Key facts
- Some Britons of colour feel their communities have become more hostile due to anti-migrant politics and rhetoric.
- Recent incidents, including protests in Southampton and riots in Belfast, have become rallying points for right-wing activists.
- Public opinion polls indicate a hardening of attitudes towards immigration in the UK since 2022.
- Reports from trade unions and nursing bodies show an increase in racial discrimination and racist incidents.
- Police-recorded hate crime in England and Wales has risen, with racially motivated offenses up 6% in the year ending March 2025.
Anti-migrant politics and rhetoric are contributing to a resurgence of racism in Britain, according to some Britons of colour and experts. Incidents such as violent protests in Southampton and riots in Belfast, fueled by media reports and political focus on crime linked to immigration, have created a more hostile environment for ethnic minority communities.
Ali Haydor, who moved to Britain from Bangladesh at age five, stated that he sometimes wishes he could hide his brown skin due to the current climate. He noted that while racism had decreased for him since the mid-1990s, it has returned during politically charged periods, particularly around the 2016 vote to leave the European Union and more recently with passengers asking for his opinion on murders and making anti-Muslim remarks.
Public opinion on immigration has hardened since 2022, with surveys indicating a decline in the perception that immigration benefits the economy and culture. The Royal College of Nursing reported a 55% rise in workers experiencing racial discrimination since 2022, and trade unions have documented an increase in racist incidents in the workplace and among patients. Police-recorded hate crime in England and Wales rose by 6% in the year ending March 2025.
In Belfast, riots targeting ethnic minorities followed the stabbing of a local man by a Sudanese refugee. Twasul Mohammed, a Sudanese refugee, expressed fear for her children's safety and noted that many minority residents feel Northern Ireland has become more hostile. Similar sentiments were echoed by Hardeep Singh of the Network of Sikh Organisations, who reported a hate email and described social media as a "cesspit of venom."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned racism and violence, but union leaders and experts argue that political rhetoric has fostered a more permissive environment for overt racism. Populist leader Nigel Farage has been criticized for exploiting tragedies to fuel division by alleging prejudice against white people.