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GENEVA / BREXIT RACISM
STORY: GENEVA / BREXIT RACISM
TRT: 02:50
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 28 JUNE 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
RECENT - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Exterior, Palais des Nations
28 JUNE 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, press conference room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mutuma Ruteere, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
“I think, all over, in many places in Europe we have seen some of those sentiments and playing out the migration crisis and how xenophobia has infected the discussion with regard to migration. It is regrettable in my view, it is something that ought to be tackled decisively by political leaders and I think that, if the statement by the Prime Minister is anything to go by, I think the British authorities are very much aware of these challenges as well as the dangers of what the xenophobic movement can exploit in these forms of situations.”
4. Wide shot, press conference room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Mutuma Ruteere, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
“I think wherever xenophobic statements are being made by political leaders they should be denounced in the strongest terms. I think there is particular responsibility for political leaders to provide leadership and not play up the fears of migrants and refugees.”
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mutuma Ruteere, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
“What we have, if you ask me, is a not a crisis of migration, what we have is a crisis of tolerance and diversity and that’s where the responsibility ought to be. It is not migration, it’s a fact of human nature, migration should be seen as positive, problems of people fleeing conflict and war is part of the responsibility of states to actually provide comfort as well as protection. And in my view migrants and refugees should not be scapegoated for any political reasons or gain.”
8. Med shot, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mutuma Ruteere, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
“History shows us that if the fate of minorities is left to a vote then human rights will lose out, because this is the story of humanity.”
10. Wide shot, press conference room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Mutuma Ruteere, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
“I know that a country like the UK has quite a number of institutions that work on these issues, they have equality institutions, they have a long tradition of monitoring these issues very closely, and I think that’s a positive. And I think this is the test for all these institutions that have been put in place over time. And I’m quite confident and hopeful that the institutions that exist can actually address this problem and nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger problem.”
12. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
Politicians who have made xenophobic statements related to the UK referendum on membership of the European Union (EU), should be “denounced in the strongest terms”, according to Mutuma Ruteere, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on racial discrimination.
Speaking about the UK’s referendum on the EU, known as Brexit, Ruteere said “I think wherever xenophobic statements are being made by political leaders they should be denounced in the strongest terms. I think there is particular responsibility for political leaders to provide leadership and not play up the fears of migrants and refugees.”
He said that xenophobia has “infected the discussion with regard to migration” in many places in Europe, including the UK: “It is regrettable in my view, it is something that ought to be tackled decisively by political leaders and I think that, if the statement by the Prime Minister is anything to go by, I think the British authorities are very much aware of these challenges as well as the dangers of what the xenophobic movement can exploit in these forms of situations.”
He added: “What we have, if you ask me, is a not a crisis of migration, what we have is a crisis of tolerance and diversity and that’s where the responsibility ought to be. It is not migration, it’s a fact of human nature, migration should be seen as positive, problems of people fleeing conflict and war is part of the responsibility of states to actually provide comfort as well as protection. And in my view migrants and refugees should not be scapegoated for any political reasons or gain.”
Speaking about the role of democracy in upholding human rights, he said: “History shows us that if the fate of minorities is left to a vote then human rights will lose out, because this is the story of humanity.”
Ruteere also expressed concern at the reported rise in racially-motivated attacks in the UK since the country voted to leave the EU: “I know that a country like the UK has quite a number of institutions that work on these issues, they have equality institutions, they have a long tradition of monitoring these issues very closely, and I think that’s a positive. And I think this is the test for all these institutions that have been put in place over time. And I’m quite confident and hopeful that the institutions that exist can actually address this problem and nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger problem.”
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