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May 08 Racial Justice Update
A selective digest of news, events and other relevant information from Scotland.
To receive this update by email please email the Editor
Welcome to May’s Racial Justice update.
In this edition: Please note the Conference on Migration for Scottish Churches.
Any comments and contributions are welcome!
1. Racist incidents in Scotland:
Surge in racist crimes shows disharmony in our communities
Police are to step up their presence in pubs and clubs throughout the north-east following a surge in racist crimes, the Press and Journal can reveal. The move comes as new figures show the number of racist incidents in Grampian has soared over the last five years and there have been almost 2,000 cases since 2003. In the last year, Grampian Police have had to deal with 462 incidents – a sharp increase from the 275 it dealt with in 2003-04. … Across Grampian, the number of recorded incidents has grown in each of the last five years. In Aberdeen, incidents have risen from 198 in 2003-04 to 279, 284, 312 and finally 321 in 2007-08. It is a similar picture in Aberdeenshire, where incidents have shot up from 50 in 2003-04 to 70, 78, 95 and 96 last year. In Moray, race-related crimes have risen from 27 to 35, 52 and 53 in 2006-07. However, there was a slight drop to 45 incidents in the last year. Press and Journal
Whistleblower says BA ignores culture of racism among pilots
A Scottish pilot with British Airways has complained of a "canteen culture" of racism among pilots which he claims has been ignored by senior managers. Captain Doug Maughan, who lives in Dunblane and has 28 years' flying experience, says that derogatory remarks about race are so common they are treated as normal. In addition to hearing remarks about "coons" and "ragheads", he received an e-mai asking if "Jocks" will "F. off." Scotland on Sunday
Probe into ‘racist’ messages
Police were last night investigating claims that racially motivated and abusive messages were sent to a Singapore couple whose pet dog died at a north-east boarding kennels. Press and Journal see also The Independent
Folk club rocked by race row over George Formby songs
A racist songs row over George Formby is rocking a folk club.
Two regulars have threatened to call in police if the tunes are trotted out again at the Friday night sessions. Keith and Cate Ryan say lyrics containing the words kaffir and zulu are offensive and derogatory. Kelso Folk and Live Music Club bosses refused to back down after the complains about Roger Platfoot singing Formby songs. Daly Record
'Prejudiced' neighbours make false claims against migrants
Eastern European migrants are being unfairly labelled as neighbours from hell in Edinburgh because of "ignorance and prejudice", support workers said today. The Edinburgh Mediation Service has hit out at the number of groundless complaints it receives from Scots about Poles, and other nationalities, living on their doorstep. Scotsman
Murder accused 'said blacks should be shot' – witness
A MAN accused of murdering a waiter in an Indian restaurant was a racist who believed black people "should be shot", a court was told yesterday. The claim about Michael Ross came in a statement to police from a serving soldier. Black Watch sergeant Ricky Bews was giving evidence at the trial of Ross, who denies murdering the waiter, Shamsuddin Mahmood, in Kirkwall, Orkney, 14 years ago. Scotsman
Housing chief wins £26,000 damages over racism claims
A housing association boss who claimed racial discrimination when he applied for a senior post with Angus Council has been awarded £26,054 after winning his claim. Ahsan Khan, 45, who is of Bangladeshi origin, complained of direct and indirect racial discrimination when he applied for the post of head of housing with the council. Herald
2. Developments, Reports and Investigations
Decision deferred over travellers
Councillors have deferred a decision on whether to grant planning permission to a travellers' site in north east Fife. The Fordelhill Farm site, near Leuchars, has already been built despite legal attempts to halt work. BBC
New group for Muslim police officers stirs dissent in the ranks
A row has broken out over the creation of Scotland's first faith-based police group. The Muslim Police Association (MPA) is being set up in Strathclyde, which has about 30 Muslim officers, and it has the backing of Chief Constable Steven House. But the government-funded organisation that represents black and minority ethnic officers in Scotland says creating the MPA will "weaken" the voice of multiculturalism within the police service. Scotsman
British Baptists to go to Jamaica with slave trade apology
A delegation representing British Baptists is travelling to Jamaica this Thursday (20 May) to apologise to Jamaican Baptists for the transatlantic slave trade. During their stay (22 to 29 May) the delegation will have opportunities to meet with Jamaican Baptists and worship in their churches as well as seeing some of the locations which are inextricably bound up with their history. Plans are in place for the team to take part in two church services on Sunday, May 25 at which time will be given for the Apology to be made and a plaque to be handed over. Ekklesia
Polish sign says drinking banned in Leith Park
Signs written in Polish warning people not to drink in public are set to be installed in a Leith park. A recent surge in police call-outs to Pilrig Park has been put down to the fact that drinking in public is legal across much of Poland. Scotsman
Scottish Parliament Introduces Gaelic – English Bilingual Logo
The words ‘Pàrlamaid na h-Alba’ are to be introduced into the Scottish Parliament’s official logo it was announced today. (Details in Gaelic below.) The Gaelic for ‘Scottish Parliament’ will begin appearing from today on new parliamentary publications, transforming the Crown and Saltire device into a bilingual English – Gaelic logo. Scottish Parliament website
Plan for new civil law to help combat enforced marriages
A new law will be drawn up to crack down on forced marriages, but it will be civil rather than criminal legislation. The Scottish Government said it will consult on the new law to protect those people, overwhelmingly female, who are forced into marriages. The issue was raised at Holyrood yesterday by the parliament's only Asian member, Bashir Ahmad, an SNP MSP in Glasgow. He said: "When discussing the issue of forced marriages the balance between criminal and civil legislation must be looked at carefully. I believe criminal legislation may not actually help tackle the problem. Herald
‘The science of race and the politics of ignorance’
‘The ambiguous character of race in scientific research resides in the fact that race is a social category but with biological consequences. There is no such thing as a “natural” human population. Yet, many of the ways in which we customarily group people socially – by race, ethnicity, nationality, religious affiliation, geographic locality and so on - are not arbitrary from a biological point of view. Members of such groups often show greater biological relatedness than two randomly chosen individuals. Categories such as “African American”, “people of Asian descent” and “Ashkenazi Jew” can be important in medical research not because they are natural races but because they are social representations of certain aspects of genetic variation.’ The Philosophers’ Magazine, Issue 41
3. Asylum refugees:
Independent Asylum Commission warns of 'bleak future' for sanctuary
The Independent Asylum Commission today publishes 'Saving Sanctuary', the first of three reports of recommendations aimed at restoring public confidence in sanctuary for those who have fled persecution. Following eighteen months of evidence-gathering and listening to all sides of the debate, the independent Commissioners appointed by the Citizen Organising Foundation, are now making recommendations for reform that safeguard the rights of asylum seekers but are also aimed at commanding the confidence of the British public. The remaining two reports of recommendations will be published later in 2008. Ekklesia
Government offers Jojo £46 to go home
A gay Syrian asylum seeker has been offered only £46 in cash by the Government to return to his homeland where homosexuality is illegal and he faces possible death. Jojo Jako Yakob, 19, fled his homeland two years ago after being arrested, shot and beaten before being tortured in a Syrian jail when he was caught distributing anti-government leaflets. Scotsman
Granted Asylum: The Eritrean Athletes Ready To Run For Scotland
Scotland has acquired a ready-made team of world-class athletes in a group of Eritreans who have been granted political asylum. Three men and three women who competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh five weeks ago applied for asylum and four have been granted. The others expect to hear this week. Given that precedent, the legal firm advising them is optimistic they will also be given Home Office approval. Herald
TUC and Refugee Council launch joint campaign on the right to work
The Refugee Council and the TUC today launch a joint campaign calling on the Government to let asylum seekers work. The new initiative aims to build trade union and public support for a change in policy that would allow asylum seekers who have been in the country for longer than six months, or who are unable to return home, to work and support themselves, and make a contribution to the UK economy. The campaign is being launched at the 2008 TUC Black Workers’ Conference. Refugee Council online
From the Home Office
A pilot to introduce compulsory identity cards for Foreign Nationals started on 28th April, to test the technology and enrolment process for foreign nationals applying for leave to remain in the UK. This precedes ID cards being issued in November which will further strengthen our border security.
During the pilot, the fingerprints of 10,000 applicants in the student and marriage/partnership categories will be taken at the Croydon Public Enquiry Office
4. Immigration
Fruit growers 'are facing a disaster'
Scotland needs thousands of new immigrant workers this summer to avoid fruit rotting unpicked in fields. Farmers and politicians are calling for the UK government to relax new rules on migrant labour, which farmers fear might ruin their fruit-picking season. Scotsman
City spends £2m in two years on extra services for migrants
The number of migrants coming to live and work in Edinburgh has forced the city council to spend £2 million on extra services in just two years, it was revealed today. A new report from officials has revealed that resources are being strained by the "unprecedented demand" from the influx of – mainly east European – workers, which has led to poorer quality services. Councillors will need to identify more funds to meet the level of demand. Evening News
Big rise in bosses fined for taking on illegal immigrants
A major increase in the number of employers prosecuted for hiring illegal immigrants has been revealed. In the two months since a change in the law came into effect at the end of February, 137 firms have been caught employing staff illegally. The figure is ten times the number caught in the whole of 2007, and more than double the number of companies prosecuted in the past decade. Scotsman
Polish migrant workers given block of flats to call their own
A housing development aimed at migrant workers is set to be created in Edinburgh. The block of 16 flats will be marketed in Poland with the intention of housing up to 50 workers. Scotsman
More than 60,000 Eastern Europeans register to work in Scotland in four years
More than 60,000 Eastern European immigrants have registered to work in Scotland over the last four years, a new report said today. The figures, published by the think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), showed around a million people had arrived in Britain from countries including Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia since 2004. But some 500,000 migrants have since left the UK. Edinburgh News
Fears immigration rules will hit Highland games
The government was challenged last night over fears Scottish Highland games will be hit by a crackdown on immigration. The Scottish Highland Games Association warned visiting “stars” from Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be discouraged from attending after a new points-based sponsorship system is introduced in the autumn. Press and Journal
EU immigrants 'leaving UK
A million eastern European immigrants have come to the UK since 2004 - but half have now gone. The estimates emerged in a study by left-leaning think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Scotsman
‘Mitigating guilt or adapting to change?’
Mitigation is rooted in the idea that we need to slow down economic growth. But slowing down growth will undermine that capacity of a country like Bangladesh to build the necessary infrastructure. Poverty is already condemning Bangladesh to annual floods. How much worse will it be if combine rising sea levels with slowing economies? Bergens Tidende, 17 April 2008
Why are so many Britons emigrating?
Two million British citizens have left the UK in a decade, the greatest exodus from the country in almost a century. A space for comments – obviously most of the people responding hold views associated with Telegraph readers. Telegraph
5. Publications and Resources:
Floodgates or turnstiles? Post-EU enlargement migration flows to (and from) the UK
IPPR
Immigration faith and Cohesion
This research analyses new data from three local areas, Birmingham, Bradford and Newham, where relatively large numbers of recently arrived Muslim migrants and established Muslim residents are living alongside people of other faiths and of no faith. It is based on 319 interviews with individuals from 40 countries of origin, including the UK.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Migrants Rights News ~ No: 6 May 2008 edition of Migrants Rights News
Events:
Scottish Churches and Contemporary Migration
A conference on Migration organised by ACTS and the Scottish Churches
Wednesday 8th October 2008, 9.30 am – 4.15 pm
at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
See more details on ACTS website or contact me
Consultations:
Safeguarding Children in Scotland who may have been Trafficked (Closes 3 July 2008)