The BBC has issued an apology after a contributor to the Radio 4 Today programme’s “Thought for the Day” segment accused Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick of “xenophobia.”
Theologian and author Dr. Krish Kandiah employed the term in reference to an article where Jenrick stated he would not want his daughters living near “men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally and about whom you know next to nothing.”
In response, Jenrick asserted that listeners were being told that “if you’re concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you’re racist.”
A BBC statement conveyed that while Dr. Kandiah’s message was “broadly in line with expectations of Thought for the Day, some of the language it used went beyond that and we apologise for its inclusion.”
Wednesday’s edition of the Today programme was temporarily removed from the BBC Sounds catch-up service while three sentences were edited out of “Thought for the Day.”
The segment, broadcast during the Today programme but overseen by the BBC’s religion department, features contributors from religious and theological backgrounds delivering messages related to pertinent themes and events.
On Wednesday, Dr. Kandiah, founder of refugee charity The Sanctuary Foundation, alluded to a Mail on Sunday article penned by Jenrick this past weekend.
He quoted a line from the Conservative politician stating: “I certainly don’t want my children to share a neighbourhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally and about whom we know next to nothing.”
Dr. Kandiah continued: “These words echo a fear many have absorbed – fear of the stranger. The technical name for this is xenophobia. All phobias are, by definition, irrational. Nevertheless, they have a huge impact.
“It is understandable that many people are scared by the unknown, especially if they’ve been told illegality and unfairness are part of the story. However, over the past year, xenophobia has fuelled angry protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, deepening divisions in our communities.”
In response, Jenrick, who has three daughters aged 10, 12 and 14, posted: “On BBC Radio 4 this morning listeners were told that if you’re concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you’re racist. Wrong. You’re a good parent.”
A BBC spokesperson stated: “While its reflection on fear in society from a faith perspective is broadly in line with expectations of Thought for the Day, some of the language it used went beyond that and we apologise for its inclusion.”
It is understood the BBC was apologising for the inclusion of an opinion in a place where it was inappropriate, not passing judgement on the rights or wrongs of the opinion.
In his Mail on Sunday article, Jenrick also described migrant crossings in the English Channel as “a national security emergency” and said he had sympathy with “the mothers and fathers peacefully protesting outside asylum hotels who have been pushed to breaking point”.
More than 27,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel since the start of the year.
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