On Monday, the government will introduce a law banning any social gatherings of more than six people.
It is a policy that will disproportionately affect young people – particularly young Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, who are statistically the most likely to be stopped and harassed by the police even when doing nothing wrong.
This is yet another excuse for us to be over-policed and under-served. Indeed, just days earlier, health secretary Matt Hancock was blaming young people for the new rise in Covid-19 cases.
This change of law and language coincides with universities welcoming new and existing students to campus. Young people are more likely to socialise outdoors in groups with our friends, especially if we cannot afford to visit pubs, restaurants and cinemas. Yet these places will continue to operate as if they and their workers are exempt from the risk of coronavirus.
We fit the bill for blame shifting. It suits the government to avoid taking ownership for their poor decisions. The recent rhetoric used in the news has catapulted us into the limelight but where has the attention on the impact of Covid-19 on young people been?
Through recently graduating, I have experienced first hand the lack of support we have received through the last months of our degrees, like students being charged for empty accommodation. We have felt abandoned. The government continues not to take responsibility for its inconsistent actions throughout the pandemic and is resorting to blame shifting onto young people.
Meanwhile, Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in England are 54% more likely to be fined under coronavirus laws than white people. Young people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority groups are already more likely to be stopped by the police. We are an easy target, who can be penalised within a system that has already shown to neglect us.
In June, a Public Health England report suggested that BAME people are 10 to 50% more likely to be at risk of Covid-19, as they are more likely to work in occupations with a higher Covid-19 risk.
As part of an ethnic minority group we have been let down repeatedly, from over-policing mosques to inconsistent guidelines about social gatherings during Eid. The government announced a local lockdown hours before Muslims celebrated Eid-Al Adha at the beginning of August. Like many other young Muslims, I was not able to celebrate with family and friends, but we continued to see people socialising at pubs and restaurants. The recent decision to keep workplaces, schools, pubs and restaurants open reflects the priorities of this government, which is simply to rebuild the economy at the expense of its citizens. If this does not reflect the government’s incompetency in decision making, then I’m unsure what does.
Through working as a youth worker at the Aaina Community Centre, I work with many Black, Asian and ethnic minority young people who are from deprived areas. I have witnessed the long-term impact our services have, as well as the lack of support from the government, especially through the pandemic. Long-term policy changes should be implemented as opposed to negatively targeting young people through sudden law changes. For the government to then target us and shift the blame of rising Covid-19 cases is incredibly hypocritical, as there are only a small number of individuals who do not abide by guidelines. To paint all young people with the same brush reinforces prejudice, particularly as there is already a lot of pressure from the media on BAME individuals to follow government guidelines.
Social gatherings were not a problem during Rishi Sunak’s “Eat out to Help Out” scheme in August, encouraging young people to help the economy whilst eating with friends. But, after cases have started to rise, the government has now introduced a law that contradicts the fundamentals of this scheme. If the government wants to see a reduction in cases, their rules should apply universally to all places with more than six people, like workplaces and pubs, rather than solely targeting groups and by extension primarily young people.
The government has been giving mixed messages since the beginning of the pandemic. Young people are tired of feeling let down, and now being blamed and punished for its incompetence.
Zayra Sajid is a qualified audiologist currently working as a youth worker at Aaina Community Hub in Walsall
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