BRITAIN'S most dangerous racist is the State. The front-line in the fight against it is the battle against racist immigration controls.
In Britain today, the Conservative government are making black people the scapegoat for cuts in social security. The police are responsible for a mounting number or black deeds in custody and racist attacks.
Black people are systematically discriminated against by the courts. Special Home nice departments aim to seek out and remove black people from Britain.
Home Secretary Michael Howard will announce new restrictions on the rights of people coming to Britain at the Tory party conference on October 12. It follows months of increasing state racism.
Now proposals are being made to restrict the right to appeal against deportations, to cut the social welfare rights of people seeking asylum and to introduce "internal" immigration checks. These checks - comparable to the racist pass laws of apartheid South Africa - will mean that many thousands of black people will have to prove their immigration status before they care, employment and ouler rights: forcing some workers to act as immigration officers.
Other measures will lead to fines on employers of undocumented workers, a "white list" of countries from which no-one will be granted asvium. more visa restrictions against countries from which asylum seekers come and removing the right of asylum seekers to an oral appeal.
These new measures arise through an atmosphere of racist hysteria from the media against peope seeking doylum in Britain. While Michael Howard claims that Britain is being swamped by "bogus asylum seekers", the reality is very different. Europe accepts only five per cent of the world's refugees - a disgracefully low number when compared to Europe's riches. and its historic responsibility for creating political and social persecution world-wide.
Last year just 825 people were granted asylum in Britain. Britain was built on imperial conquest and exploitation. People who seek asylum are fleeing from torture, war and devastation, often from goverments supported politically by the Bntish government and its allies. Thousands of Immigrants and refugees are held in prisons and detention centres without charge, conviction or access to The racist government offensive gives real authority to fascists and racists on the streets, in the workplaces and Thousands attended trade union-backed ARAfest schools, in the media and in the police. The TUC demonstration in Manchester on October 28 will let workers. students and black people demonstrate their opposition to racism. However, we need to get organised if we are to make that opposition felt.
The National Network Against Detentions and Deportations will provide an important focus. While we still lack an authoritative and active black-led anti-racist coalition, the Network has played a crucial role in developing Phots: Andrew Wiard demonstrations, pickets, days of action and other campaigning work aimed against state racism. its next protests will happen in five different cities on Saturday October 14: Including a noon demonstration outside number 10 Downing Street.
The TUC and local labour movement and student bodies should learn from the Network. We need to develop on-going anti-racist action to tum the racist tide in society. October 28 must be the start.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 91, October 7 1995, Page 2