Racism in the UK
Last Updated May 14th 2019
David Stanton, Minister for Equality, Immigration, and Integration will launch ENAR Ireland’s new publication ‘Responding to racism guide: How to report racism and where to find help’. This is a weighty tome.
‘Responding to racism guide’ is designed as a supplement to the iReport.ie system of recording and monitoring racist incidents in Ireland. It is primarily a guide for following up on incidents by someone who has experienced or witnessed racism, and/or those supporting them. This guide provides you with information about how and where to report racist incidents, including racist discrimination, racist crimes, hate speech online and in the media, as well as how to go about finding redress, how to use existing legislation to address racism and how to support victims.
THIS GUIDE IS FOR:
- Those who have been subjected to racism,
- Those who have come across or witnessed racism,
- Organisations or individuals wishing to provide support to people experiencing racism.
Regardless of your background, you have the right to equal access, not just to services but also to the delivery of services, free from discrimination, racism or prejudice. This means whether this prejudice or discrimination is based on your nationality, ethnic background, religion, membership of the Traveller community or skin colour, in the workplace and in access to services. Whether you yourself have experienced racism, witnessed it happening to someone else or come across it online, it is important to take action and report it and make a formal complaint, even in cases where taking a legal route may prove challenging. However, if you believe the content or behaviour you are reporting is prohibited in Ireland, please contact relevant authorities listed in this guide, so they can accurately assess the content or behaviour for possible violations of law. If you encounter an incident which constitutes a serious crime, or if you believe there is a serious and immediate threat to someone’s life or wellbeing, we strongly encourage you to report these immediately to An Garda Síochána. We encourage the reporting of ALL types of racist incidents to iReport.ie and relevant bodies and we hope that this guide will make this process easier and clearer for those affected.
April 16th
Racism in Sport, and in particular in Football is thriving, why?
April 6th 2019
Free-talking Danny Rose worn down by racism and ready to leave the game
Tottenham left-back scarred by incidents dating back to 2012 and which he encountered again in March with England. Read the full article here
The Presentation Sisters in the North East Province and the South West Province of Ireland together with the Presentation Sisters and Associates in England will collaborate during the month of March as is Anti-Racism month. Our date for collaboration will be the 21st March is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The theme this year is:
Mitigating and countering rising nationalist populism and extreme supremacist ideologies. For more information: http://www.un.org/en/events/racialdiscriminationday/. Also check out the European Anti-Racism Network page http://enarireland.org/. Maybe helping to combat racism can be built into our Lenten practice.
So many migrants have no choice but to leave their home and do so in the hope that where they will go will be better for them and for their families. This is not always the case and increasingly those who arrive to pastures new find that the welcome is decidedly hostile and for no reason they are discriminated against. To build a life in a new country can often be made impossible by governments decide who can or cannot enter. On this day March 21st we are mindful of all that leave unwillingly and in fear and we sincerely hope that they will not experience the racism that so many complain of. We remember all who suffer racism on this the International Day for the Elimination of the Racism.
from a Somali Poet
The government is attacking migrants’ rights March 9th 2019
Here in the UK, aggressive anti-migrant policies are making people’s lives miserable. The ‘hostile environment’ is a raft of policies created by Theresa May, which denies migrants who lack the ‘right’ papers their basic rights. It blocks people from access to healthcare, housing, work, education and more. I’m sure you remember from last year, the Windrush scandal showing the terrible impact these laws can have on people’s lives. Yet the government wants to extend them.
The UK’s hostile policies don’t just affect people here. As part of the EU our government has signed up to deals with Egypt, Turkey and Libya to stop migrants reaching Europe. These deals mean that people are left in desperate situations at the borders and driven to risk drowning in the Mediterranean. Yet judging by our government’s published plans it looks like they will stay part of these arrangements after Brexit, if not intensify them.
Migrants aren’t the problem. War, climate change and inequality are:
Anti-migrant policies ignore the global crises that are forcing people to leave their homes and loved ones. Crises like war, inequality, climate change, exploitation and poverty. It’s vital the government stops treating migrants as the enemy and addresses the real problems of our time.
What about the composition of those who are unemployed in the UK?
The United Kingdom has borne witness to a growth in reported hate crime. This is demonstrated in up-to-date figures regarding the numbers of hate crimes report to the police. In Ireland the lack of specific law in Ireland has caused a “policy vacuum” and that the “hate” aspect of crimes is gradually filtered out as an investigation and complaint make their way through the criminal justice system.
Kick it Out (of Sport)
A small independent charity, the ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football’ campaign was established in 1993 in response to widespread calls from clubs, players and fans to tackle racist attitudes existing within the game. Kick It Out was then established as a body in 1997 as it widened out its objectives to cover all aspects of discrimination, inequality and exclusion. In one of the largest surveys on racism ever conducted on their app (27,000 people responded). The following were their findings.
Key Findings
- In the UK, more than half of fans have witnessed racist abuse (50%), but less than half would know how to report it (40%).
- 61% of fans internationally would support points deductions for national or club teams whose fans are found guilty of racist abuse (for example, Chelsea having points deducted following their game in Paris in 2015).
- Globally, 74% of fans want FIFA to consider previous racist abuse when awarding countries international tournaments. The hosts of the 2026 World Cup are in agreement, with 77% of Americans wanting this, 76% of Mexicans, and 77% of Canadians.
- In Middle Eastern countries, 80% of fans support this view too. However, problematically ahead of the Qatar World Cup 2022, only 13% of fans from Arabic countries would know how to report incidents of racist abuse.
- On average, 84% of fans would feel comfortable with a player of a different ethnic/racial background than them representing their nation or club team.
- Fans in Norway (95%), Sweden (94%), and Brazil (93%) feel most comfortable with a player of different ethnic / racial background representing their national or club team. Fans in Saudi Arabia (11%), Lebanon (15%), and the UAE (19%) feel least comfortable.
- When it comes to the countries housing the ‘Top 5’ European leagues, 93% of French people, 92% of Brits, 77% of Germans and Spaniards, and 71% of Italians feel comfortable with a player of different ethnic / racial background representing their national or club team. This figure for the US is 91%.
What is Hate Crime Leaflet here and here
Some other articles that may be of interest:
- Record number of UK children excluded for racist bullying. Call for urgent action as rise in numbers blamed on ‘toxic rhetoric around immigration. Here
- A Guardian poll found comprehensive evidence to support concerns that unconscious bias has a negative effect on the lives of Britain’s 8.5 million people from minority backgrounds that is not revealed by typical data on racism. More here
- Who are the Windrush generation and how have they been treated? More here
- UK asylum seekers who face destitution 'wait months' for support. Charity criticises government over delays in official help for those claiming asylum. More here #
- Britain offers asylum to up to 50 people per day and only four countries offer asylum to more. Here
- UK has seen 'Brexit-related' growth in racism, says UN representative. UN special rapporteur on racism says ‘extreme views’ have gained ground in Britain since the Nrexit vote. More here and info-graphic below
