Salvation Army worker fairly dismissed over refugee comments, tribunal rules

A Salvation Army worker responsible for refugees has been sacked after he said they should be sent back “on a boat”, a tribunal has heard.

An employment tribunal ruled the Salvation Army was justified in dismissing Charles Markie, 56, after he made the remark whilst working at Strathmore Lodge, a hostel run by the charity in Dundee, and which housed migrants.

The hearing heard that in March 2024, Mr Markie – who worked for the organisation for nearly 20 years – told colleagues: “There wouldn’t be a housing shortage if we weren’t taking in 150 refugees,” and “send them all back on a f***** boat”, the tribunal was told.

The tribunal was told his comments caused shock before he was then challenged by a colleague, who asked if that included a user of the hostel who was a refugee from Syria.

Mr Markie responded: “Yes, the lot of them.”

Mr Markie’s job involved supporting homeless and vulnerable people to use the hostel’s facilities, which included refugees.

The tribunal was told Mr Markie became “aggressive and angry” before making the comments, after being told of changes to the council housing policy.

A colleague informed Mr Markie’s line manager, Tracey Young, about the comments because she hoped “the claimant would be ‘pulled up’ as what he said was racist”.

After being warned by Miss Young about his behaviour, Mr Markie began complaining that the staff “couldn’t even joke or take part in banter”.

At a disciplinary hearing chaired by Karen Good, a service manager at the charity, Mr Markie said: “I didn’t say the F word. I said send them all back on a boat. I didn’t swear. Later in the investigation, I did swear and put my hands up to that.

“It was my point of view, wasn’t directed at anyone. We are letting too many people in when we don’t have facilities or housing to give them”, he said.

The tribunal heard that Mr Markie told the hearing he did not mean to hurt anyone, and that he “isn’t racist and has foreign friends”.

Asked how he would deal with an increase in refugees, Mr Markie told the hearing: “It wouldn’t bother me.”

He then told managers that he could “get carried away”, adding: “I do make stupid comments, but don’t mean any harm.”

The tribunal heard Miss Good believed the comment was racist and “undermined any trust she had in the claimant’s ability to carry on with his role, which involved helping refugees based on their needs”.

She concluded he had committed gross misconduct by expressing these views and that he should be summarily dismissed.

The tribunal was told Mr Markie emailed Miss Good, taking issue with the suggestion that he was aggressive, and claimed that everyone was “laughing” during the conversation.

Mr Markie wrote to Miss Good: “Sack me, but don’t sack me for gross misconduct.”

Mr Markie claimed for unfair dismissal, direct sex discrimination and harassment. But all three claims were dismissed by Employment Judge James Hendry at a tribunal held in Dundee in September last year.

Publishing his ruling on December 31, Judge J Hendry said: “The evidence showed that the claimant’s colleagues were shocked at the comment made, betraying, as they saw it, a complete insensitivity towards those that they were duty bound to help.”