THE hostile environment in Britain and Northern Ireland was high on the agenda at a conference in Liverpool attended by the North West Migrants Forum.
The event, delivered in partnership between the North West Migrants Forum (NWMF) and the Merseyside Alliance for Racial Equality (MARE), saw around 50 campaigners, groups and organisations gather in the Liverpool Guild of Students to hear speakers talk about the hardening of anti-migrant attitudes both online and on the streets.
Chair of MARE, Chantelle Lunt, said, “Responding to the Hostile Environment: Migration, EDI and attacks on Black Excellence brought together academics, community leaders and organisations supporting migrants and marginalised communities from across the UK, for a conversation that felt urgent and timely.
“Having a delegation from NWMF with us added depth to the discussion, particularly hearing directly from their experience in Northern Ireland. It was exactly the kind of shared learning and network-building this work needs.”
The morning was opened by lifelong social justice activist Lee Jasper who spoke about the national picture and the continuing rise of the far right.
He told those in attendance how political education, local discussion and critical thinking has been replaced by “grievance entrepreneurs and algorithmic certainty”, adding that while the far right does not invent every grievance, it is adept at giving grievance a target.
Project Research and Campaigns Worker with the Committee on the Administration of Justice and NWMF, Dr Shannon Doherty, gave the conversation a Northern Ireland focus. She discussed the North’s current race relations and racial equality legislation while also examining the hostile environment from a Northern Ireland perspective. Dr Doherty also talked about the recent riots that saw homes and businesses burnt out and the role of paramilitaries in the unrest.
Anti-Brexit campaigner and journalist Femi Oluwole explored the role the media plays in driving anti-migrant sentiment and said sensationalised language was helping drive hostilities.
Community organiser Marz Zukowska spoke of building counter-narratives before Chantelle Lunt encouraged campaigners and activists to look after their own personal wellbeing, given the onslaught of negative social media commentary.
Chair of the North West Migrants Forum, Lilian Seenoi Barr, said the visit to Liverpool was about creating an opportunity for campaigners, community leaders and organisations from across the UK to share learning, build connections and strengthen collaborative approaches to tackling racism and exclusion.
The participation of the NWMF delegation was made possible through support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, whose investment in racial justice, community organising and migrant rights continues to help create opportunities for dialogue, learning and collective action.
Following the morning of discussion and strategising, the Migrants Forum’s focus turned to the National Diversity Awards where it was shortlisted in two categories – Chief Executive Lilian Seenoi Barr for Race, Religion and Faith Positive Role Model and the charity itself for Race, Religion and Faith Community Organisation.
While neither trophy made it back to Northern Ireland, CEO Barr said the trip was never about winning awards.
“It was about networking, connection, celebration, laughter, dancing and some much-needed self-care surrounded by brilliant people working every day to make our world fairer, kinder and more inclusive.
“We spend so much of our time confronting racism, division and injustice that sometimes we forget to stop, breathe and celebrate the people doing the good work.
“I want to thank Chantelle and the team at MARE for working in partnership with us to deliver such an important and timely event and for bringing together such an impressive panel of speakers.
“We are also grateful to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their ongoing support which helps make opportunities like this possible and enables communities to connect, learn from one another and build collective power for change.”
