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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

By Paul Kirby
EU reporter, BBC News

After years of dispute, the EU has struck an accord on the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.

“We have 10 to 12 million illegal persons in the EU… they are modern slaves,” said German MEP Manfred Weber, who described the deal as a “big step”.

He said there would be a six-month limit on detention for most people and a readmission agreement would have to be struck before they were sent home.

A final decision will now have to be made by MEPs and member states.

The deal was hammered out by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU, along with members of the European Commission and the parliament, but it is opposed by some MEPs.

The Socialist group has refused to give its consent to the accord, saying it objects to some of the terms.

“We have serious reservations about numerous aspects of the text, particularly on the duration for which immigrants can be held in detention centres,” said French MEP Martine Roure, who took part in the talks in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

While France currently has a 30-day limit on detention, some EU countries such as Malta have an 18-month maximum and seven others, including the UK, have no limit.

Instead of the agreed six-month limit on detention with a possible further year for exceptional cases, the Socialists believe there should be a lower limit with an absolute maximum of six months.

But Dutch Liberal MEP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert told the BBC News website that while the agreement was not perfect, it was definitely a step forward.

“They (the Socialists) are acting politically irresponsibly and are completely immature,” she said.

British Green MEP Jean Lambert said that the difficulty for some French MEPs was that while some countries would have to reduce their limit for immigrant detention, France would substantially increase its own.

Although the agreement was far better than if it had been left to governments to negotiate, she said the Greens would probably vote against it because of some of the provisions.

“If you’re married to a British citizen but don’t have the right to stay and are forced to leave, you can now find yourself banned for five years,” she said.

The Socialists are also concerned about the treatment of unaccompanied children.

But Manfred Weber, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the return of illegal immigrants, said that social services would be responsible for the return of children rather than the usual authorities.

The plight of illegal immigrants has become a major issue in a number of EU countries. In Germany, campaigners complain that if an illegal immigrant goes to a hospital for treatment, doctors are required to inform the authorities.

That, says Mr Weber, leads to a situation in which many do not seek treatment.

In France earlier this month, Malian immigrant Baba Traore died after jumping into the River Marne while trying to escape from police east of Paris. He fled when he was asked for his identity documents.

Protesters took to the streets demanding rights for immigrants and the closure of detention centres.

The French government, which takes up the EU presidency in July, has made reaching a European immigration pact a priority.

Italy’s incoming interior minister, Roberto Maroni, has called for “more rigour” against illegal immigration, speaking of a need for “more cleansing and more police”.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said that the new agreement meant that there would now be an effective return policy across the EU which, until now, had not been in place.

“If you want to make a serious effort to come up with a comprehensive package on migration, you cannot ignore that we have to tackle the problems of illegal migration,” he said.

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

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.”

By Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Correspondent
The Telegraph

Immigration rules should be skewed to make it easier for foreign workers to settle in Scotland instead of England, the head of Britain’s new equality agency argued yesterday.

Sir Trevor Phillips said the Government’s new points-based immigration system should be weighted to encourage skilled foreigners to move north of the Border rather than settle in London or the south-east.

Critics warned last night that less strict rules north of the Border would lead to Scotland becoming the “back door” for migrants to enter the rest of the United Kingdom.

But Sir Trevor, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and former chairman of the London Assembly, argued that the move would fill gaps in Scotland’s workforce and ease pressure on public services and housing elsewhere.

Under the new points-based system being phased in over the coming months, skilled foreign workers who want to move to the UK must meet a number of criteria. These include being offered a job that meets a skills shortage according to a list currently being drawn up by the Home Office’s Migration Advisory Committee (Mac).

The committee has been asked to draw up a separate list for Scotland, which the SNP administration hopes will make it easier for immigrants to work north of the Border.

Government figures published by The Daily Telegraph yesterday reveal that the number of immigrants forecast to enter Britain each year has risen to around 190,000, 45,000 higher than the 2004 statistic.

Sir Trevor said foreigners who agreed to settle in Scotland should be given more points, potentially allowing in UK migrants who would otherwise be barred. He said: “We now have a system by which, generally speaking, people will get into the country if they have a job offer and have skills that are in demand, which will accrue points.

“What I’m suggesting is that in totting up those points, you could bias the system so those who have jobs in Scotland get extra points.

“We should be creating an incentive for people to move to Scotland rather than tending to do what they do now, which is heading straight to London and the south-east.”

The idea replicates schemes in Australia and Canada, which are based on moving migrants to regions where there are fewer population pressures.

Speaking prior to addressing a business conference in St Andrews yesterday, Sir Trevor said this would benefit the Scottish economy, help reverse population decline and stymie the influx of foreigners to London.

“Most migrants will head to London or Toronto or Paris or Sydney because that’s where they’ve heard of,” he added. “Under the new system, we have the opportunity to take the edge off that and divert the flow a bit.”

Sir Trevor argued that there was less immigrant pressure placed on public services and housing in Scotland than in London and the south-east, meaning good community relations would be easier to achieve.

Rules could ensure that those who broke the terms of their visa, by moving out of Scotland, would be deported. But Sir Andrew Green, the chairman of the Migrationwatch think tank, said: “We cannot allow Scotland to become a back door to Britain. Once people are allowed to settle in Scotland, they will acquire a human rights claim to remain in the United Kingdom.”

The Border and Immigration Agency said that Mac would advise the Government on where migration could fill gaps in the UK labour market.

An agency spokeswoman said: “The Mac has already started work on the first shortage occupation list for skilled employment which it aims to publish in June.

“There are specific issues in Scotland, such as the declining population, that the points system could help offset, and we have therefore asked the Mac to produce a separate Scottish shortage occupation list.”

A Scottish Executive spokesman added: “We are confident that Scotland can attract talent from around the world and we are exploring a range of options with the Home Office, which will make it easier for those who are skilled to work here and to remain in Scotland.”