I feel that I have to step in to this discussion as there a few people posting on here who are either extremely naive or so poorly educated to be bordering on extreme xenophobic. To suggest that you can tell who is a 'foreign' pilot just because of his or her accent on the airwaves is just plain pathetic.
There are many pilots of 'foreign' birth who are British or EU citizens by various rights and there are even UK born pilots who speak with a foreign accent because of where they were brought up. Did you know that wherever you were living and whatever accent you were listening to when you were in your mid to late teens is the accent you tend to keep for the rest of your life?
The title and some of the discussion being raised in this topic show poorly thought out argument. To me it smacks of ultra right wing politics and is just a short step away from demanding to know what ones religious or ethnic background is before accepting that someone deserves a job as a pilot. I find it very worrying that there are people who can still make this argument in this day and age and embarrasing that they should be pilots with a professional license.
On the one hand I can understand the frustration of a newly licenced pilot with a frozen ATPL trying to secure a job but to launch into this kind of debate with poorly researched data and use terminology such as
"...passengers are not always happy to hear a foreigner making a PA especially if the pilot almost needs the services of a translator..." or even worse "...myself and the skipper find ourselves playing a game of find the brits on the R/T flying for British airlines... Most days it is quite shocking how many are from around the world!..." is just plain xenophobia. If you are going to debate the issue of being British with a CAA ATPL but unable to get a job for a British airline becuase they have WET LEASED an aircraft from outside the EU then fine, but realise that it is because of a largely ignorant and poorly informed section of the CAA and the civil service that is at fault and assisted by airlines that care far more for their shareholders than their pilots.
Can we cut the 'facade' of indignant outrage at 'Johnny foreigner' has taken my rightful job and stick to the real issue of flagging out. It is scary knowing there are pilots out there who actually play 'spot the foreigner flying for a Brit airline'. I would be ashamed to admit to such extreme attitudes and I think you should be too. Here's a hint: Don't admit to this attitude if you are applying for a job with an airline because if you have it may be the reason why you haven't secured that dream job in the first place!