoted people who say, "Indians come here and steal our jobs."
"Babe, they can't steal a job you're not qualified for," she responded in the video.
She then quoted another common argument: "But they (Indians) are taking all the good jobs."
The influencer added, "The doctors, the engineers, the IT specialists? Amazing! Where is your degree then? And if you mean Uber, Deliveroo, or construction, no one stole that from you either. You know the application was open for you too, right? Somehow, they're the lazy ones, yet they're working so hard that they stole your jobs. Maybe an Indian guy waking up at 5 am for work isn't the reason your life sucks. But yeah, blaming him is so much easier, right?"
Social Media Reactions
An Instagram user commented on her video and said, "Woohoo! The best video I watched on the Internet today. In the world of extreme hatred and racism, hearing this made me believe that kindness is still alive."
A second agreed with Maya and wrote, "Absolutely."
A third pointed out that the debate has more nuances as the subject is more complex than what many people on social media made it out to be. It's not black and white, but there are a lot of grey areas to consider on both sides.
"You're absolutely right that many of the service jobs would be vacant without immigration. But so-called 'skilled' jobs...I'm not sure we can say that. We do have highly qualified & skilled individuals in the UK that struggle to get jobs," the person noted in the comment section.
A fourth applauded the influencer and wrote, "Good video, Maya."
A fifth asked her, "Why are you obsessed with Indians all the time? What about Polish people?"
A sixth commented, "Please protect this lady at all costs. Thanks for speaking up."
While social media will continue to debate the subject, Maya has already picked a side, and many desis appear to be loving her viral take.