A REFUGEE charity has joined forces with more than 200 other organisations to condemn the racist anti-migrant protests which took place at the weekend.
Bromsgrove and Redditch Welcome Refugees (BRWR) joined the likes of Amnesty International and Oxfam in signing an open letter that was delivered to UK political leaders on Monday demanding an end to the divisive politics, racist rhetoric and demonising language used to describe migration.
The open letter stated anti-refugee protests across the country had been distressing to witness, with echoes of last summer’s riots making them all the more alarming.
It tells UK party leaders to take action.
BRWR, which has recently become a charity, supports about 200 refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria in and around the two towns.
Chair Yvonne Rendell condemned the recent protests.
She said: “These demonstrators are badly misinformed by comments and skewed data from some politicians and others with extremely right wing views.
“The desperate people who risk their lives crossing the channel in search of sanctuary, because they feel they have no alternative, make up only a small minority. Most of them are eventually granted asylum because they are genuine cases.
“The refugees we support have fled from horrendous circumstances that are almost possible to imagine. Many have had to leave behind friends and family who still face the constant threat of violence, war, persecution or even worse.”
Yvonne said the refugees needed to be given sanctuary and compassion and not be faced with racism and hatred.
“Our refugee friends and other immigrants and asylum seekers just want somewhere safe to live, somewhere to earn a reasonable wage, pay their taxes and bring up their children.
“Almost all would rather be in their own countries, but for the horrendous circumstances that they’ve been forced to flee from.
“It’s long past the time for political leaders to act for the good of the country and to tell the truth, not to pander to the extremists because they’re worried about the polls.
“They must stop fanning the flames of these protests with racist rhetoric and stop using migrants as scapegoats for problems that have nothing to do with them.”
Visit brwr.uk for more information.