Poles call for anti-hate crime action in UK

[justjohn]

Poles call for anti-hate crime action

By Rosa Silverman, PA
Friday, 9 January 2009


Migrant Poles called on the Government today to introduce new measures to combat anti-Polish hate crime amid fears that it has increased during the economic downturn.

The Federation of Poles in Great Britain said it was increasingly concerned by the growing number of racist incidents in which Poles were victims last year.

Spokesman Wiktor Moszczynski said there was anecdotal evidence to suggest that the downturn was fuelling a backlash against Polish economic migrants blamed for taking British jobs.

He said: "We are aware that many of these incidents occur because of growing tension in the traditional indigenous population following increasing anxiety about job losses.

"While the Polish workforce has proved to be highly flexible and some 300,000 appear to have left the country now as the economic situation deteriorates, a large number who still have jobs are staying, particularly if they have their families here as well.

"Media scare stories can fuel resentment of these people at a time like this."

The Federation, which describes itself as the main umbrella organisation for Polish community groups in the UK, is asking the Government to:

* Provide independent statistics on how many citizens from the eight EU accession states are living in each district;

* Ensure that the programme for free English language lessons for EU citizens is made more widely available, including the provision of lessons in the workplace;

* Encourage further recruitment of Polish-speaking staff by local services, including police, to facilitate communications with Polish families and ensure that interpretation and translation costs are kept low;

* Ensure proper licensing and monitoring of employers and gangmasters, especially in the construction and hospitality sectors;

* Empower local housing authorities to enforce proper housing conditions and tenancy terms for Polish and other eastern European workers in the private sector and encourage companies to provide housing provision more integrated with the indigenous population;

* Get local health trusts to organise registration drives to ensure that all EU citizens living in their area have the opportunity to register with a local doctor or health clinic.

Local police authorities said specific figures on anti-Polish crime were not available.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said that despite the relatively large number of Poles living in places such as Lincoln and Boston, anti-Polish crime did not appear to be a major problem.

"I don't see many reports of Poles being picked on," he said. "The major result of the downturn is rather that quite a lot have gone home."

Figures from the Metropolitan Police showed that racist crime overall in London had fallen slightly between 2007 and 2008, from 8,911 incidents to 8,800.

[archivist]

JJ,

If this is happening over here, it's getting zero publicity but we are getting major publicity on proper licensing for employers wishing to bring in foreign workers and the stress is on penalties for non-compliance - penalties against British or British based employers. There is no specific mention of Poles in any of this. Locally, the Poles are well received because they are hard workers and pay their taxes; they are not a drain on our economy. To be truthful, many of them do jobs the Brits don't want. They also integrate whilst still keeping their own culture.

All of this started with a bunch of gangmasters who were recently jailed following the deaths of a group of CHINESE workers (mostly illegals) who were drowned whilst collecting shellfish on Morecabe Bay - a patricularly dangerous area of shifting sands and dangerous currents.

If this is truly happening, the Federation of Poles in Great Britain should be kicking up a fuss in our National media, but they aren't.

Neville

[archivist]

JJ,

You may find this amusing. The British National Party (Fascists) are currently campaigning for the European elections and it has recently emerged that one of their manifesto items is to stop the flow of Poles coming here and taking jobs and to repatriate those already here.

Astonishingly their campaign poster shows a Battle of Britain Spitfire (best known for fighting a fascist organisation!). It is clearly visible on the aircraft that the Squadron letters are RF-D which belongs to a Polish Squadron in the Battle of Britain!!!

It has done their campaign absolutely no good as it has brought them ridicule from Polish Organisations and anti-fascist organisations. Hijacking this symbol for their obnoxious campaign has also angered ex-RAF men and their organisations.

One comment I have seen in our national press is that the BNP have (as usual) come up with ill thought out ideas and poor research to back up their highly unpopular beliefs.

Neville

[Pawian]

Mar 6, 2009 7:00:00 GMT -7 archivist said:

JJ,

You may find this amusing. The British National Party (Fascists) are currently campaigning for the European elections and it has recently emerged that one of their manifesto items is to stop the flow of Poles coming here and taking jobs and to repatriate those already here.

Astonishingly their campaign poster shows a Battle of Britain Spitfire (best known for fighting a fascist organisation!). It is clearly visible on the aircraft that the Squadron letters are RF-D which belongs to a Polish Squadron in the Battle of Britain!!!

It has done their campaign absolutely no good as it has brought them ridicule from Polish Organisations and anti-fascist organisations. Hijacking this symbol for their obnoxious campaign has also angered ex-RAF men and their organisations.

One comment I have seen in our national press is that the BNP have (as usual) come up with ill thought out ideas and poor research to back up their highly unpopular beliefs.

Neville

[archivist]

Thanks for the picture Pawian,

Where else could you see a donkey in a monkey suit? In non-British English that is an idiot in a tux!

Neville

[archivist]

After my last post, I am ashamed to post this:

Local units of the two main loyalist terror organisations in Northern Ireland were behind events that have seen 40 Polish migrant workers flee in recent weeks, the Guardian has learned.
Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association in south Belfast organised the intimidation of the Poles over the past fortnight, security sources in the city said.
The attacks on Polish homes in south Belfast were believed to be in response to an outbreak of hooliganism by soccer fans from Poland during last month's World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park.
Before the crucial Northern Ireland versus Poland match in Belfast on March 28, a group of Polish hooligans smashed up pubs and attacked local fans.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland released figures yesterday revealing that in the aftermath of the soccer violence at least 40 Polish nationals had to flee their homes in the south of the city.
One senior security source said last night that a series of revenge attacks had been co-ordinated by local UDA and UVF units.
"The attacks were not carried out officially in the name of either organisation but all the intelligence points to the involvement of loyalists who are of course meant to be on ceasefire and not engaged in paramilitary activity," he said.
The nationalist SDLP and the Green party in Northern Ireland condemned those behind the assaults.

The Irish shame Britain by showing that they need a scapegoat to blame for their problems.

A bit Hitleresque don't you think?

Neville