THE Movement Against Xenophobia (MAX) has initiated an innovative campaign to celebrate the contribution of migrant workers to Britain.

In the run-up to the general election we have organised a poster campaign promoting the essential contribution of migrants to counter the negative, vile attacks on migrants by politicians and the right-wing media.

Migrants have been labelled as benefit tourists and been victims of scaremongering and scapegoating, which irresponsibly contributes to a more racist society.

We recently saw thousands of people rushing to the defence of habitual racist Jeremy Clarkson, but society points the finger of blame at migrants for austerity and cuts.

The posters feature mainly ordinary workers from builders to doctors providing essential services as well as a small number of celebrities with the caption “I am a migrant” followed by what they do and how they contribute to British society.

For example: “I am a doctor. I have saved hundreds of lives.” Or: “I am a builder and I build your homes.” The photos have been taken by a photographer from iconic fashion magazine Vogue.

The posters will be featured in London’s Tube stations and in mainline train stations across Britain.

They will serve as a reminder to voters in the two to three weeks running up to the general election that Britain is dependent on migrants.

Without migrants the whole economy and labour market would fall apart.

The aim is to counter the anti-migrant rhetoric and celebrate the contribution of migrant workers because migrants are the fabric of society.

In deciding to run the campaign we were faced with the problem of how we would raise the tens of thousands of pounds required to make the poster campaign a reality.

MAX called on the trade union movement, which last year passed a resolution at the TUC Congress supporting MAX, to contribute towards the costs and also set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise a significant part of the costs.

The contribution to this campaign and the heartfelt and heart-warming stories of those who contributed lifted my spirits.

In the space of a couple of weeks we passed the target of £44,000. The vast majority of contributions were small amounts of £5 or £10 — a real people power campaign.

People’s generosity is testament to the real strength of unity and multiculturalism in Britain, from the 16-year-old boy who commented when he pledged that he is too young to vote so this is his way of having a voice in the elections, to those who talked about their spouses being migrants, their businesses being successful because of the contribution of migrant workers, to those whose lives were saved by migrant nurses and doctors.

In addition to the public transport posters, there will be an online platform where everybody can upload their own photo and caption which can be shared on social networks to continue the message.

As a second-generation daughter of a migrant, these testaments ring true to me. As an anti-racist and human rights campaigner it is easy to become disheartened when you are constantly countering and challenging racism and xenophobia, but this campaign has made me feel stronger and not so alone.

It is a reminder that the politicians in power or vying for power do not represent the views and feelings of ordinary people and we need to bottle that strength and unity that comes from multiculturalism and use it as ammunition against them.

This is what the poster campaign hopes to achieve.

- Zita Holbourne is a member of the Movement Against Xenophobia national steering group.

You can donate to the campaign at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/i-am-an-immigrant-poster-campaign. More information on MAX details of the forthcoming launch at TUC Congress House on April 13 can be accessed at www.noxenophobia.org.