THE Salvation Army was justified in sacking a worker who said refugees should be sent back “on a boat,” an employment tribunal ruled today.

Charles Markie, 56, made the remark while working at a hostel housing migrants run by the charity in March 2024, the tribunal heard.

Mr Markie, who worked for the organisation for nearly 20 years, told colleagues that “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.

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 Strathmore Lodge’s facilities, which included refugees, in Dundee.

The tribunal was told Mr Markie made the comments after becoming “aggressive and angry” over changes to the council housing policy.

He was warned about his behaviour but began complaining that the staff “couldn’t even joke or take part in banter,” the tribunal was told.

At a disciplinary hearing, Mr Markie admitted saying “send them all back on a boat” but insisted he “isn’t racist and has foreign friends.”

Mr Markie’s claims for unfair dismissal, direct sex discrimination and harassment were all 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.”