A month before Britain goes to the polls for the EU Referendum, around 200 people packed the NUT’s Mander hall to send a powerful message that Britain must play it’s role in providing sanctuary for those fleeing war, and that refugees and migrants must not be the target of scapegoating in the referendum campaign.
First to speak was Alf Dubs, the Labour peer leading the campaign in Parliament to force the government to accept child refugees. He said that public support had been crucial in getting the government to make a U-turn on his amendment, and that we must get rid of the stigma of being a refugee.
Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett said she was delighted to see so many people at the meeting to carry the flame forward from the Refugees Welcome demonstrations on the streets of London. She called on us to confront the arguments against migration in the EU referendum campaign.
Talha Ahmad from the Muslim Council of Britain said we must be proud of the work we’ve done in forcing the government to accept refugees, but it isn’t enough. He criticized the government for demonizing the Muslim community and said we must welcome refugees both because they are some of the most vulnerable people in the world and because of the enormous contribution refugees have made over the years.
Rabbi Lee Wax from New North London Synagoge proudly displayed her t-shirt which read ‘My Family Were Refugees Too’. She drew parallels between the dehumanization of refugees from the middle-east today, and media depictions of ‘a big influx of foreign Jews overrunning the country’ in the 1930s.
Shakira Martin, NUS Vice President (Further Education) said we must stand up to the racist agenda of the Tories and the right-wing press. She slammed the government for attacking communities for not speaking English while slashing ESOL budgets. She said it was fantastic to see so many people there to say loud and proud: No to Racism, No to Islamophobia, No to Anti-Semitism and that refugees are welcome here.
Weyman Bennett, Co-Convenor of Stand Up To Racism pointed to a report that showed 70% of the British public want to welcome refugees and that we represent that 70%. He said we can play a crucial role in combating the racist myths blaming refugees and migrants for the problems faced by this country. He called on everyone to join the Convoy to Calais on the 18th of June and pack Whitehall the week before the EU referendum to say refugees are welcome here.