Don’t vilify asylum seekers
Hackney Gazette
Like the vast majority of people of all nationalities and faiths I was appalled and angered by the terrorist attacks on London this summer. My family and I use public transport daily. In fact, I would have normally have been taking the tube from Liverpool Street to Westminster around the time the bomb went off there on the 7th of July. So like hundreds of thousands of us I felt that I personally had had a lucky escape.
To add insult to injury it emerged that two of the 21st July bombers came to Britain as child refugees. They went to school and received benefits and housing – one was even given a British passport despite having a criminal record. It is understandable that people feel betrayed. However, many people feel equally saddened by the way sections of the media have exploited the background of the most recent suspects to attack and smear the very idea of asylum.
I am extremely alarmed and dismayed at the way in which some sections of the press have attempted to scapegoat asylum seekers by drawing a link between them and the bombers. The right wing papers have exploited the situation and smeared refugee communities with generalised accusations of ingratitude. They were quick to conclude that Britain’s asylum system is ‘out-of-control’ and jeopardising our security by making the UK a ‘safe haven’ for Islamic terrorists. Asylum seekers were shamelessly pigeonholed as fake refugees and criminals running from justice in their native countries.
One paper suggested in no uncertain terms that: “Bombers are all spongeing asylum seekers” and then encouraged readers to text an answer to the question: “should all asylum seekers now be turned back?”. Another followed suit by demanding “Gratitude!” When an innocent Brazilian man was shot in the head because he acted suspiciously by running the same papers chose to comment on his tragedy by suggesting that had he not overstayed on his visa this would never have happened. Investigative journalists then unearthed ‘evidence’ that these fake asylum seeker bombers raked in £10,000 in state handouts and that failed asylum seekers all over the country are receiving better healthcare than the rest of us.
This amounts, of course, to nothing more than really bad and socially irresponsible journalism. Neither failed bomber was an asylum seeker (in fact the July 7th bombers were British born). When they arrived as children aged 11 and 14 they were minors accompanied by relatives who claimed asylum.
Such a mind-set threatens our much talked about ‘way of life’ more than the terrorists do. The very idea of asylum is central to the values that we hold dear. Let’s remember that many of the refugees we welcome have fought fundamentalism in their home countries. Refugee organisations in the UK can testify that refugees feel a very real and genuine debt to their host countries and passionately want to repay that debt. It remains our humanitarian duty to assist in reforming those nations and simultaneously to provide a safe place for those courageous enough to confront tyranny. I hope Mr Blair will think carefully about his new tough anti-terror laws and make sure they do not punish the wrong people.
Britons are rightly angry and disillusioned but our anger should not be directed at Muslims or refuges communities. We must not be so irresponsible as to fuel prejudice by slandering our most vulnerable communities based on the actions of a tiny minority. We must continue to promote solidarity between Britain’s diverse communities rather than deepen divisions. This is absolutely crucial to avoid playing into the hands of the terrorists who wish to divide us.
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