4 August 2013 — Care2PetionSite

Home Office: Stop Racist “Show Your Papers” Spot Checks

Last week, UK Border Agency officers detained and intimidated dozens of non-white travelers and demanded to “see their papers.” These horrific, racist tactics must stop immediately.

In the last week, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) detained and intimidated dozens of travelers around London tube stations and demanded to see their papers. Even more offensively, they allegedly chose to only detain and question non-white travelers.

Boing Boing reports that concerned onlookers who questioned border agents’ methods were told to move on and even threatened with arrest. Officials refused to give their names, and some reportedly even removed their badges so that badge numbers could not be recorded.

These tactics aren’t just in direct violation of UK law, which states that immigration police must identify themselves and advise people questioned that they are not under arrest and that they are not obliged to answer questions. They’re also blatantly racist, bigoted ways of instilling fear in all non-white residents of the UK.

This travesty of justice and fairness must stop immediately! Tell the UKBA to stop using racist profiling tactics.