Stand up to Racism, Refugees are Welcome Here.

 

 

Everybody has the rights to a refugee status. It is a human right. There is no such thing as an illegal refugee.Home Secretary Suella Braverman is turning Britain into a Fascist state. It is how it started in Nazi Germany with their forced emigration for the Reich's Jews, and the use of nationalist rhetoric to justify policies of exclusion , in breach of international law and human rights which seems to many people to be tragically occuring again today.The plight of refugees desperate to reach safe havens is very similar to the plight of refugees fleeing Nazi occupied Europe only to be pushed back.

Fascist organisations like Patriotic Alternative are actually quoting Braverman's incendiary, inflammatory language. describing desperate, vulnerable refugees " an invasion of our southern coast" as a slogan to mobilise and build support for their vile fascist agenda.

Regarding the abhorent illegal Immigration Bill. The bill applies to everyone who arrives in the UK - by whatever means - without immigration leave as of 7 March 2023 (as well as some family members who arrived in the UK before that date), which means that all those arriving in the UK irregularly would be banned from claiming asylum and they would be subject to detention and deportation.

This is an incredibly cruel position for the Government to adopt, and there is no evidence that the bill would act as a deterrence to those wishing to cross the Channel in unsafe vessels as its provisions do not target people smugglers, but rather asylum seekers and refugees. It is deeply concerning that an impact assessment for the bill is yet to be produced. 

Perhaps most appalling is the fact the Home Secretary has included a statement in the Bill suggesting it may be incompatible with Convention Rights. This statement and the bill’s disapplication of section 3 of the Human Rights Act foreshadow a likely conflict between the Government and the European Court of Human Rights. The UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) rightly describes the bill as amounting to “an asylum ban – extinguishing the right to seek refugee protection in the United Kingdom for those who arrive irregularly, no matter how genuine and compelling their claim may be, and with no consideration of their individual circumstances.”  

In the event, the Illegal Immigration bill was  disgustingly passed at its Second Reading by 312 (ayes) votes to 250 (noes).  The Government’s abhorrent Bill has cast a dark shadow over many people. especially the refugees who are seeking a safe life here in the UK. 

In times like this it can be hard to see any positives, but there has been one: the solidarity shown by Gary Lineker, and other football pundits and commentators who have stood up for their beliefs. It’s also been incredibly heartwarming and inspiring to see the massive public outcry in support of Gary Lineker after he stood up against the anti-refugee legislation and the good numbers that protested outside Parliament on Monday illustrate just how widespread opposition on this issue is..Solidarity comes in all sizes, and we can all play our part in standing against hate and fear.

Together, we can create an outpouring of compassion and show individual refugees that they are welcome here We should support the rights and dignity of all those  escaping persecution, war,  fleeing in fear, escaping danger, in search of safety, a better future. It is essential that we offer a safe haven for desperate refugees, offering them protection and dignity.

However the persecution of refugees continues, whipped up by forces of racism those on the far right which includes our cruel Government who are using fear and misinformation  to further scapegoat immigrants and refugees..

It's not nearly remarked on enough that prominent among the xenophobes are individuals of migrant/refugee background who project on to others the unintegratable part of their own selves: see Patel (Uganda-Asian), Farage (Huguenot), Trump (German), Sarkozy (Hungarian),

It is worth noting that  there are 65.6 million displaced people around the world. As continuing tragedy unfolds, some of the countries most able to help are shutting their gates to people seeking asylum. Borders are closing, pushbacks are increasing, and hostility is rising. Avenues for legitimate escape are fading away.

Remember migration is a normal activity and migrants must not be demonised but welcomed.Since the beginnings of civilization, we have treated refugees as deserving of our protection. Whatever our differences, we have to recognise our fundamental human obligation to shelter those fleeing from war and persecution. It is time to stop hiding behind misleading words. Richer nations must acknowledge refugees for the victims they are, fleeing from wars they were unable to prevent or stop. History has shown that doing the right thing for victims of war and persecution engenders goodwill and prosperity for generations. And it fosters stability in the long run.
Those who leave everything behind for the purpose of living in peace need our support and solidarity. Today and tomorrow we must continue to stand up for refugees. We must remember that arms trade helps exacerbate the crisis, plus  poverty and inequality, war and conflict, we need to build bridges not more obstacles and borders. Refugees have suffered unimaginable loss, and yet they are filled with the strength to triumph over adversity. The refugee crisis is a human crisis. Their story is our story. We are all human,and together, we can build a better world.We all have an important role in ensuring that refugees have the support they need. When we work together, we can help even more people feel safe from conflict, stay healthy and forge ahead to a better, stronger future. 

 I support free movement and equal rights for all.  We should support the rights and dignity  of those  escaping persecution, war,  fleeing in fear, escaping danger, in search of safety, a better future. It is  essential that we offer a safe have for desperate refugees, offering them protection and dignity,  

As part of a global day of anti-racist demonstrations,I will be marching in solidarity alongside Stand up to Racism and the Trade Union Congress this Saturday in Cardiff.This is a pivotal moment for all of us who stand up for the rights of refugees. With a wave of far-right protests targeting hotels accommodating asylum seekers following the disgraceful riot outside the hotel in Knowsley last month, and the Government’s recently published bill that will ban refugees from claiming asylum in the UK, your support is needed more than ever. 

There has never been a more important time to take a stand and loudly say that refugees are welcome here and stand up against the forces of bigotry, racism and hate. Because all that it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to stand by and do nothing.It is not refugees – or other targets of the Tories’ reactionary so-called ‘war on woke’ such as trans people, BAME communities and disabled people – that are to blame for the ever-deepening cost-of-living emergency but the Government who have overseen over a decade of ideologically-driven austerity that has decimated communities.

When Lee Anderson has declared that a “mix of culture wars and trans debate” will be at the heart of the next Tory election campaign, it is clear that we need to stand up to this reactionary agenda now more than ever.

This government’s scapegoating agenda is all about divide-and-rule, but the majority of people today are against racism, and we can mobilise this majority to both roll back the Tory’s attacks and stop the far-right in their tracks. Now is the time to stand for human rights, unity and solidarity – racism can, and must, be defeated.• 

Please join us in Cardiff on Saturday if you can. If you are in Scotland or England please do attend the demonstrations in Glasgow and London.You can sign-up and see more information here.

Imagine a world free of borders, it's easy if you try, the sky has none, there is only one world. no borders are necessary.No human is illegal.We must say no to the Refugee Ban Bill and yes to to solidarity.

Denounced - persecuted - exiled - dispersed - 

Refused - sectioned - detained - certified -

Wherever they seek shelter

They should be able to call home

Having escaped dark shadows

Having travelled through great adversity

Seeking safe harbour,

All should be given warm welcome

Asylum not stigmatisation

Protection not shame

Dignity not criminalisation

Breathe again, beyond pain and grief

 

No Borders are necessary