‘Every human being deserves dignity’: asylum seeker in Essex hotel calls for understanding

Man housed at hotel targeted in protests writes letter urging people not to resort to harmful stereotypesAsylum seekers housed in an Essex hotel that has been the target of protests and far-right incitement for two weeks have told the Guardian how the Bell hotel, where they had previously felt safe, has been transformed since demonstrations began.In a letter sent to the Guardian one of the men living in the hotel, Nabil, who said he had previously been attacked while out walking, called to be treated with “understanding and fairness” and for people not to resort to harmful stereotypes. Nabil’s name has been changed.Warm greetings, I am writing to you from a deeply human perspective, hoping to share a point of view that is often overlooked in public discourse and media coverage about refugees. We, as refugees, are frequently labeled with harmful stereotypes – that we came only for benefits, that we live off taxpayers, or that we are uneducated or disrespectful. These assumptions hurt us, hinder our integration, and most importantly, do not reflect the truth.I want to be honest: yes, there are some refugees who do not behave respectfully or who do not follow the rules of the host society. But those individuals do not represent all of us. As with any group of people, there are both good and bad – and it is unfair to judge the majority by the actions of a few. Continue reading...

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