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Watchdog warns over 'racist migrants'
Thousands of white immigrants from eastern Europe are deeply racist, the head of the race relations watchdog has warned.
- Evening Standard
- Published: 00:00 October 24, 2006
London: Thousands of white immigrants from eastern Europe are deeply racist, the head of the race relations watchdog has warned.
Speaking about the tensions in British communities, Trevor Phillips said many arrivals from former Soviet countries displayed prejudice against black people.
"Some eastern European people have attitudes to black people that date back to the Fifties," he told BBC television. "And that is not acceptable."
His warning came as Home Secretary John Reid prepared to impose curbs on immigration from Romania and Bulgaria when the two countries join the EU in January. The measures are expected to include a time limit on how long people who arrive looking for work can stay. Skilled workers will be favoured, with only a small number of unskilled labourers being allowed entry.
Controls
Ministers accept they made a mistake by not imposing similar controls when other countries including Poland joined the EU in 2004. The Government estimated that 13,000 would arrive but more than 330,000 actually flocked in.
The new stance reflects heightened concern about race relations in the wake of the veil row.
Representatives of all the major religions will meet Education Secretary Alan Johnson for an "inclusion summit", to discuss how schools can help improve community relations.
Johnson will press his plan to empower local authorities to make all new faith schools admit up to a quarter of pupils from different religions. But he will assure them he has no plans to backdate the power to cover existing schools.
Meanwhile, there were claims that the veil row could inflame inner city violence and risk a repeat of the riots in northern towns.
Conflict
Dewsbury Labour MP Shahid Malik said: "If we don't take a grip of this debate now, it will have serious social consequences, and politicians need to act more responsibly." He added: "The basic ingredients for conflict are out there. It takes only one spark to set things off."
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