Reflections as a Migrant

BY SANGEETHA ALEXANDER

There was once an Indian man who applied for a job in a call centre, as many Indian people do – if you call BT or a bank it will often be an Indian person who answers. Well, he went for the interview and was asked to make a sentence using the colours green, pink and yellow. So this man thought for a long time, then answered "the phone went green green, so I pink it up and said yellow."

My name is Sangeetha Alexander and I came to NI in 2006 to study at the Belfast Bible College. While studying in college, I met my Irish husband Mark, got married and am a proud mother of a gorgeous 5-year-old daughter called Esther.

I heard about the Belonging Project through my husband and got in touch with Jasmine, Claire and Laurence Gibson on March 4th 2015. It was wonderful and a privilege to have my picture taken by Laurence and to be interviewed by Jasmine.

I attended the family day on August 15th which is also the Independence Day of India! I met some wonderful mothers and ladies from India, Africa, China and other countries; it was like meeting my extended family of sisters; in other words a home away from home.

On the Belonging Project's Workshop Toolkit

Sangeetha speaking at the launch of the Workshop Toolkit.

The red pack targeting children from the age of 5-11 – my daughter Esther is 5 years old and is growing up in an inter-racial home. She knows she is both Indian and Irish and at this tender age it is wise to teach tolerance, love and acceptance of different cultures and ethnic groups, by telling stories of different cultures, having more ethnic minority people on kids’ television and talking positively of immigrants.

The blue pack 11-16 – I, unfortunately, do not have much knowledge about teens. I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad thing (!), but I know that society, culture and media, plus peer pressure, govern the pre-conceived idea of the teens. Talking positively of immigrants is important, as well as love and acceptance of people of other countries without bigotry.

Pink pack 16 and above – we all know the song ‘I Am 16 Going on 17’ from the movie the Sound of Music, and I still wish I was 16, but by this age the presuppositions – in other words, the way an individual sees a migrant or an individual from an ethnic minority – has already formed. The upbringing of family media and society, especially peer pressure, have fashioned this young adult’s mind. It is very important to have positive opinions of migrants and also as the Belonging Project says, hearing the stories of the migrants to change pre-conceived opinions.

Battling the Misconceptions of Migration

BY KEVIN BRISKIN

The United Nations made the matter clear in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own," and "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."  Europe is facing the daunting challenge of managing hundreds of thousands of refugees escaping the horrors of their homelands while upholding the human rights entrenched in the UN's declaration.  World leaders, charity organizations, activists, and everyday people moved by the images of displaced and deceased refugees have united behind the cause of housing and caring for refugees.  However, there are still holdouts who are skeptical of the need to take in refugees or the impact of allowing foreigners into their countries' borders.  Fortunately, according to experts those fears can be assuaged.

The Belonging Project seeks to exhibit new cultures and break down the walls between those born in Northern Ireland and those who come from somewhere else and bring their own unique identities.  Belonging shows that differences in culture, ethnicity, and country of origin are nothing to be feared or discriminate against.  But what about the issues beyond culture?  Are migrants and refugees to be feared for economic reasons?

“We need them right now. We’ll need them even more in the coming years.”

— Swedish Minister for Migration Morgan Johansson

According to a Queen's University report commissioned by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building last year, the answer is a resounding "no".  In fact, migrants contributed £1.2 billion to the Northern Ireland economy from 2004 to 2008 the report says.  Looking at statistics on population, employment, benefits, healthcare, education, crime, and social cohesion Professor Peter Shirlow and Dr. Richard Montague claim that migrants actually provide more for Northern Ireland than is asked for in return.  Despite a disproportionate use of the NHS budget, migrants overall pay more in taxes than they cost in services.

The report was commissioned in response to racial hate crimes was supported by former Belfast Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon.  "The report provides a strong evidence base for Belfast as a city to be able to champion the positive social and economic benefits of diversity and to continue to promote Belfast as a welcoming city," Mallon declared.

Now, a year after the report was published, Europe is facing a crisis of migration and refugees.  Displaced people, largely from Syria, Eritrea, and Afghanistan, are attempting to find safety beyond their home borders.  According to Sweden's Minister for Migration Morgan Johansson, refugees in the current crisis can have the same positive impact on European countries as indicated in the 2014 report.  "In the long run it can be a benefit for a country," says Johansson.  "Just see that the Syrians who are coming to Sweden; one third of them, one third, have a higher education.  They have at least two years on a university level.  That's medical doctors, that's engineers, that's nurses, that's sometimes people that we know we really need in the Swedish economy.  We need them right now.  We'll need them even more in the coming years."

The economic activity of migrants often outpaces those born and raised in Northern Ireland, states the Belfast Telegraph.  The same article notes that migrants contribute in less tangible ways, such as having encouraging new ideas and improving efficiency.  Migrants "have helped our public services, particularly health and care services, to continue functioning and made a significant contribution to the cultural diversity and attractiveness of Northern Ireland."

Following the release of the Queen's University report in 2014, Professor Shirlow declared that "The report and its findings are profoundly important because they completely rebut the stereotypes that have plagued our migrant population in recent years.

"People need to be educated about the facts.

"We frequently hear claims that migrants take our jobs and use up our limited services. Migrants pose no threat to our society. This report will hopefully go some way towards changing the conversation about migrants in Northern Ireland."

The Belfast Telegraph articles concludes that "Our experience of immigration in Northern Ireland has been largely positive. People from other places have come here and played a valuable part in enriching our towns and cities. Refugees, given the chance, could do the same."