Letter: Lord Empey reflects the legitimate alarm of countless citizens on the subject of immigration

My late grandfather spent his whole life farming in east Tyrone. He was amazed at the post-war prosperity, and contrasted this with the way his parents and siblings were forced to migrate to Ontario.

As a small child I played in the exquisite garden of his deserted old family home outside Cookstown. The home was occupied by farm animals, and most of the original family descendants were now in Ontario.

My late grandfather spoke of sad parties in his youth when long established families cleared their humble rural Tyrone cottages, distributed basic chattels to friends or neighbours and held a final farewell party (tea, stout, poteen, food) before heading to Canada or the USA.

Even in later years, he sounded sad as he relived the final parting from friends or relations he would probably never see again. Migrants to Canada, like my grandfather's relatives and countless others, were identified and processed on entry.

Canada needed fresh blood, but even that vast and largely unpopulated territory sought to control entry. At school we were taught how the UK is one of the most densely populated nations, almost akin to Bangladesh.

Our housing, pensions and NHS are in chaos. We need to control entry to this country, and exclude criminals or people who would seek to harm us. We cannot afford to be some kind of charitable foundation for the whole world, while our own society crumbles before our eyes.

I was at an exquisite reception in Magheramorne House recently. We saw NI at its finest on a glorious sunny day. But my attention was also drawn to the words of wisdom from the Presbyterian cleric who concisely qualified what the congregation were witnessing in an earlier Church service.

There was a fusion of two souls and two families into a new partnership, based on what the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures teach: "a creation ordinance".

There are rights and responsibilities for each party in any new contract. A similar vein of thought needs to inform UK migration policy.

Lord Empey reflects the legitimate alarm of countless citizens on a topic which we "dare not speak its name". A stable society-like ordered family life-requires boundaries.

A democratic state needs courts/military/police to protect internal security and counter external threat.

Tolerance itself needs protections; ideas have consequences.

James Hardy, Belfast BT5