10th May 2004

Top Footballers Launch New Anti-Racism Asylum Video for Schools

Top footballers from 9 SPL Clubs today (10 May) united to speak out against racism towards asylum seekers, at the Scottish launch of A Safe Place, a new schools video by charity Show Racism The Red Card, supported by Amnesty International.

A Safe Place features top players Thierry Henry, Ronald de Boer, Brent Sancho, David James, Ashley Cole, Shaka Hislop and Lomana Lua Lua. Young asylum-seekers and refugees are also interviewed, talking about their experience of seeking asylum in the UK and why they were forced to flee their homes.

Speaking at the launch, Rudi Vata of St Johnstone FC said:

"After playing in an Albania v France international at Parc des Princes I fled my hotel and claimed asylum at a French police station. I had to escape the horrific Albanian regime in my homeland. "I believe everyone likes freedom, everyone likes to be free from torture and oppression. The people who are claiming asylum are prevented from this is their own countries, and it is this that leads people to try to escape. People claiming asylum have good reason to apply and deserve to be treated fairly by people here - everyone deserves a chance"

Gary Cohen, the 19 year old who spoke out in January about the racist abuse he was facing playing for Gretna FC in Division 3, also attended the launch.

The video aims to combat myths and stereotypes about asylum seekers and refugees and promote informed debate among young people. Official statistics show that young people are over-represented as both perpetrators and victims of racial harassment. A 2002 MORI poll conducted as part of Refugee Week showed that young people were startlingly ill-informed on asylum issues, believing on average that the UK takes over 30 per cent of the world's refugees (in fact the UK takes less than 2%).

A Safe Place is aimed at young people aged 11 to 16, is ideal for the Scottish curriculum, and comes with an education pack for use in class. The pack contains a range of activities such as quizzes, discussion topics and classroom-based exercises on issues like media bias, stereotyping, race and diversity and will be available at the launch.

A screening of the video will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Rudi Vata (St Johnstone), Roddy McNulty and Ged Grebby (Show Racism the Red Card), Lesley Irving (Scottish Executive), John Watson, (Amnesty International), Veronica Rankin (The Educational Institute of Scotland) and will be chaired by Fraser Wishart (the Scottish Professional Footballers Association).

Roddy McNulty of Show Racism the Red Card said:

"This is the first time Show Racism the Red Card has done a video to combat racism against asylum seekers and we were greatly encouraged with the response we got from professional footballers.

Racist attacks are on the increase in Scotland and refugees and asylum-seekers are bearing the brunt. The majority of these people have fled extreme poverty, war and even the threat of death to seek 'A Safe Place' in this country. The video tackles the racist myths that surround the issue and is a strong educational tool. We aim to reach a huge audience with this."

Veronica Rankin, National Officer (Education and Equalities), The Educational Institute of Scotland, added:

"Many asylum seekers make an important contribution to the communities in which they live and to Scottish society as a whole. We need to make every effort to welcome asylum seekers to our country and encourage them to become fully involved within their communities."

"The EIS and Scottish teachers have long campaigned for improved rights for asylum seekers, particularly regarding the need for all children of asylum seekers to have the right to access a proper education in our schools. The EIS is delighted to support this educational resource which will further highlight the need for improved rights for all asylum seekers in Scotland."

Margaret Curran, Minister for Communities said:

"Sometimes the experiences of those from minority ethnic communities are not positive and don't reflect the international image of Scotland as a welcoming and friendly place. Sadly, there are members of our communities who are abused or shunned, discriminated against or excluded because of their race or ethnicity, their colour or their creed. "The Executive is determined to tackle racism across Scotland and through our One Scotland, Many Cultures campaign - which supports the work of Show Racism the Red Card - we have highlighted the unacceptability of racist attitudes and behaviour. I am pleased that this new video is tackling issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers as this complements the work of a range of projects - in which we have invested over £7 million - to help those escaping persecution and oppression integrate into our communities."

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/scotland/campaigns/media/100504.shtml