FOURTEEN students at Queen’s University have requested support in the past three months after being the victim of a racist hate crime, it has been claimed.
Staff and students at Queens University have launched a petition calling for a pro-active programme to deal with racism and the risk of further attacks of its minority-ethnic members.
Five of the reports indicated that the PSNI had become involved.
A group calling themselves ‘A Welcoming QUB’ said that race riots which took place in Belfast in August “have caused profound fear and anxiety” among people connected with the university.
A source behind the petition told The Irish news that their international staff and students who are members of minority-ethnic backgrounds and their families are still “apprehensive about their safety” with some “altering their routines to avoid potentially dangerous areas.”
They say this fear is “particularly acute” for those who have to pass through areas affected by the riots, which were close to the university, to reach their accommodation.
“While we appreciate the vice chancellor’s August statement condemning the violence, we are concerned that the university has remained silent publicly since, and has not designed a pro-active programme to deal with racism and the risk of further attacks, collective or individual,” they said.
| Informal reports of racist hate crime | Informal reports indicating PSNI contact | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Anonymous | Request for support | |
| 1- August - 14 October | 6 | 14 | 5 |
“As one of Belfast’s largest employers and a key influencer in Northern Ireland, Queen’s University has a responsibility to ensure the safety and inclusion of all its members and make its position and action known publicly, to substantiate the vision it says it promotes.”
They have called on the university to implement short and long-term measures including establishing a dedicated support unit to proactively combat racism and xenophobia and to develop a strategic plan with local and QUB religious and ethnic minority communities.
They said the “ultimate goal should be to transform Queen’s University into a truly multicultural and anti-racist institution”.
The online petition aims to gather hundreds of signatures to bring the proposal forward to the university and has secured more than one hundred to date.
A spokesperson for QUB said: “Racism has no place at Queen’s and we endeavour to support students both on and off campus, in their studies and pastorally.
“We have a range of initiatives in place to support both our students and staff to feel safe, including a number of projects specifically aimed at supporting people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
“The university also has in place a report and support mechanism for students to report racism both on and off campus, and to request our support.
“We would urge anyone with any concerns, including signatories to the petition, to contact us directly so that the right support can be identified and put into place.
“In terms of this petition in particular, the University has reached out to the petition creators but they have yet to respond to our request to a meeting to discuss their concerns.”
The PSNI has been contacted for comment
