Leeds Refugee Forum, a non profit organization specializing in inequalities, hosted an organized talk as a safe space for victims to talk about hate crime.
We spoke to Ali Mahgoub, Chief Executive of the charity:
“It was a good event, so there’s a lot of discussions that get to the root of the problem and how they can be part of the solution, instead of just complaining about it.”
“It is not seen but the recourse is very low because people are not reporting and not because there isn’t any crime but people are coming to us here with different complaints and issues and we try to get people to report. I think hate crime is discrimination, it is not for a certain group.”
When asked if the government are doing enough to support victims he said, “The policies are very bad against the refugees and asylum seekers. So that is one of the things we can do to make a change and also work together with the government, that would mean a better life for everyone.”
We spoke to Councilor Paul Wray:
“There’s a variety of measures here in Leeds for example we try to make it as easy for other people to report hate crime whether that’s by our community hubs or libraries, online or via police. The rhetoric of the current government in Westminster is in inherently anti- refugee and anti-immigrant in general it does in flame tension in the most abhorrent of ways.”
“There’s so much more that unites us than divides us and this city we have tensions like any other communities, but we are a relatively harmonious city where we probably have every member of nationality from the world.”
To report a hate crime, you can telephone West Yorkshire Police on 101 or in an Emergency 999
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