Anti-Apartheid activist Jerry Dammers demanded an amnesty for unauthorised immigrants Britain at the annual STUC St Andrew's Day rally in Glasgow on Saturday.

The founder of chart-toppers The Specials and author of political pop classic Free Nelson Mandela said media myths played into the agenda of Ukip and mainstream parties that go along with it.

Mr Dammers said: "The media always confuse what they call 'illegal' immigrants and asylum-seekers. Some asylum-seekers could be sent back to their deaths."

He said the term "illegal immigrant" should not be used.

"Immigration helps to stimulate our economy and our society. None of this ever gets said by the politicians. They don't want people to hold them to account for the real problems which are their responsibility," he added.

The STUC black workers' committee's Gozie Joe Adigwe said that it was vital to to keep up the pressure against racism and fascism.

She said: "The ideologies spinning around us can lead to incipient racism creeping in."

Show Racism the Red Card education co-ordinator Dee Mathew warned that primary school children could be damaged by media myths.

She said: "Our experience in classrooms tells us that exposure to inaccurate reporting, for example on UK immigration, leads many children to reply 'illegal' when asked about what terms like 'asylum-seeker' or 'immigrant' mean."

Alan White of United Glasgow, a community football club whose players include asylum-seekers, said practical, direct anti-racist action was vital.

He said: "Some of the things we have achieved would never have been done by thrusting leaflets into people's hands or speaking on platforms."

nOrganisers cancelled the usual march from Glasgow Green to Saturday's anti-racism rally as a mark of respect to those who died in the helicopter crash in the city centre only a matter of hours before.