UN condemns asylum-seeker attacks in Britain

The UN refugee agency today denounced vicious attacks on asylum-seekers in Britain over the past week.

The UN refugee agency today denounced vicious attacks on asylum-seekers in Britain over the past week.

It blamed a climate of vilification whipped up by mass-circulation media and some politicians.

Glasgow protest
Protest in Glasgow on Wednesday after fatal stabbing of asylum seeker.

Mr Firsat Yildiz, a Turkish Kurd asylum-seeker, was murdered last Sunday in Glasgow and an Iranian asylum-seeker was stabbed on Tuesday at the same housing estate. A Kurdish asylum-seeker was stabbed in the throat in Hull on Tuesday.

"Three such attacks in the space of just three days are indeed very alarming, but in UNHCR's view this was sadly predictable given the climate of vilification of asylum-seekers that has taken hold in the UK in recent years," UNHCR spokesman Mr Kris Janowski told a news briefing.

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"Some mass circulation newspapers and some politicians continually portray asylum-seekers as a problem, statistics are being twisted and negative stories are being endlessly highlighted," he said.

Mr Janowski said some politicians had tried to exploit fears of immigrants during Britain's general election campaign last June.

"Our concern is not the current government's policies, it is more the atmosphere surrounding asylum-seekers in mass-circulation papers and rhetoric used in the campaign," Mr Janowski said.

"We trust the authorities will do everything they can to remedy the situation".