Race tensions growing in immigrant communities

Published on Friday 18 April 2008 22:15

A HIDDEN racism problem is blighting Scotland with tensions between the new wave of Eastern European immigrants and the settled Asian population, the country's leading race relations experts have warned.

Speaking 40 years after Enoch Powell's "rivers of blood" speech, Professor Kay Hampton said that though the riots which had blighted the north of England had not erupted north of the Border, there was an undercurrent of prejudice.

The professor of community race relations said that while Powell was wrong to brand the social unrest between communities a racial problem, there were cultural clashes driven by fear and suspicion.

She said that the people were worried about incomers – regardless of race – taking "their" jobs or services.

Prof Hampton, of Glasgow Caledonian University, said: "On the surface, people in Scotland will say everything's fine and we are settling in, because we don't have overt violence of the kind you get in Northern England, but the issues here are much more subtle and some can go unnoticed." she said.

"I'm sure if you look underneath there will be tensions but it will be mostly played out in economic ways. It's something we need to tackle."

She said that while she was not aware of a single case in which a settled person was refused a job in favour of an immigrant, there was a perception of "stranger danger" and there were "reports of attacks on immigrants by local communities".

She warned against using anecdotal evidence to suggest Powell was right when, in fact, he was "absolutely wrong".

"I'm not saying everything is perfect, but I'm saying if you look at waves of immigration, the potentials for tension at the moment aren't between the settled communities and the newest immigrants; it's more complex and we found the last settled communities are the ones where it's most apparent," she said.

Osama Saeed, chairman of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation, agreed that there were "issues" in pockets of Scotland, such as Govanhill, Glasgow, but said: "I don't think society is in uproar."

"There have been some tensions between even previous immigrants, like Asians, and Polish people, but by and large people are working through it."

He insisted Powell was wrong, adding: "There have not been rivers of blood and by and large things have adjusted well, especially when compared to some countries in central Europe."

John Wilkes, chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, agreed with Prof Hampton and added: "Clearly there's a problem of undercurrents. There are sometimes issues of people facing discrimination and abuse and that's where we work hard with agencies like the police to make sure those issues are dealt with quickly and effectively so the message gets sent to the public to learn that that's not acceptable in modern Scotland."

He said that his organisation dealt primarily with asylum-seekers and refugees and the public did not necessarily appreciate the important distinction between this group and the immigrants Powell was referring to in the 1960s.

A spokeswoman said the Scottish Government condemned "all forms of racism and discrimination" and believed "diversity brings huge benefits to Scotland, economically, socially and culturally".

THE URGE TO SETTLE

KAROL Chojnowski moved to Scotland from his native Poland nine years ago in search of a better education and training to take back home. He has never left.

He has set up an internet business with a friend, running a website which provides Polish immigrants with information and a platform for discussion. They now employ 16 people and have expanded the portal from its Edinburgh base across the country.

He thinks Eastern European immigrants can only be a force for good in Scotland.

He said: "Initially, there was a huge boom over three years – hundreds of thousands came over and at the beginning it was just people who were thinking of Scotland in terms of short- to medium-term migration – students coming to work for two to three years. But now I see more professional people wanting to settle. More families."

However, he admitted that there was "something in" the suggestion that there were tensions between successive waves of immigrants: "In the background there's some friction there, but generally it works out quite well."

RELATIVE HARMONY

YUSUF Dualeh, 34, a community worker in Edinburgh, grew up in London as the Muslim son of a Somali man and an Irish woman.

As such, he experienced resentment which he had to counter with spirit. "My parents were both from warrior peoples and taught me to fight for what you believe in. But you can't fight all the time."

He is impressed by the relative harmony he finds in Scotland. "When I see children here today, they seem so happy, and I'm glad they don't have to suffer as I suffered."

That said, he doesn't see the society as free of racial tension. "I think Eastern European immigrants are definitely aware there is prejudice against them," he says.

"When British tradesmen are losing jobs to people who are not fully qualified, that creates resentment. There is a definite coyness to Polish people: they look at you as if you're going to resent them.

"I can identify with that, recalling the tense time of the National Front and Paki bashing of London in the Seventies when I had to fight off frenzied attacks. Thankfully Scotland is not like that."