Scottish Greens call for Ryanair to stop racist questionnaire
Ryanair must end its use of a “racist and historically ignorant” questionnaire for South African people flying to the UK, according to Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman, who has written to the company’s CEO, Michael O’Leary.
The questionnaire, which is organised by Ryanair, includes general knowledge questions about South Africa. It is written in the Afrikaans language, which was imposed during white-minority rule.
Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said:
"The use of this questionnaire is racist and historically ignorant. It needs to stop immediately. I am shocked that Ryanair thinks it is acceptable to use it. Afrikaans is a language that was imposed during the apartheid era of white-minority rule. The choice to use it is deeply offensive and undermines anti-racist and anti-discrimination work."
"I have written to Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, urging him to do the right thing by immediately ending this ignorant and racist policy. No company should be using these disgraceful questionnaires, or any others that can be stressful and traumatic for people who have faced persecution because of the colour of their skin or the languages they do and do not speak.”