A PUBLIC debate in Malvern about migration has been labelled a big success despite organisers receiving ‘anti-immigration emails’ in the run up to it.
A large crowd gathered at Malvern’s Lansdowne Methodist Church on Saturday night to task a guest panel comprising national figures in the migration field about the UK’s current immigration levels.
The hour-long event featured Don Flynn, director of the National Migrants Rights Network in London, Shari Brown, director of Birmingham-based Restore, Sarah Soyei, director of EquliTeach and Philile Mbatha, a dentist from South Africa who now lives and works in Worcestershire.
It was chaired by the Venerable Robert Jones – the Archdeacon of Worcester.
All four panelists spoke for five minutes before being asked questions by visitors.
In a statement, the debate organisers said: “The atmosphere at the debate was receptive and positive, with nobody apparently representing the anti-Muslim or anti-immigration views emailed to the organisers before the event.”
Mr Flynn said the UK had always received migrants from Roman times onwards and has benefitted by receiving well educated and trained people, particularly since the Second World War in areas such as the Health Service, and more recently from non- Commonwealth areas working in agriculture and the public services.
He also said British people have the challenges of helping migrants to settle, and overcoming opposition.
Shari Brown, who has experienced being a migrant herself, having to leave South Africa during the Apartheid years, urged all British towns to respond more readily to immigrants arriving in the UK
Sarah Soyei said that media distortion and misleading figures had lead to prejudice and there was a need to celebrate diversity in Britain.
And Philile Mbatha, a migrant from South Africa, described the stresses of being a migrant and the need for support and help for families, particularly as some migrants have no choice but to become refugees.
It was concluded the people of Malvern should continue to work locally to welcome migrants, holding workshops, involving politicians and the press.
