Daily Express censors letter from British Red Cross criticising it – Pride’s Purge

Tom Pride has requested that we all share this as widely as possible. He writes:

The Daily Express – like most of the UK press – doesn’t like to be criticised.

And – like most of the UK press – it doesn’t like to give a right of reply to anyone, not even to respected organisations such as the British Red Cross.

That’s why the newspaper is refusing to publish a joint letter from the British Red Cross, Refugee Action and the Refugee Council which is critical of it.

This is the letter the Daily Express doesn’t want you to see. So please share it as widely as possible.

Dear Sir,

The stream of aggressive stories about asylum seekers appearing in this paper in recent days is of serious concern to all of us who work with and support people fleeing persecution.

Your readers would be forgiven for thinking the UK is being flooded by asylum seekers. This couldn’t be further from the truth, with asylum applications around the 23,000 mark a year the UK is home to less than 1 per cent of the world’s refugees and takes proportionately below the EU average.

To characterise the people housed in Folkestone as having a ‘lovely break’ by the sea that Brits would be envious of is hugely misleading and dangerous.

Asylum seekers are people who have often fled horrifying experiences in their home countries. Some have been raped. Some have been tortured. Many have witnessed the death of a loved one. Be assured, people who have suffered extreme trauma and whose lives are hanging in the balance will not be focusing on the sea view of temporary room.

There are no refugee visas available for people fleeing persecution. The fact that people are forced to travel clandestinely is recognised within the Refugee Convention and British Law. Entering Britain illegally can be a necessity; it is not an indication of the validity of someone’s asylum claim.

Additionally, appealing a refusal does not indicate someone cheating the system. Decisions on asylum claims can be life or death and the appeal overturn rate shows the Government frequently gets it wrong the first time.

Stirring up hostility against asylum seekers is as unwelcome as it is unsavoury in a country with a proud tradition of protecting refugees.

Maurice Wren, Chief Executive, Refugee Council

Mike Adamson, Acting Chief Executive, British Red Cross

Dave Garratt, Chief Executive, Refugee Action

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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7 Comments

  1. Tony Dean October 5, 2014 at 11:00 am - Reply

    Has the Daily Express joined the new regulation system, the Independent Press Standards Organisation, because it was not part it’s predecessor.

    If it is a member of IPSO it looks like a test case of the right to reply to me.

  2. Alistair Ralph Lazenby October 5, 2014 at 11:16 am - Reply

    THEN STOP THE MUSLIMS, WE ARE A SMALL ISLAND IN DEEP FINANCIAL PROBLEMS WE DO NOT HAVE A OPEN BANK OF MONEY, OUR OWN PEOPLE ARE STARVING DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT CUTS TO WELFARE ETC AND LACK OF JOBS, HOUSING, (I DON’T BELIEVE ANY OF CAMERON PIG LIE’S THAT WE ARE DOING WELL, HE SHOULD BE HUNG FOR TREASON ). SORRY WE ARE CLOSED, DOWN & OUT

    • Mike Sivier October 5, 2014 at 9:56 pm - Reply

      We aren’t closed, down and out at all – we’ve just been led down an economic blind alley for the last 35 years (and especially the last four and a half).
      Stop the Muslims doing what? I feel certain that many of them are involved in perfectly innocent activities, in the same way many Christians, Jews or whatever creed you care to mention are.

    • George Savva October 7, 2014 at 2:50 pm - Reply

      What a ridiculous statement. Firstly, you cannot castigate an entire religion just because there are a group of nutters as part of that religion. Secondly, more people from the UK live in other countries than we take in so do you suggest bringing them all back as well ?
      Thirdly do you even understand what treason actually is ? Fourthly it is ‘hanged’ not hung if you mean via a gallows. Fifthly, noone here is starving. Get yourself on a plane to Africa and see what starving actually means.

      • Mike Sivier October 7, 2014 at 4:16 pm - Reply

        On your fifth point, the problem in this country is malnourishment. The effect can be much the same, as I understand it.

  3. Steve October 7, 2014 at 11:37 am - Reply

    I have been boycotting the Daily Express for years now (the firefox/ chrome add on ‘kitten block’ is very useful for making sure you don’t accidentally click on Daily Mail or Express links!)

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