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The inhumane language and government policy “demonize” refugees before violent scenes erupted outside a Merseyside hotel housing asylum seekers. Activists claim it acted as a “dog whistle.”
On Friday night, far-right protesters hurled missiles and set police vans on fire outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, near Liverpool, where asylum seekers are being held, in a violent scene described as a ‘war zone’. was done.
The act was described by the government as “the inevitable culmination of a decade of anti-refugee policies and dog whistles to the far right”. freedom from torturea charity that provides professional psychotherapy to asylum seekers and refugees who have survived torture and are rebuilding their lives in the UK.
she said I He called the sights on Merseyside “terrifying”, adding: get.
“Our analysis shows that the government has followed a very calculated political strategy, stoking communities to incite fear at the community level and to distract the public from the way this country is mismanaged. They are demonizing refugees in order to divide them from each other.
“We’ve been warning about this for years, ever since we saw Suera Braverman’s predecessor, Pretty Patel, dog-whistling to the far right.”
Ms Sheets said I Freedom From Torture and many charities have warned the government that the language used to describe refugees and asylum seekers could lead to dire consequences, but the government has cautioned. I didn’t pay.
Last month, Holocaust survivor Joan Salter confronted Interior Secretary Suela Braverman about her language when describing immigration, inciting hatred against Jews and other minorities in Nazi Germany. said it was “very similar” to the words used for
The Home Secretary told Salter that he “shared great concern” but she refused to apologize for her words. He says that words like “invasion” remind him of words used in Nazi Germany to dehumanize and justify the murder of his family and many others.
Ms Sheets said I: “We hold Suera Braverman and her ministers accountable for the violent scenes that took place in the streets last night.
“I find the dehumanizing language used by her and other ministers very dangerous.
“Politicians need to be very careful with their wording and avoid fueling divisions in their communities, as the consequences could be catastrophic,” he warned.
“Holocaust survivor Joan Salter worked with our team to confront the dehumanizing language Suera Braverman was using and plead to stop it, but Braverman refused it.
“Now, a month later, we are witnessing the horrific consequences of the government’s failure to turn its back on these divisive political tactics.”
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Ms Sheets said I Far-right attacks were also exacerbated by the government’s mishandling of asylum-seekers’ accommodations.
“This government move to place people in institutionalized accommodation such as barracks and hotels was a fundamental mistake,” she said. “Relocating people from community-based accommodation to these inappropriate settings was a failure.
“This accommodation is not suitable at all for people who are traumatized or who need to rebuild their lives and be able to feel safe and integrate.
“I warned that placing people in this kind of institutionalized and inappropriate accommodation creates risks in terms of attracting the far right.
“We have seen far-right activists occupy hotels housing asylum seekers, cut in and make videos, and foment more hate in their fringe communities.”
She added: Many of them are survivors of torture and persecution who have risked their lives to flee to this country.
“What an indictment in Britain that a small, hateful frontier community thinks fit to incite such terror in these peoples here on our shores.
“We call on caring people across the country to find ways to show solidarity with those seeking safety here and uphold the values of compassion, fairness and justice that have long defined Britain.”
One asylum seeker in the hotel, who only wanted to know his first name Ahmed, told how he traveled from Egypt, where he was a teacher. He said other people staying at the hotel included doctors and engineers.
The 34-year-old said he watched the protests from his hotel window. “Some set police cars on fire, some assisted us. I was terrified. We came to the UK for safety.”
Refugee charity founder Claire Moseley was also in turmoil Care4CalaisHe was one of 100 to 120 pro-migrant groups who went to the scene in response to the protests to show their support for the asylum seekers.
She agreed that the government has instigated rhetoric on the issue, adding in a blog post:
“Burning police cars and destroyed police cordons are a sure sign that politicians’ rhetoric of hate and division is currently destroying our society and British values. Looking at it, I don’t think they really care about our country, I think they are full of hate and looking for a place to direct it.
“And like all bullies, they choose the most vulnerable. .”
Many former refugees who have lived in the UK for years have expressed support for the asylum seekers staying at the hotel and said they must have been horrified by the event.
Kais Seddiqui, a former refugee and now a superintendent of lawyers, wrote on Twitter:
“There are kids in that hotel who must be absolutely horrified to see a hateful far-right mob wreaking havoc.”
Freedom From Torture’s Survivor Empowerment Director, Kolbassia Haoussou, came to the UK as a refugee after being smuggled onto a migrant ship in 2005.
he said I The disturbing sight outside the Knowsley Hotel reminded him of his own experiences and of his vulnerable feelings.
“As a refugee myself, it’s really scary to see this,” he said. “Government rhetoric has culminated in people taking matters into their own hands and attacking vulnerable people like asylum seekers, but as a nation we are more adamant than that. Excellent for
“I think it depends on the government’s anti-refugee narrative and the language they use and the way they scapegoat refugees.
“The problems facing people across the country are not caused by refugees. They did not cause them.
“The Liverpool people who did this wanted to put some blame on what they believed was the cause of their problems, but it was because of what the government did.”
A torture survivor who was put in immigration when he first came to the UK added: By putting people in difficult situations that are unacceptable, they are trying to scare people and deter people from coming here.
“But I know from my own first-hand experience that when people are making dangerous crossings and taking risks, it’s because they’re fleeing worse situations and seeking protection.”
Sheets said it was time for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “immediately put an end to hateful rhetoric and policies” and live up to his pledge to “lead the country with integrity and accountability.”
“I hope this is a wake-up call that the government needs to start listening to,” she said. “This is an unacceptable situation and as a country we can and must do better.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The violence by a group of people from Merseyside last night against the police and the scene outside the hotel was totally unacceptable.
“We are working closely with Merseyside Police and our partners on the ground to ensure the safety of those in our care and the wider community.”
The Interior Ministry has made it clear that the government needs to stop using hotels to house asylum seekers as it is an expensive short-term solution.
The government says it is working with accommodation providers to find long-term accommodation such as decentralized properties.
