Harper backs “One Day Without Us”

> SNP MSP for South Scotland Emma Harper leant her support to the “One Day Without Us” campaign yesterday, which aimed to spread the message that migrants make a positive contribution to Dumfries and Galloway, they are not ‘foreigners’, but rather are human beings who enrich the fabric of everyday life in Dumfries and Galloway and the South of Scotland.
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> The event was organised by local charity Massive Outpouring of Love – D&G Refugee Action and hosted at the Stove in Dumfries.
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> Emma said:
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> “I was born and brought up in this region but I spent a significant part of my life living and working in America as an economic migrant. Of course that experience is by no means unusual for folk from this region or indeed for Scotland as a whole. Practically every family will have someone who moved away to make a living.
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> “And as a nurse back here in Scotland I know only too well the massive contribution that migrants make to the safe and effective running of our NHS.
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> “It’s no exaggeration at all to say that many of our NHS services would grind to a halt without the people who choose to bring their skills and talent to this country to make a life here and help look after us.
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> “The past few months have seen such a lot of genuinely unpleasant commentary about migrants here and in the USA that I was so pleased to see MOOL and the Stove doing something to remind us both of the contribution that migrants make to our lives but, even more importantly, of our shared humanity.
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> “I particularly want to thank the organisers of the day, Moxie DePaulitte and Chris Gilligan – it’s an excellent idea and one which I am very proud indeed to support.”
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> Photos of Emma at the Stove yesterday are attached.
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