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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ukranian, welcome! Middleastern, African? Get to back of the bus!

477 replies

OldieWordly · 14/03/2022 20:39

The war in Ukraine is truly horrendous, but so are all the wars happening all around the world. It is happening in Europe, a place this country is geographically and culturally a part of. So we can emphasise more with the Ukranians and hence the outpouring of support.

But it also helps that they are white and look like the majority of this country, and therefore more support is volunteered.

Why do I as a black woman, while feeling great empathy and sorrow, also feel that other asylum seekers also fleeing war and destruction in their home countries, have been relegated to the back of the bus?

Where are the offers of a sponsored home from UK individuals/families and reimbursement of £350 a month? The right to live in the UK for up to 3 years? The right to work, or to immediately access benefits if needed?

Many of you may say, it's not about skin colour, ethnicity etc, it's about humanity. But tell me, why do so many of us black, brown or non white people often have a feeling of being treated subconciously as belonging at the back of the bus? And the welcome given to Ukranian refugees as apposed to those from Syria troubles me greatly.

OP posts:
Rummikub · 17/03/2022 13:59

“That lot arriving”

Nice language!!

OMG12 · 17/03/2022 15:09

I completely understand your sentiment, I suspect there are several reasons behind this though. None of these make it “right” but could explain why

  1. In times of trouble people look for us and them as quick checks on safety. This might be skin colour, gender, religion, continent of origin, political views etc etc.
  2. People will consider other Europeans will fit more easily into the existing structure of the country, think they have similar beliefs, values etc
  3. People will empathise more with people who are in trouble who were living lives comparable to their own
4 lots of people will have visited Ukraine/know people from there so the water will be more real, the people will be more real
  1. The war is closer to home so many might have ideas of it could be us
  2. People are experiencing the impact of this war directly-rising prices etc so more likely to consider themselves allies with people also suffering (in a much more severe way) from a common enemy.
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