Mum's 'heartbreak' after Southport stabbing riots

A woman from Birmingham has spoken of her "heartbreak" after her children asked if it was safe to leave the house during the riots in the wake of the Southport stabbings.

Demonstrations and disorder swept the country in the wake of the stabbings, in part fuelled by false claims on social media that the perpetrator was an immigrant who came to the UK in a small boat.

Sabiha Aziz, a full-time carer from Acocks Green, said her identity was a combination of her sense of "British values, my Muslim values and my Pakistani values".

"When we had the riots last year it was not the Britishness that I want to be associated with," she said.

"The saddest thing for me was watching my children go through that.

"My 18-year-old asked me if it was safe to go out and it broke my heart because I don't want my children to experience the negative element of growing up as a brown person in Britain."

Ms Aziz explained that her father had come to the UK from Pakistan when he was three.

"I was so heartbroken that I went to visit my dad's grave last year and I apologised to him because he loved this country and I was disgusted and mortified for him," she said.

"At the same time you look at the freedoms we have - for me that's what being British is - to be able to practise my faith, to be able to wear what I want and speak freely."

She made the comments at a BBC Radio WM immigration debate at the Coffee Diner cafe in the centre of Birmingham.

The panellists included BBC presenter Trish Adudu who said she had seen a different response from people in the UK to those fleeing Ukraine, compared with those fleeing Syria.

Former UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge said he had visited refugee camps in Calais and that many there had been economic migrants seeking better opportunities, rather than fleeing persecution.

Thuva Amuthalingham, a GP based in Edgbaston shared his experience of fleeing Sri Lanka for the UK at the age of 10.

"Why did I choose to come to Britain? Fundamentally, the world still perceives Britain as a superpower," he said.

"The world still thinks we are affluent despite how the economy looks today and so they are looking for economic migration."

At many points the guests shared common ground, particularly on the NHS.

"The reason people can't get an NHS appointment is far from immigration," Dr Amuthalingham said.

"If it wasn't for immigration, the NHS would've collapsed. Be grateful that people are here in this country propping the NHS up."

Mr Etheridge added: "The one area we cannot argue is that the NHS is really dependent on immigrant workers. Everyone around the table would accept it."

You can listen to the full debate on BBC Radio WM on breakfast with Sarah Julian on Monday.

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