Baba Gee, reporting from Parliament, London
A confab at Parliament, chaired by Mr Laurence Robertson MP (Conservative, Tewkesbury), brought together Conservative Party members, supporters, and members of the black community to deliberate on crucial issues such as the Rwanda policy, immigration, and the potential impact on the UK’s black British community in early February 2023.
Davida Ademuyiwa, cofounder and chair of the Black Tories, and Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi, chair of the Conservative Friends of Nigeria, two important Conservative party organisations supporting the black British community of diverse backgrounds, collaborated and convened the meeting on 08 February 8, 2023. It represented a crucial step in ensuring that these communities get fair representation and have their challenges and concerns taken seriously by the Conservative Party, the government, and others.
The participants, representing various organisations, included Davida Ademuyiwa, Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi, Cllr Harold Ogunfemi, Richard Semitego, Emmanuel Aluko, Joachim Adenusi, Yemisi Akindele, Matthias Ovonlen, Marcia Dacosta, Dr Babatunde A. Gbolade, Titilope Adeoye, Blessings Kaseke, and Akinola Edun. They interacted with the Conservative MP and other black British leaders within the Conservative party, expressed their concerns and presented their ideas about potential solutions.
Other participants included Lola Olanrewaju, Anthony Egbuhuzor Anthony, Anthonia Ugo, Zahara Kayongo, Yemisi Akindele, and Joachim Adenusi. They expressed their concerns about the impending implementation of the Rwanda Policy, immigration policy, justice, and border protection while critically analysing them.
Speaking about illegal immigration, Laurence Robertson MP said that while some are victims of trafficking, many come from nations regarded as safe and should, therefore, be sent back to such countries. However, he acknowledged that more needs to be done to address this contentious issue, given that illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel in small boats and dinghies risk their lives to get to the UK.
Emmanuel Aluko of the Black Tories praised the government’s initiative to collaborate closely with France to defend the UK’s borders better. In addition, Davida Ademuyiwa, the chair of the Black Tories, believed that it was crucial to investigate the main reasons for illegal immigration, which are primarily economic and originate in mostly safe and stable nations.
Mr Robertson MP and Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi spoke about their recent trip to Rwanda and how impressive were the changes there, as well as the country’s preparations to receive and process the applications of asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution in their home countries or who have been uprooted by war or unsafe conditions. However, Marcia DaCosta of the Black Tories expressed concerns about the risks and social integration of asylum seekers from divergent sociocultural and religious backgrounds.
The summit also explored how the print media portrays immigration issues and how this portrayal negatively impacts the black population in the UK, complained about using the term ‘migrants’ to designate legal immigrants and fostering a culture of ‘they and us.’
The participants wished that the government would reassure them it would not implement the Rwanda policy in such a way that might replicate the Windrush fiasco, but agreed that as a matter of national sovereignty and security, all countries, including the UK, should manage their borders effectively.
The conclusion focused on ensuring fairness in immigration and border protection policies while seeking ways to work collaboratively with other countries to improve stability, opportunity, and economic development.
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