Friday, June 21, 2019
Claims that Brexit is a 'major influence' in racism and hate crime rise
The BBC report that racism and race-related hate crime has increased since the 2016 Brexit referendum, leading to 24 community cohesion officers being appointed by councils across Wales to deal with the resultant "tensions".
These officers have been tasked with focussing on developing strong links with European Union citizens and other minority groups which might feel susceptible to Brexit tensions.
The BBC quote Eryl Jones, from the charity Show Racism the Red Card, who believes Brexit has been a "major influence":
"Incidents of racism have gone up throughout the UK as well as in Wales since the campaign to leave the EU, " Mr Jones said.
"It's fairly obvious that Brexit has been a major influence.
" "The feeling is that a lot of people believe they have the right to express their racist feelings or to show hatred."
These officers have been tasked with focussing on developing strong links with European Union citizens and other minority groups which might feel susceptible to Brexit tensions.
The BBC quote Eryl Jones, from the charity Show Racism the Red Card, who believes Brexit has been a "major influence":
"Incidents of racism have gone up throughout the UK as well as in Wales since the campaign to leave the EU, " Mr Jones said.
"It's fairly obvious that Brexit has been a major influence.
" "The feeling is that a lot of people believe they have the right to express their racist feelings or to show hatred."
The latest police figures released to the BBC Radio Cymru Manylu programme following a Freedom of Information request are:
- North Wales Police reported 416 crimes in 2014, rising to 476 in 2016 and 858 in 2018
- Gwent Police reported a rise from 374 in 2015-16 to 651 in 2018-19
- South Wales Police said there were 879 incidents in 2013-14, rising to 1,102 in 2014-15, 1,232 in in 2015-16 and 1,244 in 2017-18
- Dyfed-Powys Police did not provide figures
The concern now is that with the next Prime Minister likely to be a hard-line leaver with a record of making racist remarks, and all the diplomatic skills of a group of cats faced with a mouse, then the number of racist incidents will increase.
It is a depressing and concerning trend that may unfortunately just get worse.
