Statements and letters to CNJ

Time to end the hostile environment for migrants - 21 August 2025

"Island of Strangers"? That's Racist - 13 May 2025

Crime 'League Tables' will Fan Flames (Criminality by Nationality) - 1 May 2025

Immigration Double Standards - 6 March 2025

Time to end the hostile environment for migrants - 21 August 2025

Letter to Camden New Journal

Once again the Labour Home Secretary has kowtowed to the far right and increased the “Hostile Environment” for our communities in Camden and the wider UK.

Releasing the ethnicity of everyone suspected of serious crimes will simply fuel mistrust, deepen divisions, and make Black and brown communities more vulnerable to prejudice and harm.

The disclosure of ethnicity in particular is especially sensitive. People have never committed crimes on the basis of their ethnicity or nationality (unless they are racist), and therefore, the whole premise about releasing this information in certain cases, sets a dangerous precedent.

Conspiracy theorists are rarely satisfied by official announcements and therefore tagging ethnicity and nationality, even in a limited amount of cases, opens a dangerous door to widespread xenophobia and racism, enabling the criminal justice system to be used for dog-whistle politics, even though the vast majority of serious crimes, including sexual offences, are committed by white men.

After quoting Enoch Powell, Keir Starmer should be aware of how playing up to the far right only encourages the racists, as we see outside hotels for refugees and asylum seekers in the UK including in nearby in Islington. The fact that far-right racists are inciting and committing hate crimes, for example by brandishing banners saying "kill 'em all", with complete impunity, only underlines the deep injustice embedded in the Hostile Environment.

This impacts on communities in Camden, who reported to us an increase in racist incidents whilst going about their daily lives.

This Hostile Environment must end! CUAR is calling a public meeting on Thursday September 18th in Queens Crescent Community Centre (7pm), which will bring together communities to stand against the Labour Government's racist policies and to say the racist far-right are not welcome in Camden.

Camden United against Racism (Paul Renny, Kalpana Wilson, Syed Joshim Ali, Shezan Din Renny, Mohammad Chowdhury, Caroline Michie, Susan Michie)

+ Andrew Feinstein, Les Levidow, Jane Deighton, Jimena Castro, Juber Ali, Sylvia Finzi, Syed Johir, Zara Anower, Bernard Miller, Silvana Da Ros, Syeda Begum, Linda Lefevre, Harriet Evans, Joynal Uddin, Sabby Sagall, Felicity Taylor, Anna Rose, Joanne O'Brien, Richard Kuper, Lucy Moy Thomas, Nicholas Weaver, Ruth Appleton, Pete Bond, Mary O'Sullivan.