[Media-watch] FW: Action Request: an article to respond to

[Mark and Andrea]

Please respond to this Amnesty International alert about media treatment of
asylum seekers


-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle.Lowe at amnesty.org.uk [mailto:Michelle.Lowe at amnesty.org.uk]
Sent: 07 January 2004 09:57
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: Action Request: an article to respond to


Dear all,


Happy New Year! I hope all of you have had a good festive period. Below is
the first action of the new year and also a quick report back on the media
monitoring exercise which some of you took part in.


Now that we have our systems set up in the office we will be sending
similar actions on a more regular basis.


All the best,


Michelle



Michelle Lowe
Scottish Campaigner
Amnesty International
6 Castle Street
Edinburgh EH2 3AT
0131 466 6200 (t)  0131 466 6201 (f)

I work part-time and my normal office hours are Monday afternoons,
Wednesdays and Thursdays.





Request to respond to article:
Boy, 9, mown down by killer asylum driver (page 4)*
Scottish Daily Express, 6 January 2004
*The article is on the front page of the English edition.


Summary of article:
An Algerian man whose asylum claim was turned down is on trial for causing
the death of a 9-year old boy in a road accident. He has pleaded guilty to
failing to stop at an accident and to not having insurance or a British
Driving licence. The accident happened in West Sussex on New Year's day.


Points you might like to raise in your correspondence:
Although the family of the young boy deserve every sympathy for what has
happened to their son, the reporting of the story should focus on the fact
that the driver was uninsured and not on whether or not the driver was an
asylum seeker.
There is no  link between asylum status and your ability to drive.
A crime committed by one asylum seeker, does not mean that every asylum
seeker is a criminal. Articles like this  should not detract from the fact
that the vast majority of asylum seekers are law-abiding.
A report published by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)
recently confirmed that there is no evidence for a higher rate of
criminality among refugees and asylum seekers. In fact, according to ACPO,
having fled danger in their home country, asylum seekers are more likely to
become victims of crime in the UK.
It is often misleading and biased press stories like this which lead to
harassment and attacks on asylum seekers.


Contact details:


Scottish Daily Express
Email: scotexpress at express.co.uk
Post:  The Editor, Scottish Daily Express, Park Circus Place,
Glasgow
G3 6AN
Fax: 0141 332 5448

 Early results from the UK's contribution to a massive project looking at
 how the European media covers refugees and asylum seekers reveal
 interesting trends.


 They show that almost half of the stories in the UK press over one week in
 November portrayed asylum seekers as a burden on UK society.
 One in four articles suggested that asylum seekers were criminals, and one
 in five suggested they were a danger to the UK.
 Full results will be published in a report released on a Day Of Action
 during March 2004 and will highlight the need for Europe's media to put
 balance into its coverage.
 If you want to find out more email williams.t at blueyonder.co.uk









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