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Shell funds anti-immigrant campaign

-- | 18.09.2003 12:08 | Anti-racism


Shell funds campaign for immigrant ban in the Netherlands, Shell managers help run the campaign.


In the last few months there has been a wave of proposals for immigrant bans in Dutch cities. Rotterdam is considering banning foreigners from moving into the city - that means either immigrants, or people with one or both parents born outside the EU. The cabinet is now considering forced dispersal programmes, to evict immigrants in cities and rehouse them in suburbs or new towns.. Perhaps more on these immigrant bans later, but there is clearly a lobby of some kind promoting them.

One of these lobbies is a foundation financed by Shell, the Rabo Bank, and the Fortis Bank. It apparently began as a lobby for assimilation programmes, but now sees immigration itself as the main problem. In an interview last week, its director said: "The flood of no-hope immigrants must be stopped".

Shell has an extremely racist corporate culture, which has been ignored in the many campaigns against the company. In the Netherlands, it refuses to employ immigrant minorities, such as Moroccans, in senior functions. The company's political liaison manager said bluntly "Moroccans don't have the talent for that sort of job". With these attitudes, it is not surprising that Shell wants immigrants out of Dutch cities - especially out of Rotterdam.

Anti-racist campaigns generally ignore the role of business in stirring up hatred against immigrants in urban areas. Immigrants are usually poor, and depress retail sales and property prices. Expulsion of immigrants would allow wholesale redevelopment and/or gentrification of the areas where they lived. It would reverse 'white flight' and bring high-income households back into the city. All that makes expulsion of foreigners attractive to business. Additionally, they are a political threat in the long term. Shell would not like to see its largest refineries fall under a Muslim-majority council, although it would be at least 40 years before that scenario takes effect.

One response to Shell racism is a boycott. Unfortunately, boycotts don't just happen, they require much organisation, and it doesn't look like any organisation is prepared to do that at present. Politically, Shell has nothing to fear in the Netherlands. The cabinet supports a hard line against foreigners, so does the Labour opposition, which is led by a former Shell manager.

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Display the following 3 comments

  1. sources please — 'lo
  2. Shell Oil arms supplier — bollockschops
  3. Shell Oil - Arms Supplier - random rambling? — Ewok