The other side of the coin is that locals increasingly have to compete with immigrants who are put into desperate positions (as a result of having less bargaini

The other side of the coin is that locals increasingly have to compete with immigrants who are put into desperate positions (as a result of having less bargaining power) and therefore willing to accept lower wages which drives down wages for locals too. In effect, the desperation of immigrants spreads to the locals. To the locals who are used to a certain way of life, it's quite a shock that they now have to go to extreme lengths just to make ends meet. Even immigrants who eventually manage to become citizens after several years, eventually find themselves forced to compete with the next wave of even more desperate immigrants.