Well At Least They Cannot Say They Were Not Warned.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383156/Immigration-officers-arrest-139-suspected-offenders-wave-raids.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

/// Writing in The Independent, Dave Garratt, the chief executive of charity Refugee Action, warned that the operations could 'incite racial tensions'. ///

/// 'Over the last few weeks we've seen some very visible signs of the Government's 'hostile environment' crusade. There have been vans out on the streets with threatening slogans and, reportedly, non-white people being visibly stopped and searched,' he wrote. ///

It has been reported that the Government are being racist, well since this operation is focused against all illegal immigrants, be them black, white or any other skin colour, perhaps they should come up with another word that is the prime protector for all non white people?

[AB Editor]

I am not sure they're handling it with much dignity:

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/08/home-office-live-tweets-immigration-raids

[emmie]

is that all, there are calls to stop the campaign as it' racially slanted...

[emmie]

the police and immigration officials who dealt with some of the people camped in Park Lane were helpful, they didn't seem aggressive or abusive, this was from watching the news.

[jake-the-peg]

Maybe the Aussies might try the same

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4226949.stm

[Gromit]

Where does it say the Government are being racist?

Has as been pointed out to you many times before, it is possible to be racist against white immigrants. Why would we need another word that excluded victims of racism that are white?

[AB Editor]

That's an excellent advert for Oz JtP! People overstaying their welcome because they were having too much fun!

Quite an old article though - I wonder if there has been harder questioning (maybe you don't get a cup of tea?) and less fun to be had since the government has started cracking down on illegals?

[emmie]

because that is what the news report said, this was on the radio, that the campaign is being seen as racist.

[DrFilth]

>As I approached the Kensal Green tube station, where I catch the Bakerloo Line to work every morning, I could see a group of burly men blocking the entrance to the station. As I got closer, I realised they were uniformed UK Border Agency officers, complete with protective vests and walkie-talkies.

I asked them what they were doing and was told it was a random check of identity documents to find illegal immigrants. They didn’t seem interested in me and I walked straight through, but the two Asian women who entered the station after me were stopped, taken to one side and questioned.

Even as a young man, over six feet tall, with the confidence of a free born Englishman who knows he has nothing to hide, I found this whole experience to be extremely intimidating. The station I use twice a day had suddenly taken on the suspicious air of a border crossing. <


reminds me of the old sus law that started a lot of trouble down the moss a few year's back

[emmie]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/495620/20130730/nick-clegg-van-illegal-immigrants.htm

[emmie]

i have seen that as well, it might seem intimidating, but they shouldn't be here illegally.

[chrisgel]

//The tweets are the public face of what seems to be a deliberate stepping-up of anti-immigrant activities.//
Shoddy reporting and scare mongering. They have left out the word "illegal" in this sentence.
I really don't understand the fuss that is being made here. As a country we have a right/duty to find these people. No doubt there will be many who are allowed to stay once they have been checked out.
There also may be some who are wanted for crimes in their own countries.

[anotheoldgit]

/// and so any aggressive swoop is likely to feel hostile to its residents. That is twice as true if, as seems likely, there is an element of racial profiling to the checks. Matt Kelcher wrote of his experience, saying that the UKBA agents "didn’t seem interested in me and I walked straight through, but the two Asian women who entered the station after me were stopped, taken to one side and questioned." ///

How does Matt Kelcher know that those two Asian women, had not previously been targeted for questioning?

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Has as been pointed out to you many times before, it is possible to be racist against white immigrants. Why would we need another word that excluded victims of racism that are white? ///

I am not quite sure of that because it seems that it is generally non-whites who are forever ready to play the race card.

If there is no need to use a special word, why is it that the word racial is being banded about when all illegal immigrants are of different races not just blacks or Asians.

It would seem from this that it is those two groups that others are calling for their protection, such as Labour MPs etc. Do we forever have to tread on broken glass every time they are involved in an investigation, the same can be seen if I myself dares to enter a thread of serious crimes committed by non whites.

[Baldric]

Given the Headline in the Link provided,

///Why would you focus on people of colour?' Doreen Lawrence criticises 139 arrests in latest illegal immigration crackdown///

Would the good folks who had a pop at me for using the word 'coloured' a couple of days ago in relation to this Lady, now like to remount their high-horses and 'have a pop' at Doreen Lawrence as well?

[sandyRoe]

DrFilth, what authority would they have to stop and question people on the street? It all seems very un-British.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-doreen-lawrence-pledges-to-condemn-racial-profiling-spot-checks-in-the-house-of-lords-8742754.html

Didn't take long for her to get her feet under the table.

Why focus on people who are 'non-white' (i won't use Mrs Lawrence's choice of description)?

Could it be that there is more chance of successfully finding an illegal immigrant, taking into consideration most come from the African continent, and are not members of the EU?

[Octavius]

AOG, the basis for immigration control is nationality, not race.

If you bring colour into it, then you are being racist.

[Baldric]

In fairness to aog,
it appears to be Doreen Lawrence who brought colour into it this time!

[youngmafbog]

Well swooping on 139 who were identified by intelligence is not a problem in my book. It's hardly surprising that the usual suspects are pulling the race card but the bottom line is illegal immigrants need to be stopped and returned.

On the stop and search I am not so sure. It's too hit and miss unless perhaps they are specially trained, like customs and excise staff, to identify when someone is clearly trying to hide something.

[Brenden]

So all illegal immigrants are of one colour octavius, what a load of rubbish, colour is being used as a descriptive word i.e. black coffee, white coffee etc., what planet are you living on - illegals are a big big problem in this country - I do not care where the authorities start - white people first, then any other colour of the rainbow - it is a start, and I hope it carries on, if you have nothing to hide etc. etc.(wish they started with the border controls though - if we have any)