Cambridge man wins compensation claim

Posted 02/06/2009

The British Refugee Council (BRC) has been ordered to pay compensation to a Cambridge man who claimed for unfair dismissal.

Emmanuel Obikwu alleged that he was a victim of racial discrimination when he was selected for redundancy three years ago.

All the white employees at the Oakington Immigration Reception Centre were subsequently appointed to new positions, while he and his black colleagues were overlooked.

Mr Obikwu’s complaints were upheld by an employment tribunal in Bury St Edmunds, which ordered the BRC to pay him a total of £65,475.

“This was a charity I believed was dedicated to equal treatment of employees and the welfare of refugees,” he told the Cambridge News.

“If charity begins at home, it failed woefully.”

A spokesperson for the BRC, the UK’s largest support group for asylum seekers and refugees, said the organisation has “reviewed our procedures”, adding that it regrets any distress Mr Obikwu has experienced.

The compensation package included damages for unfair dismissal, race discrimination, lost earnings plus interest.