GARA PRESS RELEASE: New Report on Race Statistics in Scotland Launched

From: Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance Contact: Ashay Ghai: 0141 572 1140

On: August 2008

Subject: State of the Nation Report Embargo: For Immediate Release

New Report on Race Statistics in Scotland Launched
With the lack of information on race and racism increasingly recognised, Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance (GARA) has launched its ‘State of the Nation – Race and Racism in Scotland 2008’ report, a collation of statistics and data relating to Black/Minority Ethnic (BME) people in Scotland. The statistics have been gathered from a number of sources, including Scottish Government publications, academic research, and studies carried out by voluntary organisations. The document highlights many discrepancies, such as a much increased rate of diabetes amongst BME communities but limited ethnic monitoring by the National Health Service and a significantly higher percentage of BME children in care.

GARA Director Jatin Haria explained;

“Strong statistical data is essential in Scotland if government and its agencies are to truly address the needs of Black/Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. For example, a report recently published by the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities highlighted the lack of ethnicity data collection by NHS Scotland as a concern, making it more difficult to adequately meet the needs of BME people.

“GARA’s State of the Nation report seeks to address such requirements and will become an invaluable reference tool for policy makers.”

The document is being published following a consultation period involving many senior experts in the race and racism field.

Former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality and current Professor in Communities & Race Relations at Glasgow Caledonian University, Dr Kay Hampton commented;

“I wish to congratulate Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance for identifying the need for and producing the State of the Nation document. By collating all information available on race in Scotland into a single report they have provided a powerful new tool in addressing the needs of Black/Minority Ethnic communities.

“I am confident that its publication will highlight any needs that must be addressed and make a real difference to black people.”

Commenting on the release of the report Minister for Communities Stewart Maxwell added;

“I welcome the production of this report which brings all the evidence on race and racism issues in Scotland together in one place.

“The Scottish Government believes that a successful Scotland is civilised, fair and inclusive and provides equal opportunity and choice for all its people.

“I hope this report will be a useful tool in reaching this goal and contribute to making race equality a reality across the country.”

The State of the Nation –Race and Racism in Scotland 2008 report, which summarises statistics in a number of sections such as health, education and employment, is available in on the Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance website www.gara.org.uk, or in hardcopy at cost (telephone 0141 572 1140).

ENDS

30 Bell street, Glasgow G1 1LG. T: 0141 572 1140, F: 0141 572 1141, e: info@gara.org.uk. www.gara.org.uk

If you don’t challenge racism – who will?

Fears minority staff will suffer in recession

THE SCOTTISH government will target ethnic minorities with its skills strategy after union leaders held a meeting with ministers to express fears that they would be first in the firing line during a recession.

Stewart Maxwell, the communities minister, said funding for the SNP government’s racial equality strategy would be announced “imminently”, and that the skills programme would target areas with shortages of particular groups of workers. He added: “We must make sure people don’t use the economic downturn as an excuse to maltreat one particular group.”

The announcement follows a recent meeting between the STUC’s black workers’ committee, Maxwell and Lesley Irving, the head of the government’s race, religion and refugees integration team, in which the committee raised its concerns about the possible impact of the credit crunch on black and minority ethnic (BME) workers.

advertisementDavidson Chademana, a member of the black workers’ committee, said: “There is a very real feeling within BME communities that black workers will be the first victims of any economic downturn. Those who do remain in jobs will be in areas of low pay and poor conditions, a multiple exploitation of sorts.

“We have to be wary of any polarisation within the workforce, where economic hardship may breed racism and prejudice.”

Mary Senior, assistant secretary to the committee, said that BME workers felt they were now at greater risk because many are on temporary contracts and employed below their skill levels in sectors with a higher turnover of staff.

She added that some employers wrongly believed migrant workers had an unclear legal status, and that BME workers claim to have faced greater racial prejudice from the wider community and in the workplace during periods of higher unemployment. They also already face unemployment rates twice as high as white Scots.

Maxwell, who has been invited to speak at the black workers’ committee annual conference in October, added: “We have a clear view that economic success depends on getting the maximum out of all the people in Scotland, not certain groups, and groups shouldn’t suffer disproportionately, whether ethnic minorities or in terms of gender.”

CBI Scotland’s assistant director David Lonsdale said companies were heading for “choppier economic waters”, with construction companies - many of which rely on migrant workers - finding it particularly tough.

But he added: “For those firms forced to make redundancies because of poor market conditions, this will be done in line with where the firm can best absorb a reduction in manpower and will have no link whatsoever to an employee’s ethnicity.

“Employers are well aware of the legal requirements on them to treat staff equally, irrespective of their ethnic origin, and if there is any failure to adhere to this, they will rightly be brought to book.”

http://www.sundayherald.com/business/businessnews/display.var.2381262.0.fears_minority_staff_will_suffer_in_recession.php

NEWS FROM UNITY CENTRE GLASGOW

Sharon Sylvia Nasuna and her two year old son were detained yesterday at the home office on Brand Street, Glasgow. She was going into the home office to hand in her fresh Asylum claim when they were detained. So far the immigration authorities have failed to look at her claim and are continuing to detain her despite the fact that even their own regulations say that they cannot detain a person who has a claim pending.

Even without taking into account Sharon’s experiences in Uganda and the treatment she faces if returns it is despicable that this woman and her child have been detained whilst she had new evidence to support her case in her hand!

Please help us get Sharon and Shaun out of detention by faxing the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and demanding that she intervene and release Sylvia and Shaun.

Fax the Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that Syharon Sylvia Nasuna and her son are released and returned to Glasgw. Please remember to include Sharon’s Home Office Reference Number N1137405

Fax 020 7035 4745 / from outside UK+44 207 035 4745

*No fax machine? No matter!*
If you have a computer and access to the internet you do not need a fax machine to fax.

There are two methods of faxing:
From your browser go to:
http://www.tpc.int/sendfax.html
(the number must be entered with the country code
so 020 7035 4745 (Home Office) would be 44 20 7035 4745

Send a fax via email
Use this email address format :
remote-printer.recipient_name@fax_number.iddd.tpc.int

So, to send the fax to Jacqui Smith put:
remote-printer.Jacqui_Smith@442070354745.iddd.tpc.int
Just copy your fax message into the body of the email.

Thanks for your support

Unity!!

–
The Unity Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow G51 1AQ

0141 427 7992

theunitycentre@btconnect.com
www.unitycentreglasgow.org

Asylum seekers tell their stories

BBC NEWS ONLINE

The UK’s treatment of asylum seekers falls seriously below the standards of a civilised country, says a report. The Independent Asylum Commission heard from hundreds of witnesses, including asylum seekers who said the system had been unfair to them.

Germain Naruhana gave evidence to the commission in Leeds. He claimed asylum from the DR Congo in 2005. He says his father was beheaded by political opponents after the family spoke out against abuses. He has lost contact with his wife and three children. He says an asylum judge told him his story was not credible.

Afshin, who is originally from Iran, spoke to the Independent Asylum Commission about his experiences in the UK, where he has lived for the past 12 years.

He says he waited five years for a decision on his case - a refusal.

“If someone would tell an Iranian that in a Western country they treat you like this, they wouldn’t believe you - because they think there is so much humanity there because we have such a brutal government.”

Shoherah Muhummad, originally from Somalia, gave evidence to the commission in Leeds.

She says she struggled to get adequate legal representation to help her to prepare her case before asylum assessors.

“I was running around not knowing where I was going. The only thing that has been going through my head was why did I come to the UK - I made a very big mistake.”

Iraqi asylum seekers given deadline to go home or face destitution in UK

Related Article: ‘The treatment is humiliating’

· Government says country is now safe despite conflict
· Three weeks for 1,400 to join return programme

Alan Travis, home affairs editor
The Guardian, Thursday March 13 2008

More than 1,400 rejected Iraqi asylum seekers are to be told they must go home or face destitution in Britain as the government considers Iraq safe enough to return them, according to leaked Home Office correspondence seen by the Guardian.

The Iraqis involved are to be told that unless they sign up for a voluntary return programme to Iraq within three weeks, they face being made homeless and losing state support. They will also be asked to sign a waiver agreeing the government will take no responsibility for what happens to them or their families once they return to Iraqi territory.

The decision by the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, to declare that it is safe to send asylum seekers back to Iraq comes after more than 78 people have been killed in incidents across Iraq since last Sunday.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) said its policy was that returns of asylum seekers to central and southern Iraq and for some categories to the north of the country were not advisable because of the continuing conflict.

The Refugee Council said the decision disclosed by the Guardian was a shocking example of the government’s policy of using destitution to starve people into leaving the country.

Although the government has repeatedly tried to return failed asylum seekers to northern Iraq since 2005 with special charter flights to Arbil, it has never regarded the routes from Britain to Baghdad or Basra, as safe enough to return anyone to central or southern Iraq.

The letter from the Borders and Immigration Agency’s (BIA) case resolution directorate makes clear that the home secretary now considers that travel to Iraq from the United Kingdom is “both possible and reasonable”. It continues: “Therefore these Iraqi nationals no longer qualify for support under this criterion.”

The 1,400 Iraqis came to Britain before 2005 and were granted “hard case” support. Although their claims for refugee status had been rejected, they were unable to leave the country because there was no safe way back to Iraq and they faced destitution in Britain. They have received “section four support” which includes basic “no-choice” accommodation, three meals a day, vouchers for essential items and only utility bills paid.

The BIA internal letter signed by Claire Bennett, the deputy director of the case resolution directorate, and dated March 6, says the Iraqis involved will be required to “demonstrate that they are taking all reasonable steps to leave the United Kingdom or that they are placing themselves in a position in which they are able to do so”.

She says the most obvious way they can do that is to make an application to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for the voluntary-assisted returns and reintegration programme to facilitate their return to Iraq.

Bennett describes the IOM as an “independent non-governmental organisation that can arrange return to the country of nationality through travel, financial and other reintegration assistance”. But the IOM is not an independent NGO. As its website points out, it is an intergovernmental organisation with a membership solely made up of member states. It asks all those returning “voluntarily” to Iraq under its schemes to sign a waiver reading: “I acknowledge that the IOM has no responsibility for me and my dependents once I return to Iraqi territory and I hereby release IOM from any liability in this respect.”

The Home Office letter says a failure to respond within the timescale will result in support being discontinued, although there will be a right of appeal. “The government is committed to ensuring that unsuccessful asylum seekers do not remain in the United Kingdom indefinitely. We consider that voluntary returns are by far the more dignified way of making a return, but if individuals fail to leave, their removal may be enforced,” it warns.

A Home Office spokesman last night said that all asylum claims were assessed on their individual merits by the BIA: “Where appropriate, an independent judicial process and Iraqis genuinely in need of our protection, for example some former interpreters, will be granted asylum. We consider it reasonable, however, to expect those individuals who have been found by an independent judge and appeals process not to need protection to return home. We prefer people to leave voluntarily but if necessary we will enforce their return.”

Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “It is a nasty policy, and a failed one, that doesn’t achieve its stated aim of encouraging return. Iraq is still patently unsafe and people from there are terrified of going back. Removing support in such cases only results in one thing: more hungry and homeless people living in constant fear.”

She added that most Iraqis wanted to go home when it was safe but until then the government should be offering them the chance to live decently in the UK.

This week in Iraq so far: shootings, suicide bombings and a mass grave

Sunday

Baghdad: Two bodies found
Haditha: Four people killed by roadside bomb
Mosul: Gunmen killed a man, a woman and her son and two policemen in separate incidents
Tikrit: Roadside bomb kills a policeman and wounds three others

Monday

Baghdad: One killed and four wounded by car bomb, and three bodies found
Basra: Doctor killed at training hospital in drive-by shooting
Diyala: Three US soldiers and interpreter killed in roadside bomb
Kanaan: Female suicide bomber kills Sunni sheikh Thaer Saggban al-Karkhi and three others
Muqdadiya: Suicide bomber kills two people and wounds 20

Tuesday

Baiji: Police officer shot dead
Dhuluiya: Suicide car bomber kills five people, wounds 14
Kut: At least 10 people killed in clashes between security forces and the Mahdi army
Mosul: Four policemen and a civilian killed in attacked on police checkpoint
Nassiriya: Roadside bomb kills at least 14 people and wounds 10
Samarra: Twenty decomposed bodies, including six women and five children, found dumped in a mass grave
Thar thar: Suicide car bomb kills two policemen, wounds three others
Yusufiya: Bomb planted in city council building kills one person and wounds eight
Baghdad: One person killed and five wounded in minibus bomb

Yesterday

Kirkuk: Bomb wounds council member’s bodyguards
Khalis: Mass grave containing 10 bodies found
Baghdad: Roadside bomb kills two, injures 10. Three mortars land in green zone. Bomb wounds five
Basra: Ex-Ba’ath party official and senior Shia cleric killed
Samarra: Three fuel truck drivers killed when roadside bombs explodes near convoy
Diwaniya: US soldier dies of wounds from a roadside bomb
Mosul: Six fuel trucks set ablaze and three drivers wounded when bomb detonates