Undercover Operation Reveals Muslims looking for Jobs in Bristol could face Discrimination

An undercover investigation has revealed that Muslims looking for jobs in Bristol could face discrimination.

The BBC Inside Out West team sent two white reporters out in the city. One was dressed as a traditional Muslim.

Both journalists are from Manchester, they are of a similar age and ethnicity and were given equivalent CVs.

They inquired about 40 jobs being advertised in shop windows. Ian, the non-Muslim, was more than four times more successful in getting job interviews than Muslim-convert Zoltan who wore traditional shalwar kameez dress to make his faith clear.

Ian's inquiries resulted in 13 interviews and one job offer without an interview. Zoltan was invited to three interviews.

At one café, Zoltan was told CVs were being collected and to assume he had not been shortlisted if he heard nothing but when Ian inquired about the same job 10 minutes later, he was offered a trial shift.

The cafe owner spotted Zoltan in the distance and said to Ian: “See that guy in the hat? Do not tell him I've given you a trial shift on Saturday.”

After contact from the BBC, the cafe manager denied discriminating against Zoltan and said he had more things in common with Ian.

Professor Tariq Madood, director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at Bristol University, said: “How can you ask people to integrate and then treat them negatively and exclude them from job opportunities or other opportunities?”