Daily Times

Almost a week ago, Theresa May, Home Secretary of the United Kingdom (UK), announced that a pilot scheme would be launched in November this year to test the effectiveness of the policy of making it mandatory on foreigners from certain ‘high risk countries’ (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana) to pay cash bonds worth 3,000 pounds sterling before coming to the UK on a six-month visit visa. These countries were chosen because many citizens from these countries had been found violating their temporary UK visas by preferring to stay in the UK illegally afterwards. The objective of the policy was to deter foreigners from the six selected countries overstaying in the UK. In case they did not leave the UK, their money would be forfeited. Ms May further said that by taking such a measure, annual net migration would slide below 100,000 by 2015.

The question is this: can 3,000 pounds deter a visitor-cum-prospective immigrant from visiting the UK? Nevertheless, the concerns of Ms May are worthy of appreciation because the British are becoming weary of the presence of foreigners, especially Asians including Pakistanis on their land. Glasgow can be cited as one of the best examples to understand the ‘hate Asians’ phenomenon because the Pakistani immigrant community, which is the largest of all non-white foreigners in Scotland, is settled here.

As labourers, the ancestors of these Scottish-Pakistanis settled in Glasgow when it was a city famous for ship building, marine engineering, coal mining, cotton and chemical factories and textile mills consuming cheap foreign labour. After the 1980s, Glasgow started witnessing its transformation from a manufacturing-based industrial city into a modern city of lofty buildings but with a dwindling industrial base. When labour-intensive factories started closing down and mines tapered off, Pakistani labour banked on the practice of running corner shops, Indian food restaurants and retail businesses more than before to make both ends meet.

The Scots (the native of Scotland of which Glasgow is the largest city) failed to meet the needs of the modern high-tech age. As a conurbation, Glasgow hosts more than 40 percent of Scotland’s total population, which is about 5.29 million, out of which there are about two million adults from 20 to 49 years of age, as per the 2011 census. Currently, more than 10 percent is the higher education drop out rate and about 30 percent adults are jobless, according to the Scottish government.

One of the major sources of income of Glasgow and Scotland is its chain of colleges and universities that invite thousands of overseas students including Asian students every year and earn millions of pounds. Asian students not only pay fees to universities but also pay rent to residential companies and individual owners. Moreover, Asian students spend money to buy food and travel. The people of Glasgow should have been indebted to Asian students for their economic contribution. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In Glasgow, incidents of racism, including hate crime of all types ranging from the use of abusive language to stabbings of Asians are both frequent and regular outside the half-kilometer radius of three famous universities: University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, and Glasgow Caledonian University.

The Pakistani community is mostly settled in Pollokshields, Pollokshaws and Dumbreck areas situated on the eastern side of the River Clyde, which divides the city into two halves. There are numerous areas such as Parkhead, Bridgeton, Dennistoun, Haghill, Springburn, Possil, Gorbals, Govanhill, Cathcart, Kings Park, Pollok, Crookston, Garnethill, Finnieston, Partick, Marryhill, Knightswood, Summerston, and Old Drumchapel, to name a few, which are notorious for racism, besides drug addiction and criminal activities. In these no-go areas, the suitable time for a knife, empty wine bottle or baseball bat attack on Asians, mostly from behind, is after the dusk so that the victim could not see the face of the white attacker. Sometimes, hoods are used while launching an attack.

During the daytime, spit, filth and garbage flinging at Asians including Pakistani students is also witnessed even on Great Western Road, which is the arterial road of Glasgow. Unfortunately, the road is the main route of travelling from the university’s provided accommodation to the University of Glasgow, though there are students who take a short route through the Botanical Garden.

Even children (both boys and girls) are spotted doing these malicious racist acts. How do children know that Asians are the main threat to their economic prospects in society unless the perceived threat is whispered into their ears by their parents? One can imagine the scene when these children grow up and get enrolled in Glasgow’s universities and find Asian students their classfellows. What kind of hostility they may harbour and what kind of treatment they may mete out to those Asian students who bring money along to run Glasgow’s economy is a worrying thought. It is almost impossible that Scottish students hailing from the areas notorious for racism would shun racism when they enter university. Education has just provided a smokescreen to hide their hatred.

One can also imagine the scene when these children grow up and become professors: what kind of bitter feelings would they express towards Asian students? It is almost impossible that a racism practitioner when he becomes a professor does not practise racism. In all the three universities, there are professors (without naming any) who are known for their practice of racism. Education has helped them find new ways of hurting their victims without getting caught.

Certainly, racism cannot be confined to the areas out of the half-kilometre radius of the three universities. It definitely spills over inside. The same conclusion can be generalized for its application to the UK’s other cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and London. Hence, Pakistanis must help Ms May by not becoming illegal immigrants when they visit the UK. By doing so, it may be possible that racism subsides in the UK and Pakistani students do not become victims of hate crime.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com