Many of the 3.5 million EU migrants living in the UK are excluded from fully participating in the democratic processes of this country. This is despite the fact that many of us have lived and worked in the UK for all or most of our adult lives, and many of us would like to continue to do so.
The current Conservative government has consistently attacked migrants and used racism to divide our communities and the country. In the last week of the election campaign, Boris Johnson has placed front and centre his ‘Australian-type points-based’ immigration system, which would create three separate categories of migrants and could deny the right to live in Britain to thousands.
Johnson’s remarks that EU migrants have been treating the UK like it’s our own country for too long are a racist, hateful statement that has no place in our multi-cultural society. Migrants are rightly worried – if he feels he can unequivocally make racist statements during an election campaign, what will he be capable of if in power?
This government has form with racism – from the Windrush scandal to the disgraceful language used by their leader, who calls Muslim women ‘bank robbers’ and ‘letterboxes’ and people from Africa ‘picanninies’ and ‘watermelon smiles’ – all of which he has consistently refused to apologise for.
A Prime Minister who unapologetically uses racist language and a government who implement divisive policies are not fit for purpose. They give confidence to the racists in our communities, resulting in hate crimes, and ultimately to the far right – a scourge in Europe.
Us EU migrants do not have the right to vote against these attacks.
We support Stand Up to Racism’s #VoteAgainstRacism campaign and have been part of campaigning to mobilise the anti-racist vote. But now we ask of all of you who do have the right to vote – to make the right choice and vote against racism this Thursday.
Dagmara Krzysztofiak
Despina Karayianni
Héctor Sierra
Jacek Szymanski
Maciej Bancarzewski
Natasha Muñoz
Olivia Alessi
Rafel Sanchis
Sara García
Ulrike Schmidt
We are EU nationals from different countries who live, work and study in the UK. We support and are involved in Stand Up to Racism’s #VoteAgainstRacism campaign
