Almost half the foreign hospital staff working in Northern Ireland have been subjected to racist abuse — many from their own colleagues, a report revealed today.
Hundreds of migrant health workers have been targets for bigoted remarks by colleagues, patients and patients' relatives.
Those of Arabic, Filipino and black African descent were among the most discriminated against.
In a survey for the North's Department of Health published today minorities claimed they were over-worked and denied promotion because of their status.
The paper stated: "Work colleagues were most likely to be the source of racist harassment in the workplace. "Half of those who reported having been racially harassed at work said their colleagues were responsible and in a further 23% of cases respondents had been harassed by another person working in the same establishment."
Social services staff were most likely to be affected, followed by nurses and doctors. The most frequent grievances were racist comments followed by patients refusing care, unfair criticism as well as bullying and intimidation. Authors from the Institute of Conflict Research interviewed 557 internationally recruited and minority staff.
They found 59 per cent had experienced harassment outside work and 46 per cent during their occupation. Lilly Kerr from nurses' union Unison said staff were entitled to be left in peace.
"These people are caring for some of the sickest patients, they are here because we initially went out and asked them to come here and without them we could not care for our parents or grandparents," she said.
"The findings of this report are a wake-up call and a challenge to trade unions and management. There is now an urgent necessity to put agreed processes in place which is not just about best practice but about eradicating racism from all workplaces.
"Staff and patients must understand there will be a zero tolerance policy to any form of racism." In recent months Filipino nurses working in the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald have been forced from their home after it was targeted by racists.
There have also been attacks in Craigavon. The North's health minister Paul Goggins said: "The publication of this report during Anti-Racist Workplace week is a stark reminder of the need for solidarity and action against racism.
"Racism in any form, or any degree, is unacceptable and has to be eradicated.