Woman Paid £2,000 Over Alleged Racial Discrimination

The Home Office has paid a woman £2,000 over alleged racial discrimination at Belfast City Airport.

The woman was leaving her mother-in-law off at George Best Belfast City Airport when she was stopped and asked for a passport or ID. She had her two children with her and they all had to stand by in a public place while an immigration officer checked her immigration status. She is black and has lived and worked in England for 14 years before moving to Northern Ireland to take up a professional role in 2014 and holds a British passport.

On the day of the incident, the woman's mother in law was taking a flight from the airport. She and her children, having dropped her mother in law off, were waiting for the friend who had driven them to the airport to return with a car to pick them up.

The woman was approached by an immigration officer who asked to see her passport or ID. She says that the officer said to her that she "looked foreign and not from here". She told the officer she was British, explained she was not travelling, showed her driver's licence, and explained that she was there to drop off her mother in law.

The officer asked for details about her mother in law and the friend who had driven them to the airport, and then checked her immigration status over a radio link. This took place as she and her children stood in the airport concourse near a coffee shop in full view of other people. She was eventually told that everything was OK and she had nothing to worry about.

The Home Office, in settling the claim without admitting liability, has apologised to the woman for any offence caused. It also recognised the hurt, distress and offence caused to her by subjecting her to questioning in these circumstances and in the manner of investigation of her complaints. It has affirmed its commitment to equality of opportunity and has undertaken to ensure its practices and procedures conform with the Race Relations Order.

(CD/MH)