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In the past year, tens of thousands of people hostile to immigrants marched through London, chanting “send them home!” A British lawmaker complained of seeing too many non-white faces on TV. And senior politicians advocated the deportation of longtime UK residents born abroad.
The AP reports that the overt demonization of migrants and those with immigrant roots is intensifying in Europe, as migration shoots up the political agenda and right-wing parties gain popularity.
In several European countries, political parties that favour mass deportation and depict immigration as a threat to national identity come at or near the top of opinion polls: Reform UK, the Alliance for Germany and France’s National Rally.
Amid the rising tensions, Europe’s mainstream parties are taking a harder line on migration and at times using divisive language about race.
“What were once dismissed as being at the far extreme end of far-right politics has now become a central part of the political debate,” said Kieran Connell, a lecturer in British History at Queen’s University Belfast.
Immigration has risen dramatically over the past decade in some European countries, driven in part by millions of asylum-seekers who have come to Europe fleeing conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine.
Azstlum-seekers account for a small percentage of total immigration; however, experts say antipathy toward diversity and migration stems from a mix of factors. Economic stagnation in the years since the 2008 global financial crisis, the rise of charismatic nationalist politicians and the polarizing influence of social media all play a role, experts say.
In Britain, there is “a frightening increase in the sense of national division and decline,” and that tends to push people toward political extremes, said Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Unit at King’s College London. It took root after the financial crisis was reintroduced by Britain’s debate about Brexit and deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duffy said.
Across Europe, ethnonationalism has been promoted by right-wing parties such as Alliance for Germany, France’s National Rally and the Fidesz party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Policies once considered extreme are now firmly on the popular agenda. Reform UK, the hard-right party that consistently leads opinion polls, says if it wins power, it will strip immigrants of permanent-resident status even if they have lived in the UK for decades. The centre-right opposition Conservatives say they will deport British citizens with dual nationality who commit crimes.
Many proponents of reduced immigration say they are concerned about integration and community cohesion, not race. But that’s not how it feels to those on the receiving end of racial abuse.
Across Europe, the main focus of protests has been hotels and other housing for asylum-seekers, which some say become magnets for crime and bad behaviour. But the agenda of protest organizers is often much wider.
Mainstream European politicians condemn the “great replacement” conspiracy theory. Britain’s centre-left Labour Party government has denounced racism and says migration is an important part of Britain’s national history.
Human rights advocates argue that attempts to appease the right lead to even more extreme policies.
