Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Racism in uk

541 replies

Charltonstrek · 18/03/2026 10:30

Im finding the level of racism here in the UK to be very unsettling and it seems to be getting worse and im finding it depressing as I have a Muslim partner and I wonder if there is a future here for him. Ive mostly witnessed this on social media with some very derogatory comments anybody else or am I too sensitive

OP posts:
nomas · 18/03/2026 15:20

Paganpentacle · 18/03/2026 15:03

Exactly this.
Why are they here?
Can't speak the language- clearly wont be working or contributing to the economy.
I have no issue with controlled immigration at all.. but allowing in people who are a drain on the state is one reason why the tolerant tide is turning...

Maybe employed BAME people should start an equivalent campaign against unemployed white people and racist white people? Maybe the BAME tolerance tide is turning too.

Firtreefiona · 18/03/2026 15:20

nomas · 18/03/2026 15:16

That's rich, you run away from communities that have brown people and then complain their have ghettoised themselves. Why don't you stay and integrate with the cultures around you.

Because in some areas immigrants make no effort to integrate at all. It can be fairly lonely living somewhere where once you knew everyone on your street, now no one is prepared to talk to you not least as they have made no attempt to speak English. See PP’s family in Spain.

Paganpentacle · 18/03/2026 15:19

Gwenhwyfar · 18/03/2026 15:08

"Can't speak the language- clearly wont be working or contributing to the economy."

As I mentioned before, people can work in some places without speaking the language, whether that's working for an employer or working at home supporting other family members and contributing to the economy in that way.

So... how do they communicate with the wider society?
Healthcare for example.
Oh yes... a triple appointment and a translator.

nomas · 18/03/2026 15:18

wishingonastar101 · 18/03/2026 15:05

My daughter's school is closed for muslim kids and teachers only and the rest of the kids (about 3rd) are going into do a day of "sport"... Utter bullshit.
You don't give half the kids Christmas off!

This is quite patently false, schools aren't allowed to reduce teaching days for religious holidays.

nomas · 18/03/2026 15:16

Firtreefiona · 18/03/2026 15:10

And I do think another issue is that the ruling classes don’t live in these ghettoised communities. They live far from them, and yet expect the native community to just suck up lots of new arrivals otherwise they’re ’racist Bigots’. Champagne socialist middle class MP’s could do with getting out and about a bit more and properly listening to people’s validly held concerns.

That's rich, you run away from communities that have brown people and then complain their have ghettoised themselves. Why don't you stay and integrate with the cultures around you.

Happyjoe · 18/03/2026 15:16

I showed my dear old friend in Rome the news when the riots were taking place. She lived in London for a few years in her youth but she was shocked at what was happening here. Her words were something along the lines of 'what happened? The UK was such a fab, kind place to be'. She was pretty saddened.

Firtreefiona · 18/03/2026 15:16

Gwenhwyfar · 18/03/2026 15:02

The poster meant to ban nikabs completely. None of these items are banned in normal life. She wasn't talking about passport photos or something.

But Nikabs are worn permanently. Sunglasses / helmets etc are not. Try to properly connect with a person wearing a motorcycle helmet or sunglasses and it’s nearly impossible. So much communication is lost, as is facial expressions. People who genuinely want to assimilate will ditch the headgear. And yes, I mean nun’s wimple etc too.

Paganpentacle · 18/03/2026 15:16

Quine0nline · 18/03/2026 15:15

No, the whole school closes for Christmas - 2 weeks usually.

So why is the whole school not closed now then, for ALL the kids- like it is at Christmas?

Paganpentacle · 18/03/2026 15:15

Gwenhwyfar · 18/03/2026 15:06

OK, but don't pretend it's about security!

Also, as I told you, I live where they are banned, but still worn!

Pretend?
You know what I'm thinking now?
How very clever of you..

Quine0nline · 18/03/2026 15:15

wishingonastar101 · 18/03/2026 15:05

My daughter's school is closed for muslim kids and teachers only and the rest of the kids (about 3rd) are going into do a day of "sport"... Utter bullshit.
You don't give half the kids Christmas off!

No, the whole school closes for Christmas - 2 weeks usually.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 18/03/2026 15:15

thisishap274 · 18/03/2026 15:12

I believe this 100%. Travel to other countries and you'll see how much more racist people are. A LOT more.

I do actually agree. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

I’ve travelled a lot and the U.K. is fantastic. Generally people are welcoming and communities are integrated.

nomas · 18/03/2026 15:15

thisishap274 · 18/03/2026 15:12

I believe this 100%. Travel to other countries and you'll see how much more racist people are. A LOT more.

So what's your mission? To level up?

nomas · 18/03/2026 15:14

Upupandaway10 · 18/03/2026 13:14

Muslim is not a race

Tell that to the Muslim woman who was subject to a racist murder attempt when a man tried to run into her car a couple of days ago simply for being a Muslim.

I think she would tell you where to go.

Happyjoe · 18/03/2026 15:14

thisishap274 · 18/03/2026 15:12

I believe this 100%. Travel to other countries and you'll see how much more racist people are. A LOT more.

Because other countries are doing worse, doesn't mean we don't have a lot of racism.

Happyjoe · 18/03/2026 15:13

Mixedmix · 18/03/2026 10:42

I started school in the 2000s and racism was 10 times worse back then. It’s not as bad now but I still experience and witness racism from time to time.

The stats say now that racism, well, hate crime is on the rise, I guess some of that can be down to people reporting it more. However, it certainly rife on social media, we even see it here. It's disheartening that folk are going backwards. To me it reminds me of the 70's where it's overt.

thisishap274 · 18/03/2026 15:12

Quine0nline · 18/03/2026 14:59

According to various statistics on line and available to all, great Britain is not one of the remotely higher countries for racism in general.

Of course if you say don't trust statistics because people don't report it then make up your own rules.

I believe this 100%. Travel to other countries and you'll see how much more racist people are. A LOT more.

nomas · 18/03/2026 15:11

Firtreefiona · 18/03/2026 14:38

The queen wore a headscarf as a means of keeping her hair in place. The queens decision to wear a headscarf didn’t come for the fear of men leering at her hair.

That's not why Muslim women wear the headscarf. Your ignorance is astounding.

Do you also support banning wigs for Jewish women? Turbans for Sikh women? Nuns for Christian women?

Thought not.

Firtreefiona · 18/03/2026 15:10

Hullabmoo · 18/03/2026 14:53

This is tricky, because I do think it is important to allow groups of people their own subculture (and indeed, attempting to systematically destroy a subculture is a human rights abuse). This is particularly true for groups who have been in British for a very long time (e.g. gypsy and traveller communities).

But the 'culture within a culture' can only work when the subcultures are very small and most of the rest of the society is culturally reasonably unified. This is what we had up until the 1990s. If you have large, non-integrated subcultures or just a whole society with disparate groups and no unified sense of identity, you get a complete loss of cohesion and trust. This is what has happened in the last twenty years because the scale of immigration has just been too large and too quick.

And I do think another issue is that the ruling classes don’t live in these ghettoised communities. They live far from them, and yet expect the native community to just suck up lots of new arrivals otherwise they’re ’racist Bigots’. Champagne socialist middle class MP’s could do with getting out and about a bit more and properly listening to people’s validly held concerns.

stargirl27 · 18/03/2026 15:08

wishingonastar101 · 18/03/2026 15:05

My daughter's school is closed for muslim kids and teachers only and the rest of the kids (about 3rd) are going into do a day of "sport"... Utter bullshit.
You don't give half the kids Christmas off!

Christmas is a bank holiday?

Gwenhwyfar · 18/03/2026 15:08

"Can't speak the language- clearly wont be working or contributing to the economy."

As I mentioned before, people can work in some places without speaking the language, whether that's working for an employer or working at home supporting other family members and contributing to the economy in that way.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 18/03/2026 15:06

Wellthisisdifficult · 18/03/2026 15:01

This is exactly right. It is about people not assimilating- people are fed up with the British cultures traditions being sidelined in favour of immigrants’ cultures. People can have their own subcultures at home but in school, work, public life the only cultures and traditions should be British. Trying to allow other culture equal or greater status in society at large is what’s driving division.

Some schools in Birmingham are either partially or wholly closing for Eid - some because they don’t have enough staff.

Which British culture / traditions are being sidelined?

Gwenhwyfar · 18/03/2026 15:06

Paganpentacle · 18/03/2026 15:04

Yes. Ban them. I agree 100%.

OK, but don't pretend it's about security!

Also, as I told you, I live where they are banned, but still worn!

Vivi0 · 18/03/2026 15:05

wishingonastar101 · 18/03/2026 14:55

And where are the Jews from? Palestine?

Jewish people can trace their roots back to the ancient kingdom of Israel in the Levant.

Always trying to shoehorn Palestine in somehow.

wishingonastar101 · 18/03/2026 15:05

Wellthisisdifficult · 18/03/2026 15:01

This is exactly right. It is about people not assimilating- people are fed up with the British cultures traditions being sidelined in favour of immigrants’ cultures. People can have their own subcultures at home but in school, work, public life the only cultures and traditions should be British. Trying to allow other culture equal or greater status in society at large is what’s driving division.

Some schools in Birmingham are either partially or wholly closing for Eid - some because they don’t have enough staff.

My daughter's school is closed for muslim kids and teachers only and the rest of the kids (about 3rd) are going into do a day of "sport"... Utter bullshit.
You don't give half the kids Christmas off!

Gwenhwyfar · 18/03/2026 15:05

"This is exactly right. It is about people not assimilating"

No, it's not. The current wave of anti-immigration feeling fostered by Reform has reached areas where there are no issues with particular communities not integrating.

Swipe left for the next trending thread