Latin Americans who come to the UK arrive to face an economic crisis in which they are always one of the biggest victims, trapped in extremely unstable jobs that prevent them from progressing. (The Prisma memoirs)
Noelia Ceballos Terrén
The hopes that they have when they arrive vanish as soon as they open their eyes and see that the only work they can do is cleaning work. The disappointing reality is that a vast majority of Latin Americans in the UK work miracles to bring up their children living on minimum wage.
It is still harder for the minority of undocumented immigrants with an increasingly anti-immigration government on their heels. They spend their days living in hiding; they do not trust their neighbours and avoid accessing basic services so that they are not asked for their passports. Their goal is to stay in the shadows for 20 long years, so that they can obtain permanent residence.
Latin Americans are one of the fastest growing communities in the UK, but remain invisible because of the language barrier and their precarious and abusive work situations.
With such a difficult immigration reality, the government is adding more obstacles with new regulations that block the path to permanent residency for Latin Americans and reunification of their families.
A kind of legal discrimination that, according to Tatiana Garavito, in 2014 director of Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS), is the most direct expression of racism on the rise that the government and the press are extending dangerously throughout society.
The Prisma spoke with Tatiana Garavito about the misleading stereotypes being perpetrated to the public by the Conservatives, headed by UKIP.
She sees illegal arrests during police raids, rejected applications for asylum and labour abuses growing every day, because of racism and discriminatory policies that affect the most vulnerable migrant communities.
What kind of racism do Latinos suffer in the UK?
On arrival to the UK, Latin American migrants encounter a language barrier and they have to work through it themselves, they often get trapped in over-exploitative conditions, unable to access better jobs and move up the economic ladder.
They are discriminated against because of the colour of their skin, their immigration status and for not speaking the language. Women are even more vulnerable to abuse; they suffer multiple discrimination on the grounds of their gender, race and immigration status.
Who discriminates against Latin Americans?
There is an increasing tendency from some political parties to demonise migrant communities, using terms like “scroungers”, “criminals” and “advantage takers”; this dangerous debate and negative stereotypes expose Latin Americans to racist assaults and more discrimination.
What would you say to one of these politicians accusing Latin Americans of coming here to abuse the welfare system?
That is a total lie – the “No longer invisible” research by the Queen Mary University showed that Latin Americans are highly qualified with 85% rate of employment, higher than the national rate. I can also give evidence of this based on the testimonies of the women we see at LAWRS. Latin American women work really hard, most come to the UK as heads of households, willing to create a better future for themselves and their families.
The “No Longer Invisible” showed that only one in five Latin Americans are registered with the GP and very few receive some sort of welfare benefits. Despite the odds, struggles with language and lack of information, we still work hard and contribute to society, we pay our taxes, contribute to the economy and bring our knowledge and skills.
How many Latin Americans come with higher education?
According to the investigation “No longer invisible” 70% of Latin Americans in the UK are highly qualified.
And how is it that they can stay trapped in such low-skilled employment?
The first barrier Latin Americans face is the language. On arrival, most Latin Americans engage in cleaning or catering jobs because speaking English is not required to work in these unregulated sectors. Latin Americans get trapped in cycle of very low paid and over-exploitative conditions, employed on temporary basis, with no entitlements to annual leave or sick pay. Most can’t access free English courses because they are not on benefits or because private courses are too expensive.
What psychological problems can come from these unstable situations?
At LAWRS, we support Latin American women experiencing gender violence exacerbated by their migration circumstances.
Many also report gender violence at work causing trauma, anxiety and high levels of low self-esteem among other symptoms. In 2013, more than 80% of our users, were part of the secondary migration of Latin Americans coming from other European countries, particularly Spain, aged between 20 and 40 years old.
They bought houses during the property bubble in Spain, and after a couple of years they lost absolutely everything.
Many come to us so scare because despite having lost their houses, they continue to have financial ties to those banks and are unable to access social welfare in the UK.
Do young Latin Americans suffer as much racism as their parents?
Yes, young Latin Americans from 2nd and “1.5” generations, those who came to the UK alone without their parents, aged between 16 and 17 years-old, are faced with the same struggles as other adults in the networks that they are part of. Despite being brought up or being born in the UK, young Latin Americans are copying the same employment patterns as their parents and facing similar abuses within the same sectors of employment. A group of Latin American girls with whom we worked at LAWRS also shared with us their experiences at school; most agreed to have been encouraged to study “Beauty” and “Hairdressing” courses, rather than being encouraged to study other professional careers, which would support their way into other sectors of employment.
Did the recent police raid operation, Centurion, affect the Latin American community?
Yes, the Latin American community has been one of the main victims of raids for a long time. We have experienced raids carried out at our community hubs, concerts and around tube stations where Latin Americans live and work.
The “No Longer Invisible” reports suggested that slightly more than 19% Latin Americans in the UK are undocumented.
The current government has made us a target of its campaigns. In the raids, not only people without documents are hurt, all of us are.
What is the day-to-day life of an undocumented Latin American like?
It is a situation nobody would ever like to be in, they have to stay hidden all the time. They cannot live in the same house for very long periods because someone might report them. Currently, there is also a plan that will give landlords the power to ask tenants for their passports in order to rent a property. Obviously, those without documents would have to be ready to deal with abusive landlords prepare to take advantage of the situation. Undocumented migrants are also afraid to access basic police and health services, all their human rights are totally ignored.
How long does a temporary visa allow you to stay?
It depends; there are various routes. Before 2012, an undocumented person who had lived in the UK for 14 years could then apply for permanent residence. Under the new immigration bill, undocumented migrants would have to wait 20 years. And worse than that, you must demonstrate that you have been working continuously throughout.
But how can an undocumented migrant prove that they have been working if they had never been allowed to work, neither registered for a GP or apply for a national insurance number? There are questionable contradictions in the system. Why does a person without documentation have the right to residency after 20 years and not after 14 years? Would six more years of suffering and cruel conditions make them more British? Another example is the recent family union regulation, which sets the threshold for British citizens to bring their dependants into the country; they must earn more than £18,600 per year from a single job, something that a standard Latin American would not be able to afford. They are denying us the universal right to family with this regulation.
How do you think the UKIP victory will affect Latin Americans?
We are very concerned and extremely upset to hear how some of those political parties are quite prepared to use lies and distortions about migrants in an apparent attempt to gain votes and consequently encouraging a hostile response to migrants. We contribute and are happy to do so, and we have the right to be presented truthfully! (The Prisma memoirs, 2014)
(Translated by Grace Essex) – Photos: Pixabay
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