The latest in the series of the Connections Peace Barrier Project’s ‘Did Ye Hear About?’ at the Gasyard Centre saw host and former Derry Journal editor, Pat McArt joined by Gaelle Gormley of the North West Migrants Forum.

The topic for this latest offering in the ‘myth-busting’ series was urban myths about immigrants.

At the outset, Mrs Gormley said it was important to understand there has been a growing campaign to demonise immigrants.

She described racist videos and posts shared on social media as ‘lies and fake news’, part of a strategy from ‘very organised extreme groups to hurt innocent people and make their lives miserable’.

Rachel Mullan-Carlin welcoming Gaelle Gormley, speaker and Welfare and integration Officer, North West Migrants Forum to Tuesday's 'Did Ye Hear About. . . .? Conversations at the Gasyard. Centre is Pat McArt, chair.

placeholder image — Rachel Mullan-Carlin welcoming Gaelle Gormley, speaker and Welfare and integration Officer, North West Migrants Forum to Tuesday's 'Did Ye Hear About. . . .? Conversations at the Gasyard. Centre is Pat McArt, chair.

She explained: “It is a total myth that asylum seekers are treated better than the host community. That is totally wrong. An asylum seeker gets between £1.20 and £7.02 per day. They are not entitled to more benefits than others.

“As for the myth they are lazy and want to do nothing, while most want to work, they are not allowed to work. Neither are they allowed to access public funds of any kind until a decision on their status is made.

"So, they are not free-loaders, they are not lazy hanging around wanting to do nothing. It’s because they have no choice. And they are certainly not taking people’s jobs or resources.”

A welfare and integration officer with the NWMF, Mrs Gormley said UK wide studies had also dispelled the myth that immigrants did not contribute positively to society.

Group pictured at Did Ye Hear About. . . .? Conversations at the Gasyard. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography)

A recent study found that they contribute £20bn to the economy, while immigrant-owned businesses contribute £7.6bn.

As to the situation locally, she pointed out that one of the first prominent immigrants to the North-West was Dr Raphael Armattoe, a Ghanaian medical doctor, author, poet and politician, who moved to Derry in 1939 where he opened a medical practice.

He was later nominated for the Nobel Prize for medical research

And she added: “Black and minority ethnic people are recorded in Britain and Ireland since at least Roman and Viking times. Records from the 1700s show people working and living in Ireland from different ethnic backgrounds.

Both Mrs Gormley and Anastasiia Shevchenko, a volunteer at the Forum, gave personal experiences of being immigrants, the former being French but married to a Derry man, while the latter is Ukrainian.