High Peak Liberal Democrats

Let’s appeal to lovers of a big- hearted Britain and win the immigration argument



I felt compelled to put into words my thoughts on the situation in Calais following David Cameron's intervention, describing those seeking refuge in the United Kingdom, as 'swarming' over the border.

To invoke the language of the BNP, UKIP, the National Front, and the English Defence League is irresponsible and inflammatory. Similar language was used by the Daily Mail in the 1930s when describing Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.

My family are refugees; my grandparents and their three young daughters were forced to flee their homes following the invasion of Cyprus in 1974. This issue is therefore very close to my heart. The UK gave refuge to my family in the 1970s, and for this they will be eternally grateful. They became part of London's mosaic society. As with many other immigrants at the time, they were welcomed by both the government and society. Immigrants were seen as beneficial to the country, they brought with them skills, and a willingness to work long hard hours to better their lives. They saw the UK as a safe haven, and respected the native population. At the time the British people, by and large welcomed them, and accepted that immigrants were good for both society and the economy.

A mere few decades on, the attitudes of many have shifted drastically. It is depressingly common in 2015 to hear so many negatives associated with immigration with the benefits being forgotten. Why has society changed so much in such a short time?

Seeing innocent people who want nothing more than to seek sanctuary, who have gone through such unthinkable lengths to get here, being vilified by mainstream politicians and by the media is utterly heartbreaking. 
 
The narrative on this crisis has consistently sought to blame the refugees, instead of highlighting the reasons why they are fleeing their homelands. Over 180,000 people from across North Africa and the Middle East have already made the dangerous and deadly journey into Europe. In any other instance this would have been labelled what it truly is; a humanitarian crisis. Many millions more are displaced throughout the Maghreb region and in the countries surrounding Syria. Since the Syrian civil war began an estimated over 3 million people have fled their homes and sought sanctuary in neighbouring Turkey, or attempted to enter Europe. That number is just under half the population of London.
In the past British governments have rightly stood up for those threatened by man- made calamity. Yet this government seems unwilling to use its capabilities to solve the problem.

It could be argued that the current crisis is a direct result of our past foreign policy mistakes. It is therefore our moral duty to do our utmost to help. Our European neighbours to date have taken in more refugees than we have. Britain has always sought to be a leader on the world stage. It's time for our government must do the right thing and provide asylum to those seeking it. 
 
Our party has always been the compassionate voice in the immigration debate. We urgently need to shift the narrative to highlight the many positive aspects of helping those.

I believe that if more people were willing to imagine what it's like to be without a state, they might begin to understand why these people are risking their lives to enter Europe. We should take the fight to those in the big two parties who demanded the immigration centre at Calais closed and whose only response to an increase in desperate people is a bid to turn Britain into a fortress.
We must be confident in going out into our communities, and take our unashamedly pro- immigration message with us. In order to win hearts and minds on this issue, we must to listen to people's concerns, and gently challenge them. Less than 8,000 people had asylum claims accepted last year and when countries such as Somalia stabilise, the numbers coming fall sharply. Refugees are clearly not to blame for the housing crisis.

One of my favourite quotes, from the great Ghandi, reads:

A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.

I would modify it and say that; the UK's greatness can be measured by how we treat those seeking refuge on our island. This is a humanitarian crisis, and Great Britain should live up to her name and do great things to solve it.

* Anton Georgiou is a Liberal Democrat member in Brent

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