Media portrayal of immigrants is fuelling violence across the UK

From the 30^th of July to the 5^th of August 2024 a wave of racist, violent riots spread across the country and shocked the nation. I, however, almost expected this. The riots were, after all, a continuation of an alarming trend in media portrayal of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

The UK has suffered under fourteen years of austerity, leading to a cost of living crisis, a housing crisis and, record breaking usage of food banks. Rightfully, people are angry. In the face of these complaints, the recent Tory government pointed a perfectly manicured finger at asylum seekers, who have risked their lives to flee persecution in the search for a better life. 310 million pounds was spent on the failed Rwanda scheme where it could have been invested in our crumbling NHS or state education.

Following the government’s lead, newspapers such as The Daily Mail or The Sun jumped at the chance to crucify immigrants and asylum seekers. Many articles have highlighted cases of criminals, specifically rapists who happened to be non UK nationals. Such newspapers fail to highlight the true extent of violence against women and girls in the UK, which has reached emergency levels. Instead, this tunnel vision approach to reporting sexual violence might make it seem as if deporting all non UK nationals would fix everything. From the way these newspapers report, you would think immigrants weren’t human at all.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time such rhetoric has been used. In the southern states of America in the 19^th century, paramilitary groups such as the KKK used violence to ensure the intimidation and second class citizenship of black people. Specifically, they lynched black men. When asked why, they would reason that these men had raped their wives, or daughters and therefore this abhorrent violence was justified. In a vicious cycle of history, rioters were heard chanting for the deportation of “paedophiles” while rioting, or in one case, committing arson on a building full of asylum seekers.

The consistent dehumanisation of immigrants and asylum seekers in British media and social media has cultivated a group of extremists who do not bat an eye at slaughter.

Media, governments and public opinion are all shifting further and further right as you read this. Just as I wasn’t surprised to face violent racism this summer, I will not be surprised if in future I look back to realise that this was only the start.