'More needed' to tackle NI racism

Many of the families have returned to Romania

Northern Ireland politicians must do more to tackle racism rather than just condemning it, a group representing ethnic minorities has said.

The NI Council for Ethnic Minorities (Nicem) said a recent Stormont debate on the issue had only stirred sectarian tensions between rival parties.

The group called for concrete measures from government to tackle hate crime.

It also warned against giving racists a platform for their views by overstating the actions of a violent minority.

"The focus of Monday's assembly debate on recent racist and sectarian attacks was condemnation rather than concrete strategy and practical action," the council said.

"Treating the attacks as sporadic incidents fails to recognise wider more ingrained societal problems.

"MLAs who play the blame game serve to further inflame the sectarian divisions in our assembly.

'Blame'

"There is a need for the Northern Ireland Executive to take responsibility and implement the promised programme for government to tackle sectarianism and racism, rather than laying blame along sectarian lines as to who is the more racist portion of the community."

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said a draft Cohesion, Sharing and Integration strategy (CSI Strategy), a central part of a plan to tackle issues such as racism and sectarianism, is close to completion.

Trade unionists, meanwhile, have announced plans for a rally at Belfast City Hall on Thursday to protest at attacks on migrant workers.

Earlier this week, Alliance Party representative Anna Lo, who is the only MLA drawn from an ethnic minority background, was warned by police that she is under threat.

Threats were also made this week against Polish and Islamic centres in Belfast.

More than 100 Romanians were forced from their homes in the city last month in an incident that attracted widespread condemnation.

Polish families in County Tyrone were attacked, as was an Indian centre in Belfast.