Chief Minister Ian Gorst, who last week proposed the idea that Jersey could accommodate five or six Syrian families, and businessman Mark Baker, who has been vocal in his opposition to bringing refugees here, were among those who spoke at the event.
The debate over what Jersey should do has divided the Island and tensions rose during the meeting.
As the dust settles, Jack Maguire found out what some Islanders who attended the event thought and asked whether some of the points raised changed their opinions.
Sandra Bisson, a non-Muslim vocal objector to Jersey offering asylum to Syrian families, attended the debate and addressed the crowd wearing a niqab – an Islamic head scarf – to promote her belief that they are detrimental to women’s rights.
‘I was the lady in black at the debate.
I chose to wear the niqab because I wanted to highlight the issue of minority women’s rights, in particular the misogyny and gender apartheid hard-wired into some Muslim communities.
I wanted to say we need to be very careful who we let in and that tokenism simply isn’t good enough.
As I stood up to speak, members of the audience screamed ‘show your face’. I tried desperately to speak, but they thought I was a Muslim woman in their Island. I have no words to describe the sheer terror I felt in those moments. The panic and hate was suffocating.
I realised then that I’ve been wrong – we do have some very racist members in our community. Initially I didn’t want to accept any Syrian families into the Island. I’m concerned about women’s rights, cultural differences and the unknown cost of maintaining these people when local families are struggling. There are also issues with the lack of social housing, cuts, redundancies and austerity dominate the headlines.
In my heart I thought that, despite any protests, these families would be brought in and we’d just have to learn to live with it but now I honestly fear their safety could be at risk.
Roy Travert, an unsuccessful candidate in last year’s St Helier by-election whose vocal outbursts at the meeting lead to organisers asking him to calm down.
‘The relentless onslaught of the Islamic State and the violence it is inflicting upon innocent people cannot go unnoticed. It is only right that the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission help these people financially which as a caring Island we have always done.
However, I attended the Town Hall meeting to voice my concerns about the potential impact that allowing refugees to come and live in Jersey would have on the people that already live here.
We are facing a financial crisis of our own with many people in financial hardship. I am even more convinced that Jersey should not take in any refugees following the meeting.
What Senator Gorst is proposing has a total disregard for our housing, immigration and work laws.
What about the people who have waited years for housing and residency qualifications? This will only breed discontent within our society. Islamic State has clearly stated that it will put fighters in Europe among the refugees and this is of great concern to many people that attended the meeting. We are not immune from an attack from them and Senator Gorst’s priority should be the protection of our borders and the people that live here. We simply do not have room for any more people. Charity starts at home.
Bernie Manning, a former election candidate, attended the meeting yesterday and said he is compassionate towards those fleeing Syria but does not think accommodating them in Jersey is the right way to help them.
‘While those who organised it were generally pro-allowing refugees to come to Jersey, there was a good mix of speakers, and a wide range of the community in the audience.
While I’m compassionate to those in genuine need, it seems that most of the camps at Calais and other areas are full of economic migrants. A refugee in fear of his or her life would be claiming refuge in the first safe country and not try to get to the UK where the benefits they can receive are greater.
Senator Gorst expressed the view that we may be able to take about five families or 30 refugees from camps in the Middle East,
We need to ask ourselves what is the best way to help these people? Would bringing a token 30 people to the island be more beneficial than using our overseas aid budget to help more in their own country?
At the end of the debate I still believe that we could help more people over a longer period if we just gave financial aid.
A one-hour lunch time debate was not long enough, we need a longer debate, preferably in the evening, with more time given to the audience – not just ten minutes.
Bram Wanrooij, founder of the Jersey Calais Refuge Action Group and a panellist at the event
‘My first observation is that many people seem to support the work of the Jersey Calais Refugee Aid Group.
Secondly, there are legitimate fears that accommodating refugees might squeeze the budget of the States, which is already tight.
‘We do have vulnerable people on the Island who need to be helped too.
‘In my view, we need to dispel the myth that these challenges are connected to each other. Jersey can tackle both.
Thirdly, in my opinion, there is a fringe of people in this Island who wish to capitalise on the refugee crisis by spreading their xenophobic fears.
‘These people make unfounded claims that refugees are from different cultures and must therefore be mistrusted.
It is the people who have genuine fears that I hope we can convince to support Jersey’s efforts for refugees.
‘They are most welcome to come to the Arts Centre on Monday 19 of October for our film night fundraiser event.’
Bob Wareing-Jones, a civil servant for the Environmental Health Department, told the audience on Wednesday that he believed thousands of Islanders would gladly donate rooms in their homes to accommodate some refugees.
‘My first thought was that it was sad that many members of the audience used the debate as an opportunity to have a pop at the Chief Minister, to have a pop at States policy and the Medium Term Financial Plan. This was not meant to be about economics in Jersey it was about a humanitarian crisis that is affecting the whole world.
‘Secondly, speaking as a member of the human race, I thought it was apt that Jesus Christ was mentioned in the States earlier that day before this debate. All of the world’s religions say that we all have a responsibility for our neighbours and neighbours are not always the people who live next door.
‘Jersey was occupied for all those years and people left this Island to escape the Nazi regime and they were welcomed by people around the world. Are we saying as an Island which was occupied in the Second World War that we cannot find in our hearts a few places where we can give them respite?
‘I think over 50 per cent of the people in that room were immigrants and I am one of those.’
