This current wave of far-right intimidation is just a continuation of the same racist and Islamophobic targeting of migrants, Muslims and people of colour by the far-right and white supremacists that we saw last summer.
There was no ‘legitimate concern’ motivating people trying to burn down asylum accommodation in Rotherham last summer. Nor was there ‘legitimate concern’ in the racist rioters attacking mosques, stopping drivers to see if they were ‘white’ or ‘English’ or targeting and burning down legal advice centres. This was frenzied, racist hatred against people seeking sanctuary here.
And who is responsible for facilitating and fomenting this hatred? While far-right agitators are clearly involved, and the way misinformation can be published and spread across social media like wildfire has also exacerbated things, these narratives and rhetoric are the direct result of years of racist, dehumanising language and policies by successive governments, politicians and the media.
Generations of right-wing opportunist politicians have exploited anti-migrant sentiment to distract people and turn them against each other: from Enoch Powell’s “strangers in their own country” to Margaret Thatcher’s “swamped by people with a different culture” and David Cameron’s “swarm of people”, Theresa May’s “go home” vans to Suella Braverman’s “invasion on our southern coast”, Boris Johnson’s Rwanda plan to Sunak’s “stop the boats”, and now Keir Starmer’s “island of strangers”.
This hateful and racist language has been directly reflected and repeated by the far-right, throughout the riots last year, and now again in places like Epping. The far-right are emboldened by this race to the bottom in migration policies, with political parties battling it out to see who can be the most publicly cruel.
We are experiencing the consequences of these narratives. They have created a climate where violent racism is spreading and becoming increasingly normalised, harking back to the time of the National Front and the widespread racist violence of the 70s and 80s.
Despite this, even after last summer’s racist riots, the current government continues to pander to and encourage the far-right with racist, anti-migrant policies (“close the hotels”) and continues to use dehumanising anti-migrant language. This is an embarrassing and dangerous attempt to win back voters they think they’ve lost, and ultimately, to distract from their failures to address the real issues facing our country that have left so many people struggling.
This anti-migrant hatred is a learned behaviour – a result of these narratives. People aren’t inherently angry about migration: they’re angry about not being able to see a GP or A&E doctor, pay their bills, get a job or necessary support, access safe and good-quality housing – or any housing.
We know who is actually responsible for the economic issues and inequality this country is facing, for our crumbling health service and other public services – it’s the government, which has made political choices to prioritise the wealthy and business interests.
We have to reject these narratives and stand up for our communities. We have to confront these anti-migrant and racist sentiments, wherever they arise. Local residents and political leaders must say clearly and unequivocally: there’s no place for this racist violence or language which incites it. And most importantly right now, we have to organise and turn out to physically resist and defend migrant accommodation and any other potential flashpoints for far-right violence in our communities.
Griff Ferris is interim advocacy and communications director at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and Sadaf Ahmed is JCWI’s media and communications manager.
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