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THE WEEKLY REPORT
By Holly Foyer, Writer of The Weekly Report
Sun 20th Oct 2019
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FEAR RISES AS JOHNSON'S BREXIT DEAL APPROACHES
Britain’s BAME community (Black Asian Minority Ethnic), are said to have fears over the outcome of Brexit, with many already having assumptions that Brexit was fuelled by racial tensions across Britain.
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It is no surprise that some racist groups in the UK like the EDL, now feel brave enough to express their racial prejudice against members of the BAME community, as there has been an increase of hate crimes towards EU citizens, but also people of Asian, African and Caribbean heritage. Hate crimes had increased almost a third in the year following the referendum, according to Home Office Statistics.
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In this current political climate, it is very important that the voices of the BAME community are heard, as it cannot be ignored that Brexit as a topic has moments where it fuels national identity, that has the potential to spill over into nationalism, and even xenophobia. . Although it has been made clear that the sun has permanently set on the days of the British Empire, motto's like “Make Britain Great Again”, used during the Brexit campaign by Nigel Farage suggests that Britain is not quite past colonial rule, as the words echo the intentions to return to the nostalgic, glory days of the British Empire.
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There have been some informal attempts by those who are displeased with the sudden splurge of hate crimes across the country, for example, locals in the Birmingham area made a Facebook group, called “Stand Against”, as a defence against racism in the UK, following the initial vote.
Brexit’s effect on local businesses has also been a topic of conversation since Brexit first made its debut on a global scale, after the 2016 referendum. Under concerns of how Brexit would impact Britain’s economy, local business owners were wondering how it would affect their business progression.
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A survey commissioned by the Equality Group, an organisation that aims to make advancements to businesses through diversity, found that 52% of ethnic minorities feel as though Brexit will negatively impact their businesses, and overall career progression.
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An image of an Employment Agency in Stourbridge with a poster that says "Fighting Back", with the words "Brexit Party" inside an arrow pointing to the right.
This rise in concern comes ahead of the fear that prejudice had been a major catalyst in impacting the Brexit vote. Data collected in 2017, by the Commons Library, of the initial votes of Brexit, demonstrate how the majority of the BAME votes sided towards remain, with the average vote for remain amongst ethnic minorities was 58%, whilst on average, only 26% of ethnic minorities sided leave.
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When locals in the Dudley areas were asked about what they believe the motive behind Brexit was, one respondent, whose parents are Zimbabwean-born said-
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“It brings along a time of uncertainty, especially for people like us, who may not have British passports”-
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The statement clearly implies that Britain’s [BAME] younger generation also feels the tension that has arisen as a result of the Brexit crisis, despite having been born in the UK, or having been raised in Britain from ages as young as two years old. Further suggesting that for ethnic minorities, Brexit has made them feel different from the white majority, as many believe that their future in the UK will be determined in the Brexit agreement on October 31st, 2019.
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An image of 'Brierley Drink Stop' in the Brierley Hill area that is at risk of closure