Leading United Nations representative tours Coventry community groups

May 20, 2014 09:45 By Daniel Smith-COV

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His Excellency Mr Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser chose city in celebration of its role as a city of peace and reconciliation

UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations - His Excellency Mr Nassir Abdulaziz Al - Nasser visited Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre

The High Representative of the UN’s Alliance of Civilisation made a special trip to Coventry yesterday.

His Excellency Mr Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser toured several city community groups and landmarks before addressing guests at Coventry University in the afternoon.

Mr Al-Nasser’s visit marks UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

Coventry was chosen for the visit in celebration of its role as a city of peace and reconciliation.

Yesterday’s event was the first to be hosted by the newly formed Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, which tries to encourage a deeper understanding of diversity and peace.

On a visit to Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, Mr Al-Nasser met city refugees and spoke with the centre’s chief executive, Bhopinder Basi.

The two discussed the UK’s fondness for diverse cuisines – curry, in particular – with Mr Al-Nasser revealing his own passion for the Japanese dish sashimi.

Asked about the rise of parties like UKIP, Mr Al-Nasser refused to be drawn, saying: “This is a political issue, and we are a soft power whose role is to prevent conflict and tension.

"In Coventry, I’ve been impressed by the work of this refugee centre, and by the ethinc mix here, who live together in harmony. Coventry is a good example of what we are trying to promote.”

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Addressing a packed hall at Coventry University later, Mr Al-Nasser spoke of the need for understanding between cultures – particularly between the Islamic and Western world.

He said: “As United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, I am filled with awe at the realization that I am addressing an audience in a city that experienced under the onslaught of barbarians what few cities did in modern history.

“The barbarians of those times – the Nazis – were obsessed by the pursuit of a world capable of sustaining only one truth, Nazism, and welcoming of only one type of human being, the Aryan.

"Humankind, in all its diversity, prevailed thanks to the sacrifices and courage of people like those of Great Britain and cities such as Coventry.

"The truth is – today more than at any other time in history – diversity is the reality that informs human life: diversity in nations and cities, tribes and villages, in ethnicities and identities, in beliefs, faiths, and trad

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Coventry immigration up by a third in 2013 Mar 10, 2014 14:14 By Georgia Arlott

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City became home to 5,764, new National Insurance registrations made by foreign people

Chief executive of Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre Bhopinder Basi

The number of migrants arriving in Coventry rose by almost a third last year, new figures show.

Statistics show that Coventry became home to 31 per cent more migrants in 2013 than it did in 2012, with 5,764, new National Insurance registrations made by foreign people in 2013 compared to 4,382 in 2012.

Government figures show that the majority of those – 2,295 migrants or 40 per cent – are from EU accession states which include Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania.

The next highest proportion of migrants were from Asia and the Middle East, with 1,402 new arrivals.

Coventry has hosted 1,023 African nationals since the start of 2013 – that amounts to nearly 18 per cent of our new migrants – making this the fifth most attractive city to African migrants in the UK last year.

Coventry was the city of choice for 870 citizens from original EU countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland and Spain.

Coventry hosted 71 migrants from the Americas and 22 from Australasia last year.

All this represents a rise that dwarfs the national average of 18.9 per cent, putting Coventry 27th on the list of places that have seen the biggest rise in migrants since 2012.

In Warwickshire, Rugby saw the biggest increase with migrant figures up 26 per cent from 2012.

Of 1,283 new arrivals, 957 were from EU accession states and 185 from original EU countries. Warwick comes in second, with 1,213 new arrivals – a rise of 25 per cent in two years.

Again, the largest proportion – 433 of those - were from EU accession states.

Nuneaton and Bedworth has seen a rise in migration of 26 per cent in 2013. Across the UK, 617,237 new migrants made their homes here last year.

In 2012, the national figure was 518,954.

Bhopinder Basi, chief executive of Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, said: “The country will debate the issues, but for those newcomers who are here, we must make the best job of it.

“We must help them to integrate and make the transition from stranger to Coventrian as soon as possible.”

Mark Taylor, Chair of Coventry UKIP, said: “I believe in limited immigration. Immigrants contribute to Coventry’s economy, but these increases put pressure on our local services.”

The Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre wants to put the city on the map with a proposed national day of Peace and Reconciliation

Chief executive of Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre Bhopinder Basi

A local charity wants to use Coventry’s reputation as a centre for peace and reconciliation to create a national day of reflection.

The Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre wants to put the city on the map with a proposed national day of Peace and Reconciliation on July 7, 2015.

The date is significant because it is the anniversary of the London bombings in 2005.

A special event in the Coventry’s Cathedral ruins will celebrate the city’s special peacemaking legacy.

The centre’s campaign was announced as it released its annual report, showing how Coventry is leading the way in helping vulnerable refugees in need.

Chief executive Bhopinder Basi highlighted the positive work that’s been done over the year.

He told the Telegraph: “Our charity finds itself in difficult times at the moment – we had received most of our funding from the public purse.

“We’ve had to adapt because we’ve been suffering with income in recent years.

“We have people here from 80 countries, so language is a key skill. Now, we sell translation services – it’s all about wealth creation.”

The centre aims to help people to make the transition from stranger to Coventrian, and is mainly staffed by a committed team of volunteers.

Volunteer Martin Gborie, originally from Sierra Leone, said: “I decided to come and volunteer because I thought, ‘I should do something to help others, and to help myself’.

“I used to help my neighbours who couldn’t read or write in English, so I thought I could work here, too.

“In life, there are challenges no matter where you find yourself – but being an asylum seeker is a big one. People categorise you as not wanted, so I try to help people to intergrate.

“I deal with housing benefit, child benefit, all the things people need to get started, and show the world that they are worth something. It’s a way to say thank you to the system that helped me.”

The Refugee and Migrant Centre understands the concerns of many Britons around immigration levels.

But Mr Basi has an unwavering optimism about the welcoming nature of Coventry: “People come to Britain – the world’s oldest democracy – because this is a place of fairness and freedom.

“For me, that’s a wonderful reason to build a life in Coventry.”