In response to the publication of Dame Louise Casey’s year-long study of ‘opportunity and integration’ in Britain, Rushanara Ali, Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow has urged the Government to ensure that efforts to improve integration remain a ‘two-way process’.

Speaking in the chamber, Rushanara said:

“Integration is a two-way process. I want to highlight that in the last Labour Government we set up the Forced Marriage Unit and the community Cohesion Unit that I was involved in establishing and they did excellent work tackling the underlying causes, particularly around human rights violations.”

“I have as many challenges in my constituency encouraging middle class newcomers to integrate with settled communities which are predominately ethnic minorities, as much as I do the other way around.”

“We all have a part to play. And if we can connect those communities together through projects, through mentoring, through engagement then we can genuinely have a two way process and a practical way to integrate people rather than stigmatizing certain communities – In this case, I believe the Muslim community, in this report.”

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ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1) For further information or comment please contact Rushanara Ali MP’s Office on 020 7219 7200 or email [email protected]