Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should be congratulated for his stance on immigration in his key note speech today at Labour Party conference.
His refusal to “sow division or fan the flames of fear” by promising to cut immigration can give us all hope that someone is at last prepared to start a serious debate about immigration and the free movement of labour.
Weyman Bennett from Stand Up To Racism said: “In the wake of the “Brexit” vote, Jeremy Corbyn is right to highlight the benefits to the UK of immigration and the positive role that migrant workers play in this country”.
EU nationals play an important role in the British economy and hundreds of thousands of British people live and work in the EU.
But rather than recognise these facts we’ve seen politicians and the media constantly ramp up rhetorical attacks on migrants and refugees, creating a poisonous atmosphere over the question of immigration.
It was the language of division and fear, used by some politicians in both the official Leave and Remain campaigns, that has created a climate where racist attacks and hate crime is on the rise.
Sabby Dhalu from Stand Up To Racism said: “We only have to remember the shocking death of Labour MP Jo Cox during the referendum campaign. We should treat migrants with respect instead of racism and discrimination.
Migrant workers help to keep our hospitals and schools running, EU nationals work alongside us. It’s not migrants that are undermining our wages or overstretching our services, its years of austerity.
We support Jeremy Corbyn’s brave stand and hope you will join him at the Stand Up To Racism conference on Saturday 8 October in London.