It is the UN Week in Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling Against Racism and Racial Discrimination. Here at Migrateful, many of our chefs are directly impacted by the discriminatory immigration policies in the UK, otherwise known as The Hostile Environment. We wish to take this opportunity to share some of the racialised consequences that have resulted from these policies.
We hope that with education and understanding, we can better support and protect our vulnerable migrants and foster a more humane place in UK society.
The Hostile Environment
A set of government immigration measures intended to make the UK unwelcoming and deter migration. Harsh borders draw a racial division that compromise the safety of migrants.
Examples: detention centres, banning asylum seekers from employment, unaffordable and lengthy immigration processes.
Xenophobia
Anti-immigration rhetoric like “bogus asylum seeker” and “parasite” continues to criminalise migrants.
This is misleading and fosters mistrust towards people of colour (POC) and non-EU individuals. 18% of migrants and 30% of UK-born children of migrants feel unsafe or have been subject to racial discrimination.
Employment
Refugees face many barriers when finding work in the UK, with only 51% of refugees in employment. This is not helped by the negative stereotyping that has caused a general reluctance to employ refugees and migrants.
POC and non-EU migrants are often misunderstood as lower-skilled and less favoured compared to white and EU migrant candidates.
https://breaking-barriers.co.uk/the-cause/refugee-employment-crisis/
https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/migrants-in-the-uk-labour-market-an-overview/
Housing
42% of surveyed landlords are less likely to rent to POC or foreign passport holders, favouring white tenants instead. They are also more likely to check the immigration documents of POC tenants.
Refugees who recently obtained the status to remain in the UK have only 28 days to find new housing, before being evicted from government accommodation. The racial bias makes them exceptionally vulnerable to homelessness.
Souces: https://www.jcwi.org.uk/righttorentwhatnext
How You Can Help
Educate
Please continue to raise awareness about migrant issues in the UK. Share educational resources like this to your families and friends.
Volunteer & Donate
Support organisations like Migrateful, Refugee Council and Refugee Women who make a huge difference to the lives of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in the UK.
