"if you live in my country then learn to speak my language"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-64938001

15^th March 2023

East of England Ambulance Trust accused of institutional racism

[…] Staff reported the racial bias within the trust also extended to the treatment of patients by some ambulance crew members.

One reported seeing a crew member open the blouse of a woman who did not speak English and did not speak to her via the interpreter.

Multiple members of staff said colleagues made assumptions they could speak other languages, based on their skin colour.

A manager was said to have asked a colleague: "Can you speak to them, as they speak 'gobildy gook'?"

"It is just assumed that if you are 'of colour', you all come from the same place and speak the same language", the staff member said.

One person asked a colleague to translate for someone speaking Arabic. "The reason given for the request was that 'I look like one of them'", they said.

Another said a call handler often muted calls from patients who did not speak English as a first language and said loudly "if you live in my country then learn to speak my language".

Many staff reported "banter" was often used to try and disguise or dismiss the problem. […]