Far-right enablers in the media tell us that Saturday was about opposition to diversity and multiculturalism.
Across the UK, fascists attacked migrant-owned businesses and targeted people of colour.
Racism isn’t a “legitimate concern”. A friend described Saturday night as a pogrom and that’s exactly what we should call it going forward. The fascist argument that pogroms have widespread cross-community support is a pernicious lie.
It’s not enough to say “this isn’t us”. Northern Ireland has always had a problem with racism. We have real work to do to fight against the attitudes that caused the horrifying scenes on Saturday.
We also need to examine what is driving people into the arms of extremists. The far-right thrive on inequality, poverty, the collapse of the health system and, most of all, housing. Migrants and refugees are affected by these issues as well.
Is immigration putting pressure on the housing system? Yes. We don’t have enough houses to meet the needs of the general population.
Let’s also be clear: immigration isn’t the root of the problem. This isn’t the fault of migrants and refugees. We had a housing crisis in this country long before immigration numbers rose.
The problem comes from the lack of housing, the financialisation of the sector, and corporate landlords.
In recent years we’ve lost 43 per cent of private rented stock. For years, the private sector covered up for the lack of social housing. People privately rented while they waited from for an allocation.
Now that fallback is gone. Rents are increasing. Estate agents and landlords are closing the sector off to the low paid and people on benefits.
It isn’t true that migrants are getting housed and people from Northern Ireland aren’t.
Social housing allocations are based on points. If you meet the legal criteria for homelessness, the NIHE has a legal duty to provide you with temporary accommodation. Migrants won’t qualify if they don’t have the right to stay in the UK. Even if they do, they often have to show that they are working. The process is difficult and demoralizing for many.
The problem is that the housing system is under immense pressure. In some areas it is no longer functioning. Temporary accommodation is the biggest crisis facing the sector at the moment.
Day to day, I see migrants, refugees and people from Northern Ireland suffer because of the lack of emergency accommodation. People are being sent to the other side of the country to stay in one-bed hotel rooms, torn away from their families and their children’s schools.
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Even worse, some are now being advised that no accommodation is available. They qualify for assistance but nothing is being offered. People are rough sleeping, sofa surfing and sleeping in their cars. This is how resentment starts to build.
There are 47, 312 people on the waiting list. This year, funding has only been provided for 400 builds.
The United Kingdom is in a terrible state. The country has been driven into the ground. A very privileged section of society is completely shielded from this. They know others are suffering and they don’t care.
Politician after politician has commented on the events of the weekend. Most are focusing on law and order. All eyes are on the prime minister. Disgracefully, his government is considering further cuts to public services.
No amount of police response will fix the fact that many people from Northern Ireland, including migrants and refugee, are experiencing economic humiliation. If we don’t fix this we are headed in a dark direction.