Hostile environment for illegal migrants at work - courtesy of Liam Byrne MP and, now Shadow Metro Mayor!

A MATTER OF CONCERN - but what is the truth in all this, Liam?:-

Yvonne Davies, who remains the suspended Leader of Sandwell Council from July 2020, was wrongly accused of racism by yourself, Liam when you said at the time, "There is absolutely no place for racism or anti-Semitism in the Labour Party."  This, when she was suspended for doing nothing wrong but quite properly (but hardly, in fact) 'criticising' the State of Israel, as we are all free to do and should do when deserved.  Yet, according to the 'Guardian' in 2007, it seems that you brought in (or, at least, fully supported) the hostile environment for illegal migrants (asylum seekers), to be frightened away from these shores.

You said, "What we are proposing here will, I think, flush illegal migrants out. We are trying to create a much more hostile environment in this country if you are here illegally," said Mr Byrne. "We have to make Britain much less of an attractive place if you are going to come here and break the rules."

As you know, this led to the outrageous and despicable Windrush scandal in the next decade.

Do you still hold those views over the desirability of having a hostile or hate-filled environment in the W Midlands for some residents whom you consider should not be here?  Are you proud of your legacy?

Do you accept it is very difficult, if not impossible, to be sure who is a legal immigrant and who is illegal?

"The right to seek asylum is a legal right we all share. It isn’t illegal to seek asylum, because seeking asylum is a legal process. It also isn’t illegal to be refused asylum – it just means you haven’t been able to meet the very strict criteria to prove your need for protection as a refugee."  from:  https://www.refugee-action.org.uk/about/facts-about-refugees/

Will you, please ask your party to deal with the matter urgently, as you said at the time?

Or, will you now apologise to Yvonne and do all in your powers to get her rapidly reinstated as leader?

MY SOURCES:

Dr Nathaniel wrote to me:

"Importantly, this policy the very system of barring and terrorising that Liam Byrne, as minister, invented and introduced: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/may/16/immigration.immigrationandpublicservices."

There you find:

Liam is quoted as saying, "What we are proposing here will, I think, flush illegal migrants out. We are trying to create a much more hostile environment in this country if you are here illegally," said Mr Byrne. "We have to make Britain much less of an attractive place if you are going to come here and break the rules."    (from the Guardian on 16 May 2007)

Yvonne's tweets: One post features a link to a petition calling for a parliamentary debate over whether Israel has "improper influence" over British politics, while another suggests "Israel's hand" was behind criticism of Jeremy Corbyn.

From the Express and Star on 8 July 2020:

Birmingham Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne, Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor, has urged his party to urgently deal with the matter.

He said: "As a complaint has been made to the Labour Party, it is right that it is investigated and dealt with quickly and swiftly.

"There is absolutely no place for racism or anti-Semitism in the Labour Party."