There was a time in the 20th century when Jews were forced to wear yellow stars in Nazi Germany, and now it has emerged that a secret apartheid policy marks many asylum seekers in poor towns in England by housing them in properties with red front doors. It would not be farfetched to claim that “branding” the asylum seekers by the red door of their houses is similar to the Nazi movement.
The red doors, which are found on terraced streets in the deprived areas of Middlesbrough, make asylum homes easy to identify. They could also be blamed for the several harassment, abuse and attacks.
These properties are owned by Stuart Monks, who according to The Sunday Times Rich List, is worth approximately £175 million. It is said that he is paid millions a year to supply housing for numerous asylum seekers, which include some who have fled from Syria. Monk's company, Jomast, is a subcontractor for G4S, the global security group, which has the Home Office asylum contract for northeast England.
The leader of Newcastle city council, Nick Forbes, allegedly claimed that Stuart Monks is earning a hefty amount of money yearly by “dumping the poor on the poor”. He said that the underprivileged areas where the company purchases properties at a low cost have sustained serious outcomes for community cohesion.
Nick Forbes said, “There is widespread community concern about poor, vulnerable people being dumped in poor neighbourhoods without any planning or social support.”
Jomast, which is paid by G4S to house asylum seekers in northeast England, have currently housed 2,646 people. Over 1,500 asylum seekers have been housed in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees, where over 500 of those properties are owned by Jomast. 517 have been placed in homes in Newcastle upon Tyne.
As per The Times Newspaper, G4S were aware of concerns regarding asylum claimants feeling “branded” by the red door homes four years ago.
Many asylum claimants have spoken about the harassment that they have endured, which include having eggs and stones thrown at their windows, as well as having dog excrement smeared against their doors. One of the victims shared, “They put us behind red doors. When people see them, everyone knows it means asylum seekers. It's like saying we're not the same as you.”
However, a G4S director, John Whitwam, stated that there was “absolutely no such policy”.
G4S and Jomast have both denied deliberately placing asylum seekers in properties with red doors. G4S claimed that they have not received any complaints from asylum seekers, and that they were allegedly told by Jomast that the company “does not distinguish between those properties that it rents to private tenants and those... used to house asylum seekers”. Jomast has stressed that it “takes its legal and other responsibilities both to its commercial partners and to those that it houses extremely seriously”.
The immigrations minister, James Brokenshire stated, “I expect the highest standards from our contractors. If we find evidence of discrimination against asylum seekers it will be dealt with immediately.”
