Indians, other ethnic minorities ‘face racism’ in Belfast

London, December 4

Ethnic minorities in the UK’s Belfast region, including Indians, face challenges of racism, isolation and poverty, impacting their participation in political, social, and economic life, a new study has revealed.

Inequalities were reported in areas across education, housing, work, civic and political participation by more than 150 people from black, Asian, minority ethnic communities in a study commissioned by Belfast City Council in partnership with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Public Health Agency.

Bullying in schools, poor promotion prospects

• Inequalities in areas across education, housing, work, civic and political participation
• Two-fifths of parents said their children experienced racist bullying in schools
• Many took lower-income jobs expectating progress, but remained in jobs below qualifications
• Professionals reported poor promotion prospects in workplace

According to the 2021 Census, the largest ethnic group in Belfast included people who identified as White (92.9 per cent), followed by Chinese (1.37 per cent), Indian (1.26 per cent), people of mixed ethnicity (1.2 per cent), and Black African (1.19 per cent) Just three-quarters of minority ethnic and migrant participants felt safe and secure in Belfast, compared to more than 90 per cent of the city’s residents overall, the study found.

Two-fifths of parents reported that their children experienced racist bullying in schools. Professionals generally reported poor promotion prospects in work with just under a third of participants are unemployed, in part due to discrimination in the labour market. — IANS