ACTS

A selective digest of news, events and other relevant information from Scotland.

Welcome to March Racial Justice Update.

From this month’s update:

Racial abuses in Scotland
BNP unveil their ‘Christian’ campaign for the Euro Elections
Migration statistic in Scotland

We welcome contributions to this update. Please contact the editor at the address below.

1. Racist incidents in Scotland:


English man's eye smashed in racist attack
An English man's eye socket was shattered in a racist attack, a court has heard. Nicholas Walker, 23, smashed Simon Maude's left eye after arguing with his victim's girlfriend over a taxi. Mr Maude needed a titanium implant to rebuild his crushed face. During the attack, Walker, of Stapley Avenue, swore at his victim, saying he was fat and English. Yesterday at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Walker, an architectural technician, admitted a racially aggravated assault. Edinburgh News

Racist attackers pull open car door and slash driver at wheel
AN Asian shop manager was slashed with a weapon and racially abused while he sat in his car – just minutes before a teenage boy was attacked in the same street. Detectives believe the same teenage attackers were responsible for what they are branding "completely unprovoked" and "shocking" early morning assaults in Viewcraig Street, off Holyrood Road. Scotsman

Teens racially abused and threatened
Police are appealing for witnesses after two teenagers were racially abused and threatened with a knife in the Capital. The two youths aged 16 and 17 were walking in Lower London Road when they were subjected to racial abuse from two men in the adjacent London Road at 8.30pm on Saturday. A small pocketknife was then used to threaten the youths, who managed to run off and contact police. Edinburgh News

Thug caged for hurling racist abuse at worker
A thug who shouted racist abuse at a fast-food worker because he wouldn’t serve him has been jailed. Darren Mason walked up to the drive-thru at McDonald’s in Almondvale Boulevard, Livingston, shortly after midnight on February 22.
At that time, the restaurant was only open to people in cars. Mason approached the service window and started banging on it, demanding to be served. Westlothian Courier

BA pilot sues airline over ‘jock’ racism claim
A Scottish senior British Airways pilot is suing the airline for racism after he was called "a jock" and told to go back to his welfare state paid for by the English. Douglas Maughan also claims there is a culture of racism at BA. Mr Maughan, 54, who has 29 years' flying experience, 15 with BA, said he received a letter and e-mails from a pilot he had never met after he had a letter published in the staff magazine BA News in 2005 which defended Labour's economic record. Herald

Warning over credit crunch racism
Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy has warned the country not to pander to "credit crunch" racism in a speech to the Scottish Labour conference. He outlined a rising pressure on jobs amid the financial crisis, and attacked "irresponsible bankers on £1m bonuses". Mr Murphy also mounted a strong defence of the union, branding SNP economic policy "a fantasy beyond all fiction". He said every political party had a right to identify with the Scottish flag, not just the Nationalists. BBC

'Credit crunch racism' concerns
The Scottish secretary has admitted all of the mainstream British political parties are worried that the economic crisis could lead to an increase in "recessionary racism," writes Andrew Bolger. Jim Murphy told Labour's Scottish conference this was the first recession in a genuinely global market, and said the United Nations estimated there were now 176m people living outside their country of birth. Financial Times

Lola Shoneyin: Feeling the pain of racist abuse
I had no idea what a golliwog was until my father sent me to an Edinburgh prep school at six years old. I have often asked him why he chose to educate me (and my five brothers) so far away from home. His answer is always the same: He wanted the very best. But why did a man of such lowly beginnings decide to send his children to boarding school in faraway Scotland? He wasn't born into a rich family. In fact, his father before him was nothing more than a local village herbalist who never quite grasped the value of education. Edinburgh News

Giving evidence against racist killer 'almost wrecked life of witness'
The strain of giving evidence against a racist killer almost wrecked the life of a key witness, a court has been told. Cator Moyes, 33, was "sweating, shaking and close to tears" before he went into the witness box during the trial of Army sergeant Michael Ross – now serving life for the murder of Orkney waiter Shamsuddin Mahmood. Since the trial, the electrician's labourer has been unable to work because of depression and anxiety, said solicitor advocate David Taylor, defending. Edinburgh News

McColl tagged for race abuse attack on taxi driver
Scots actor Iain McColl was given a tagging order yesterday for attacking a taxi driver and calling him a "Paki". The former Rab C Nesbitt star head-butted Mark Kirkpatrick and shouted racist abuse at him in the west end of Glasgow in October. He will be fitted with the electronic device to make sure that he stays at home between 7pm and 7am every day for two months. McColl, 54, of Bearsden Road, Glasgow, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he admitted assaulting Mr Kirkpatrick and acting in a racially aggravated manner at Glasgow's Great Western Road on October 10, last year. Herald

Muslim leaders offer to guard synagogue
Muslim leaders have offered to stand guard outside a Scottish synagogue after it was vandalised in an alleged anti-Semitic attack. Two men have appeared in court in connection with the attack on the synagogue in Edinburgh last week, when several window panes were smashed. Scotsman

Travellers may be given new deal
Travellers could be allowed to stay indefinitely on unauthorised sites in Moray under proposals which would remove limits on the length of time they can remain in one place. But groups could be banned from having more than eight caravans on each site under a code of conduct proposed by housing bosses. Press and Journal

Travelling people site development: refusal of appeal
Travelling people who started developing a small field in north-east Fife without planning permission have been told to undo their work by a Scottish Government reporter—but not before their planning application is heard. Courrier


2. Developments, Reports and Investigations

Williams warns that financial fear can breed xenophobia
Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has warned that the financial crisis could make the UK more vulnerable to political extremism and the rise of parties like the British National Party. Dr Williams was speaking at the Christian Muslim Forum in London. He described the recent election of a BNP councillor in Kent as a “straw in the wind”. The spiritual head of the Church of England and the 77 milion worldwide Anglican Communion said that people were feeling angry because of the financial crisis, and there was a temptation to look for scapegoats. Ekklesia

Scotland takes 'too few' black students
Scottish university bosses have been asked by the Government's race equality watchdog to explain why there are so few black students on the nation's campuses. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says it is "concerning" that Afro-Caribbean students make up on average just 1.4% of those in higher education in Scotland, dropping to 0.3% at some institutions.
Scotland on Sunday

Students line up to show racism the red card
Perth college students yesterday joined forces to denounce racism. McDiarmid Park was the venue for a special event for those on social and vocational studies (SVS) courses. Currier

£3.7m for victims of human trafficking
Victims of human trafficking will be helped to escape prostitution and domestic servitude following the award of a new £3.7 million government grant to the POPPY Project, Justice Minister Maria Eagle announced today. The POPPY Project has been providing places of refuge and vital support to hundreds of victims of human trafficking since 2003, backed by £5.8 million government support. Ministry of Justice

BNP to launch advertising campaign featuring Jesus Christ
The extremist British National Party (BNP) is to launch an advertising campaign featuring Jesus Christ. The far-Right party will use the advert which features a bible verse quoting Jesus' words about persecution, in the run up to the European Elections in June. It comes after the Church of England passed a resolution at its General Synod last month banning clergy from being members of the party. The advert features a picture of Jesus Christ on the cross and quotes a part of a verse from John's Gospel (John 15:20) in which Jesus says: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you". The verse comes in the context of Jesus' teaching about love. The advert then asks: "What would Jesus do?". Ekklesia

Churches dismiss BNP’s election posters
Three British Churches have reminded people of the 'true Christian message of love' for all people following the inclusion of Jesus in a BNP election campaign. Their statement comes after the Church of England declined to comment on the posters which feature a bible verse quoting Jesus' words about persecution, in the run up to the European Elections in June. The adverts contain a picture of Jesus Christ on the cross and quotes a part of a verse from John's Gospel (John 15:20) in which Jesus says: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you". The verse comes in the context of Jesus' teaching about love. Ekklesia

How to respond to the BNP when it asks: 'What Would Jesus Do?'
There was an interesting response to the BNP’s new adverts featuring a picture of Jesus Christ, from the Archbishop of York’s press office yesterday. The far-Right party will use the advert which features a bible verse quoting (and taking out of context) Jesus' words about persecution, in the run up to the European Elections in June. Ekklesia

3. Asylum refugees:

Failed asylum seekers 'have no right to free health care' - Court of Appeal
Failed asylum seekers are not entitled to free treatment on the NHS, three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled today. But hospitals can make up their own minds on whether to treat them if they have no money, said the judges. They were dealing with a test case which will affect "a large number" of people seeking medical help for serious illnesses. 24Dash


4. Immigration

Migration statistics to, from, and within Scotland
It is increasingly important to have high quality statistics on migration and the population, for policy development and for planning and providing public services. Achieving this aim is challenging in the context of increasingly complex lifestyles and changes in migration to and from the UK over the last decade. General Registrar for Scotland

English not first tongue of 1-in-7
One in seven primary school pupils do not have English as their first language. The increased figure has prompted Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green to demand an annual limit on immigration. Daily Express

Language no barrier for Polish pupil
Schools, hospitals and even courts have had to bring in interpreters and support workers in a bid to ensure equal access for Polish, Lithuanian, and Romanian migrant workers. But at one school in North Lanarkshire, Polish pupils and parents have been getting much of the help they need from an unlikely source. BBC

‘Migrant tax’ to be introduced
Anyone from outside the European Union applying for a student or work visa will be required to pay a tax levied on migrants. This will affect hundreds of thousands of people from foreign footballers to touring Australian bar staff. Ministers will this week announce the details of the fee, expected to be up to £50. The money will be handed to local authorities struggling to cope with the impact of immigration on schools, GP surgeries and other public services. The government hopes the tax will raise £70m over the next two years. The Times

New rules for skilled and highly skilled migrant workers
The Immigration Rules covering highly skilled migrant workers will change on 31 March 2009, raising the academic and financial requirements of two categories in Tier 1 of the points-based system. At the same time, the resident labour market test will be strengthened to ensure that skilled jobs are advertised within the United Kingdom before they can be offered to migrant workers. Both changes are in line with the Home Secretary's announcement on 22 February of new measures to "raise the bar" for foreign workers wishing to work in the United Kingdom. UK Border Agency

Migrants' qualifications 'must be recognised to boost economy'
Recognising qualifications of migrants is crucial to Scotland's economy, a leading figure in education has claimed. Dr Andrew Cubie, chairman of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, speaking at the organisation's conference yesterday in Glasgow, said we must tap into the valuable knowledge offered by migrants. Scotsman

'Lost generation' of Poles could lose out back home
Poland's economy and society could suffer severe consequences from the massive wave of migration that took more than a million Poles to Britain and Ireland, an adviser to the Polish government has warned. Calling the migrants Poland's "lost generation", Professor Krystyna Iglicka said that as Poles return, they could find themselves unemployable. Scotsman


5. Publications and Resources:

Recent Migration into Scotland: The Evidence Base
Scottish Government Publication PDF

Managing the Impacts of Migration: Improvements and Innovations

Inequalities experienced by Gypsy and Traveller communities: A review
Equality and Human Rights Commission Publication PDF

Improving the Outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils


Events:

“This is my village now “
Hear what new refugees themselves have to say about their needs and issues. You are invited to attend this launch event
Wednesday 15 April, 10am –12.30pm
Satinwood Suite, Glasgow City Chambers, George Square
RSVP: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Or phone: 0141 946 6193 Jock Morris (chair) – 07896 877 315, Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees

Maryhill Citizens Advice Bureau Asylum Seeker & Refugee Project
Integrated Advice Conference
‘Current Issues Facing Asylum Seekers & Refugees
Thursday 23 April 2009 9.30-3.00 p.m.
Teacher Building, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow


Editor
Nelu Balaj