‘We don’t come here to steal’

If the newspapers are to be believed, nearly all of the country’s ills can be attributed to migrants – they steal our jobs, yet at the same time they rely on benefits. And they’re making it “impossible to build a cohesive society” in Britain, in the words of home secretary Theresa May in her recent speech to the Tory Party Conference.

But a new film Immigration: What’s the Story? dispels the myths about immigration, in the words of migrants themselves. Produced by Show Racism the Red Card – an educational charity that utilises the high profiles of football players to help tackle racism in society – the film shares the stories of migrants from all walks of life.

A special preview of the film was screened yesterday (October 22) at the National Union of Teachers’ headquarters, with guest speakers attending including Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, Unite political director Jennie Formby, NUT general secretary Christine Blower, and director of Migrant Voice Nazek Ramadan.

Workforce gaps

Among the migrants featured in the film were several people who had moved to the UK to work for the NHS. Far from stealing jobs, they’ve been recruited from overseas to fill critical workforce gaps in areas such as nursing.

But their crucial contribution to society is overshadowed by unimaginably cruel racism.

One nurse recalls being stopped in the street and yelled at – “‘Go home, you are not needed here,’” he said.

“What hurts us most is when it comes from little children,” he explained. “One time they vandalised our car. They’ve thrown eggs at our windows.”

Targets

He noted that after being the targets of racist abuse on the street where he lives, his children are now not allowed to play outside.

The film featured, too, the stories of refugees, among them a young woman who had fled war-torn Rwanda, where child rape, murder and child soldiers were common.

“You risk your whole life to come here – to come somewhere safe,” she noted. “Because when you live through a war, it’s not safe at all. We don’t come here to steal or get whatever belongs to British people – that’s not our aim. Our aim is to have peace and also to contribute to society.”

The migrants’ testimonies are supported by professional footballers and celebrities including Gary Lineker, Manchester United and England’s Chris Smalling, Sunderland AFC and England’s Jermain Defoe, as well as Chelsea and England’s Eniola Aluko.

Unite, along with the NUT and other unions and charities helped support the production of the film.

Speaking after the screening, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey noted that what he found most troubling was when one migrant nurse said of the racism she experiences – “You just get used to it; it’s part of life.”

Challenge racism

“This is what we’re fighting against,” McCluskey said. “Making certain that we don’t get used to it, that it doesn’t become a normal part of our lives; that we don’t become anesthetised to it; that we challenge it everywhere.”

McCluskey argued that the entrenched racism and anti-migrant sentiment we see today is an offshoot of the current crisis of zero hours contracts, food banks, unemployment and homelessness.

“The establishment always tries to divert attention from their greed and their inadequacies and of course the obscenity of the system itself,” he noted. “They’re always seeking to divide people; to turn worker against worker based on the colour of their skin or where they come from. And we have to stand up against it and say – ‘Not in our name’.”

“What we’re engaged in is challenging the system, challenging the unfairness and the inequality and the injustice that exists within our society,” McCluskey added. “And making certain that no matter where you come from, working people have decent values and that we’re all in it together.

“I’ve often said I’ve got more in common with an African worker, an Argentinian worker or an Eastern European worker than with a British boss.”

Show Racism the Red Card’s chief executive Ged Grebby explained that the inspiration of the film was to challenge so many of the negative stereotypes about immigration that dominate the media and political discourse.

“We believe that this [film] will be an effective resource which will change perceptions of those people seeking to come to the UK and look at the social and economic benefits to the country as a whole,” he said.

Clips from the film can be seen on the charity’s YouTube channel. Early next year, the full film will be produced as a DVD, along with an educational pack for use in schools and workplaces. Find out more about the charity here.