Diversity controversy

Fish and chips. Marks & Spencer. The Garrick theatre. The Bank of England.

They are some of the most "quintessentiallyMost typically. British" things. But all of them were made by refugees. Fish and chips was brought to Britain by SephardicJewish people who came from Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East and their descendants. Many were expelled from Spain in the 15th Century. Jewish refugees. The co-founder of Marks & Spencer, Michael Marks, was a Russian-born Polish refugee. David Garrick, the English actor who gave the Garrick theatre its name, was born to a French HuguenotFrench protestants in the 16th and 17th Centuries who followed the teachings of John Calvin. They were persecuted by France's Catholic leaders and many fled to other countries. family. The Bank of England was founded in part by Huguenot refugees.

Of course, there are innumerableToo many to be counted. other things that refugees have brought to the UK. But some argue that Europe has now lost its faith in multiculturalismA society in which there are numerous different cultural or ethnic groups that are given equal importance and accommodation. . It has been condemned by former leaders of the UK, Germany and France as a failure.

A speech by Britain's home secretaryIn Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing. Suella Braverman on Tuesday has further muddied the waters. Taking aim at the UNUnited Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security.'s Refugee Convention, she argued that its policies are no longer fit for purpose, alleging that many refugees are fleeing discrimination rather than persecutionIll treatment and oppression, especially due to a person's beliefs or race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or other factors. .¹

Controversially, she added that the fear of discrimination due to being gay or a woman should not be enough to qualify for refugee status.

The United Nations refugee agency responded that "the refugee convention remains as relevant today as when it was adopted" and condemned the UK's huge asylumWhen a state agrees to shelter somebody who is fleeing dangerous circumstances. The right to asylum is protected in international law by the 1951 Refugee Convention. backlog.²

Worries about the situation of refugees in the UK are rampantSpreading quickly.. Processing centres are hugely overcrowded, whilst the asylum backlog in the UK has increased by 74% in the last year.

Braverman argues that this is because the UK's systems are crumbling under the weight of a huge influxThe entry of a large number of people or things. of refugees. But some say that management is the real problem. Britain has only a tiny percentage of the world's refugees. Eighty-five percent of refugees globally live in the developing world, not in rich, industrialisedNations that have transformed from being farming-based societies to ones based on industries.  countries like the UK. 

Braverman's rhetoricThe art of persuasion. is divisiveCausing people to be split into groups that disagree with or oppose each other., but it has appealed to some. A writer in the Telegraph praised her for the claim that "multiculturalism has failed", citing spates of recent violence between different ethnic and religious groups in Britain. Others believe she is courting far-right groups ahead of a potential bid for party leadership.

Whichever way you look at it, some theorise, we need to build a new culture when it comes to those seeking asylum.

Yes: The UN Refugee Convention refers to "persecution" and so there should be solid evidence of dangerous persecution to make a case for asylum.

No: Nobody chooses to leave their home, their family and their life behind to risk a dangerous and potentially fatal border crossing if they do not have good reason to fear for their lives or wellbeing.

Or... Anyone who claims that life for refugees in the UK is easy is not reading the news. Asylum seekers face more than six months of insecurity, risk being deported to Rwanda and cannot even earn money to sustain themselves.