Over 100 Romanians were forced to shelter in a church in Belfast, Northern Ireland after locals subjected them to vile racist abuse.
About 20 families were moved to safety from their homes in the Lisburn Road area of the city last night as it emerged there had even been threats to cut a Romanian baby's throat.
And copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf were put through the letterboxes of the homes of some of the Romanians.
Those who took refuge included children, even a 5-day-old baby.
They have now been bussed to the Ozone leisure complex while the city council, police and social services meet to discuss the situation.
Many of the Romanians have now said they wish to leave the UK and return to Romania, but others will stay.
Since ten countries, including Romania, joined the EU in 2004, Britain has had an open-door policy to immigration. It has allowed in unlimited numbers of immigrants from Eastern Europe, whereas other EU nations have put caps on the numbers of immigrants to take in.
The vast majority of immigrants to the UK settle in England, with only a few going to the Celtic Fringe - Northern ireland, Wales and Scotland (in my view, the English are more tolerant of outsiders than the Irish, Scottish and Welsh. If you buy a house in Wales and you aren't Welsh then the chances are it'll be burnt to the ground before long).
How ironic it is that it the Irish who are complaining about immigration, something that they used to be very good at themselves.
Terrified Romanian families forced to flee homes in Belfast after racist attacks
By Daily Mail Reporter
17th June 2009
Daily Mail
More than 100 Romanians - including women and children - were forced to take shelter in a Belfast church after a spate of race-hate attacks.
About 20 families were moved to safety from their homes in the Lisburn Road area of the city last night as it emerged there had even been threats to cut a Romanian baby's throat.
The move came a day after youths making Nazi salutes hurled bottles at residents who marched in support of the migrants in the south of the city.
Copies of Mein Kampf were also put through some letter boxes of houses on Belgravia and Wellesley Avenues, according to local sources.
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A terrified Romanian child presses her nose against the glass of a window at the church
Frightened: With guarded looks, a Romanian mother and her child emerge today from the Belfast church hall where they have taken refuge
A friend of the families told the Belfast Telegraph: 'These people came here to Northern Ireland because they want to make a better life but now they have to go.
They are very afraid and the only thing to do is go back to Romania.'
Immigrant Couaccu Siluis told how he spent the night in the church hall with his wife, family, brother and his family.
He said: 'We are not going back to our house. It is not safe. They made signs like they wanted to cut my brother's baby's throat. They said they wanted to kill us.
'We are very scared. We have young children. We cannot go back. Possibly we could go back to Romania but we have no money. We have to stay here.'
The predominantly middle class Lisburn Road has been labelled Belfast's King's Road, but it is surrounded by Protestant estates. Some loyalist groups are known to have close links to racist organisations.
The church offered the use of its hall for as long as necessary after the terrified migrants - including a five-day-old baby girl - had taken refuge in a house which rapidly became filled to overflowing.
They have now been bussed to the Ozone leisure complex while the city council, police and social services meet to discuss the situation.
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Refugees arrive at the Ozone centre in Belfast after 100 Romanians were forced to leave their homes in the Lisburn Road
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The group of about 20 families spent Tuesday night in a church hall after a spate of racist attacks
Pastor Malcolm Morgan, who opened his church to the Romanian families, said: 'It is a sad indictment of our society, but hopefully we can show them a different side to Northern Ireland and a caring side to Northern Ireland.'
Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long visited the families and condemned the attacks.
She said: 'These kind of ugly scenes are totally unacceptable.
'A small minority of people have sadly taken away from an event which had been organised by the local community to show solidarity for their Romanian neighbours, and to express their abhorrence at their homes being subjected to racist attacks.
'Belfast is growing rich in diversity with people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds making this city their home, and each and every citizen has the right to live free from fear and intimidation.
'We cannot let a small minority of people detract from that, or allow them to drive people from their homes.'
Enlarge
A Union Jack and Ulster's 'Red Hand' flag flutters from a lamp-post on the Lisburn Road, close to where the Romanian families were attacked
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Chief Inspector Robert Murdie addresses a press conference in south Belfast as a Romanian woman covers her head arriving at the leisure centre this morning
There have been no arrests in connection with the attacks but police have stepped up their patrols and are examining CCTV footage to identify those behind the race attacks, whom they believe to be local.
Chief Inspector Robert Murdie of the PSNI said yesterday: 'They have not been brought in, they are not organised crime gangs. We certainly recognise the strength of feeling that is out there.'
He added: 'I feel that we all should be ashamed that such attacks are happening, not just in Belfast but right across Northern Ireland.
'We have to sit down with our communities to appeal to people to give information.'
Mr Murdie added: 'We have been out in strength to try to give reassurance to members of the public who may feel vulnerable at this time.'
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Refugees at the Ozone centre. Police, community representatives and politicians are to attend an emergency meeting about the attacks
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Thugs smashed windows of a house occupied by a migrant family in Belgravia Avenue, South Belfast, above
Pastor Morgan said he believed a 'small group of racist thugs' were behind the attacks.
Speaking to GMTV, he said: 'Trouble was brewing for a few days. There have been stones thrown and windows smashed. It is a small group of racist thugs.'
He continued: 'When [the Romanians] arrived last night they were very distraught and bewildered. We have a five-day-old baby amongst the group and lots of young children.'
Asked whether religion could be a motive for the attacks, Pastor Morgan replied: 'They are migrant workers and I don't think it is anything to do with religion at all.'
There have been racist undercurrents in the area since trouble erupted at a World Cup qualifier between Northern Ireland and Poland at Belfast's Windsor Park stadium in March.
As the migrants fled their homes yesterday, an 'anti-racism world cup' tournament was being launched in Belfast - a reflection of the entanglement of football with racial politics there.
Enlarge
Some of the immigrants are so terrified they have vowed to return home to Romania
dailymail.co.uk
About 20 families were moved to safety from their homes in the Lisburn Road area of the city last night as it emerged there had even been threats to cut a Romanian baby's throat.
And copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf were put through the letterboxes of the homes of some of the Romanians.
Those who took refuge included children, even a 5-day-old baby.
They have now been bussed to the Ozone leisure complex while the city council, police and social services meet to discuss the situation.
Many of the Romanians have now said they wish to leave the UK and return to Romania, but others will stay.
Since ten countries, including Romania, joined the EU in 2004, Britain has had an open-door policy to immigration. It has allowed in unlimited numbers of immigrants from Eastern Europe, whereas other EU nations have put caps on the numbers of immigrants to take in.
The vast majority of immigrants to the UK settle in England, with only a few going to the Celtic Fringe - Northern ireland, Wales and Scotland (in my view, the English are more tolerant of outsiders than the Irish, Scottish and Welsh. If you buy a house in Wales and you aren't Welsh then the chances are it'll be burnt to the ground before long).
How ironic it is that it the Irish who are complaining about immigration, something that they used to be very good at themselves.
Terrified Romanian families forced to flee homes in Belfast after racist attacks
By Daily Mail Reporter
17th June 2009
Daily Mail
More than 100 Romanians - including women and children - were forced to take shelter in a Belfast church after a spate of race-hate attacks.
About 20 families were moved to safety from their homes in the Lisburn Road area of the city last night as it emerged there had even been threats to cut a Romanian baby's throat.
The move came a day after youths making Nazi salutes hurled bottles at residents who marched in support of the migrants in the south of the city.
Copies of Mein Kampf were also put through some letter boxes of houses on Belgravia and Wellesley Avenues, according to local sources.
Enlarge
A terrified Romanian child presses her nose against the glass of a window at the church
A friend of the families told the Belfast Telegraph: 'These people came here to Northern Ireland because they want to make a better life but now they have to go.
They are very afraid and the only thing to do is go back to Romania.'
Immigrant Couaccu Siluis told how he spent the night in the church hall with his wife, family, brother and his family.
He said: 'We are not going back to our house. It is not safe. They made signs like they wanted to cut my brother's baby's throat. They said they wanted to kill us.
'We are very scared. We have young children. We cannot go back. Possibly we could go back to Romania but we have no money. We have to stay here.'
The predominantly middle class Lisburn Road has been labelled Belfast's King's Road, but it is surrounded by Protestant estates. Some loyalist groups are known to have close links to racist organisations.
The church offered the use of its hall for as long as necessary after the terrified migrants - including a five-day-old baby girl - had taken refuge in a house which rapidly became filled to overflowing.
They have now been bussed to the Ozone leisure complex while the city council, police and social services meet to discuss the situation.
Enlarge
Refugees arrive at the Ozone centre in Belfast after 100 Romanians were forced to leave their homes in the Lisburn RoadEnlarge
The group of about 20 families spent Tuesday night in a church hall after a spate of racist attacks
Pastor Malcolm Morgan, who opened his church to the Romanian families, said: 'It is a sad indictment of our society, but hopefully we can show them a different side to Northern Ireland and a caring side to Northern Ireland.'
Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long visited the families and condemned the attacks.
She said: 'These kind of ugly scenes are totally unacceptable.
'A small minority of people have sadly taken away from an event which had been organised by the local community to show solidarity for their Romanian neighbours, and to express their abhorrence at their homes being subjected to racist attacks.
'Belfast is growing rich in diversity with people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds making this city their home, and each and every citizen has the right to live free from fear and intimidation.
'We cannot let a small minority of people detract from that, or allow them to drive people from their homes.'
Enlarge
A Union Jack and Ulster's 'Red Hand' flag flutters from a lamp-post on the Lisburn Road, close to where the Romanian families were attacked
Enlarge
Enlarge
Chief Inspector Robert Murdie addresses a press conference in south Belfast as a Romanian woman covers her head arriving at the leisure centre this morningThere have been no arrests in connection with the attacks but police have stepped up their patrols and are examining CCTV footage to identify those behind the race attacks, whom they believe to be local.
Chief Inspector Robert Murdie of the PSNI said yesterday: 'They have not been brought in, they are not organised crime gangs. We certainly recognise the strength of feeling that is out there.'
He added: 'I feel that we all should be ashamed that such attacks are happening, not just in Belfast but right across Northern Ireland.
'We have to sit down with our communities to appeal to people to give information.'
Mr Murdie added: 'We have been out in strength to try to give reassurance to members of the public who may feel vulnerable at this time.'
Enlarge
Refugees at the Ozone centre. Police, community representatives and politicians are to attend an emergency meeting about the attacksEnlarge
Thugs smashed windows of a house occupied by a migrant family in Belgravia Avenue, South Belfast, abovePastor Morgan said he believed a 'small group of racist thugs' were behind the attacks.
Speaking to GMTV, he said: 'Trouble was brewing for a few days. There have been stones thrown and windows smashed. It is a small group of racist thugs.'
He continued: 'When [the Romanians] arrived last night they were very distraught and bewildered. We have a five-day-old baby amongst the group and lots of young children.'
Asked whether religion could be a motive for the attacks, Pastor Morgan replied: 'They are migrant workers and I don't think it is anything to do with religion at all.'
There have been racist undercurrents in the area since trouble erupted at a World Cup qualifier between Northern Ireland and Poland at Belfast's Windsor Park stadium in March.
As the migrants fled their homes yesterday, an 'anti-racism world cup' tournament was being launched in Belfast - a reflection of the entanglement of football with racial politics there.
Enlarge
Some of the immigrants are so terrified they have vowed to return home to Romaniadailymail.co.uk
