University of Manchester Kurdish society members were left “outraged” as Crimestoppers UK sent leaflets asking for information on “people smugglers”.
According to the Kurdish Society, no other University of Manchester societies received the leaflets. When asked about Crimestoppers decision to send them post, the society President questioned “Why were we singled out?”.
They explained that Kurdish Society is subject to “dangerous stereotypes” and “grouped as illegal immigrants”, explaining that they felt the “politicisation” of refugee rhetoric in the UK contributed to this.
Other University Kurdish societies, King’s College London Kurdish Society and the University of East Anglia, told The Mancunion that they had not received these leaflets from Crimestoppers.
Kurdish society has also accused the Students’ Union of opening the mail before passing it on, without warning them about the “troubling” contents. However, the Union claims that it would only open post “if the society’s name is not listed on the outside of an envelope”, which was not the case.
“The Students’ Union does not open any mail directly addressed to a society. It will open any post that has not included a recipient on the outside”.
The Mancunion received a photo of the envelope that clearly states “Kurdish Society” along with the Students’ Union address.
The @Manchesterkurdishsoc Instagram page shared a story post of the leaflets, in both English and Sorani Kurdish, on 10 March.
It shows the leaflets accompanied by a letter asking for them to be made “available to your members”. The post had the attached comment “Why did @crimestopperstrust and the Students’ Union think it was appropriate to send these leaflets to us?”.
When asked about the mail, a member of the Kurdish Society committee explained that many members were already worried about being involved in the society due to fear of “political repercussions”.
According to them, the committee had mixed reactions. Some felt it wasn’t “that big of a deal” compared to the oppression of other Kurdish societies in the UK.
The Kurdish Society president told The Mancunion that other members were “outraged” and felt “personally offended” at Crimestoppers’ mail. This also “reinforced the fears of some Kurdish students”.
Both a member of the committee and the society President expressed a wish for the Students’ Union to have more safeguarding measures in place to protect students.
In both interviews, the President and the society member expressed a desire for the Students’ Union to open mail, to “filter it [harmful content] out”.
There were concerns by the society that the envelope could have been “malicious hate mail” according to a committee member.
Due to the heightened risk the Kurdish society faces as a marginalised community, and the fact that this had been their first time receiving society mail, the society President said it was “very concerning for us” to receive an unmarked envelope.
According to a member of the society, the Students’ Union has reached out but with “somewhat of a lacklustre response”.
A Students’ Union spokesperson stated that the Kurdish Society had been invited to “come in to discuss what support we can offer”. They “reached out again” at a later date.
The Students’ Union also said that any “societies that receive upsetting content” should email [email protected] or “come into the office to raise their concerns”. Additionally, “if there is a safeguarding concern” then students should contact [email protected] or a Designating Safeguarding Lead.
There is also a “Health Assured 24-hour mental health helpline and wellbeing app at https://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/healthassured/“.
“Any concerns any society has with any post, email or social media messages they receive can be raised with the Students’ Union, which the Kurdish society has done”.
A representative for Crimestoppers UK said the leaflets were part of “a range of campaigns to support regional and local communities. We give a voice to those who, for whatever reason, are unable or unwilling to speak directly to law enforcement agencies”.
“We work with many stakeholders throughout the UK who we share vital intelligence with on crime gangs and their victims. Through our work with stakeholders, we identified that dangerous people traffickers and people smugglers were targeting Kurdish communities around the UK. They use coercive and violent tactics to entrap vulnerable individuals and make perilous journeys to enter the UK”.
“In this instance, Crimestoppers wanted to reach out to Kurdish communities across the Northwest. We were asked to provide a safe, anonymous method by which members of the community can give information on crime or criminals.
We have worked with numerous other communities in different parts of the UK to help them share information to keep themselves safe. As part of this campaign, we have shared leaflets with many other groups and not only the University of Manchester Kurdish Society. Our campaigns are designed to warn people of any threats and to keep people safe.
We are always looking to strengthen ties with all communities, and we welcome the opportunity to speak with the members of the Kurdish community. Through community engagement, we can continue to learn and to develop effective engagement campaigns.
We are here to help the most vulnerable and are proud of the work we do and hope this campaign protects those within the UK’s Kurdish communities.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity, giving people the power to speak up and stop crime, 100% anonymously. We’re here for everyone, 24/7, 365 days a year, and accessible in over 150 languages over the phone and online”.
Crimestoppers UK declined to answer further questions about who else received leaflets saying “for safety reasons we have to keep [recipients] confidential” but stated, “We have shared leaflets/information with many other groups”.
They emphasised a want to “strengthen ties with all communities” expressing that they “welcome the opportunity to speak with the members of the Kurdish community.
In their follow-up response, Crimestoppers did not respond to questions on whether their campaign may cause offence to some communities.
