By Many of you have already heard of “Brexit.” It’s been prevalent in the news for the past few years, and for those of you who don’t know, it is a referendum that stands for “British Exit,” and gives Britain the option to exit the E.U. Historically, Britain linked to the European Union when the political class fabricated a lie to the country that this was a partnership with Europe, as told by citizens who were present during the entry of the U.K. into the E.U. Because of this, people voted to become a part of the European common market during that time period.
In the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, U.K. Prime Minister, Theresa May, was assigned to come up with a Brexit strategy after being deserted by her political allies, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson, because despite supporting Brexit with every fiber of their being, they saw Brexit for the train-wreck that it is. Et tu, brute?
As professionals in a myriad of vital fields such as medicine and education are forced to leave the United Kingdom due to Brexit, isn’t it clear that this referendum of hate will cause those within the U.K. benefitting from the high quality services provided by foreign workers to suffer?
Make no mistake, those who voted for it did so because they despised immigrants from other parts of the E.U. However, despite the fact that it passed, many Britons are appalled by the idea and here’s why.
In a New York Times article titled “Where Brexit Hurts: The Nurses and Doctors Leaving London” by Katrin Bennhold, the writer interviewed Dr. Noël, a practicing physician who works in the U.K. but grew up in France. Dr. Noël had the following to say about the intentions behind Brexit:
“I’ve had very torn feelings about helping people who expressed the wish to get rid of us,” Dr. Noël said. In the article,Dr. Noël explains how he considers himself a part of the U.K. and how Brexit makes him feel isolated. “Psychologically, Brexit has had a huge impact,” he explains. “You feel rejected as a group.”
As professionals in a myriad of vital fields such as medicine and education are forced to leave the United Kingdom due to Brexit, isn’t it clear that this referendum of hate will cause those within the U.K. benefitting from the high quality services provided by foreign workers to suffer? Is the United Kingdom really willing to let her citizens suffer over a racist tantrum?
Experts in their fields, from UN representatives, to leading professors have admitted that the issue of Brexit stems from racist views.
Additionally, as per Jon Stone’s article in The Independent, there has been a massive increase in hate crimes within the U.K. and the rest of the European Union. Tragically, this sad statistic has only intensified ever since the Brexit referendum.
In this article, Stone interviewed an individual names Ms. Rudd, who said, “Well, I have a very clear message for them [purveyors of racist hate crimes]. We will not stand for it. Hatred has no place whatsoever in a 21st century Great Britain that works for everyone. We are Great Britain because we are united by values such as democracy, free speech, mutual respect and opportunity for all. We are the sum of all our parts – a proud, diverse society. Hatred does not get a seat at the table, and we will do everything we can to stamp it out.”
Experts in their fields, from UN representatives, to leading professors have admitted that the issue of Brexit stems from racist views. Professor Tendayi Achiume, who spent time in the U.K. investigating the impact of Brexit on racial inequality said, “The environment leading up to the referendum, the environment during the referendum, and the environment after the referendum has made racial and ethnic minorities more vulnerable to racial discrimination and intolerance.”
After all this, is there any doubt that Brexit is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to demonize ethnic minorities? However, the United Kingdom is in for a rude awakening. Expelling foreign workers who are contributing to the well-being of Britain will do little more than send the U.K. into a downward spiral. If only her citizens can learn this lesson before it’s too late.
Edited by Manal Moazzam.