If you live in England and are not white are you considering leaving the country?

[GreyingSunshine]

I'm really starting to worry about our future here now that anti immigration / nationalistic feelings are running so high. Our town is full of flags, reform is on the rise (and is pushing everyone, including the other parties further and further to the right) and every day there is news of some sort of anti immigration / anti asylum seekers / stop the boats protest. Dh has said for the first time ever that he doesn't feel safe anymore when out and about. I worry about the kids' future. They were born here and consider themselves British but what if a large proportion of the population doesn't? I feel it's just going to get worse.

I don't really want to leave. I have lived here for more than 20 years. I feel at home here. My kids are at home here. We have a massive mortgage and I don't really fancy starting all over again now that I'm in my mid forties. Also, not sure where we could go as the whole world seems to be becoming more right wing and intolerant and more importantly we obviously both would need to find new jobs first.

Is anyone else worried? Is anyone else considering emigrating? At what point would you say that we (as in anyone visibly not ethnic English or Anglo saxons or whatever, ie not white) need to get out?

No

This will pass.

And I lived through the dark ages of the 80s.

No. I am not leaving.
But then we live in London.

I was just going to say ( although I am white, so have a different perception),come to London. As far as I can see, it is much less racist than most of the rest of the country. I know friends who felt, at best, othered, every time they stepped out of the capital. I’m really sorry that you have been made to feel this way, OP.

Many of the attacks on hotels now have more counter protesters than fascists. Most British people are decent, in spite of the attempts to whip up division.

Yes and that’s makes things so different to the past.
outnumbered 3,1 in some places!

Yet you have to wonder why the media still gives wall-to-wall coverage of the protests, endless air time to a politician whose party has 4MPs, while totally ignoring the counter-protests.

Same thing happened in Scotland last week. In Perth we had one of the first serious "anti-immigration" protests Scotland has seen. Not only were most of the protestors bussed in from elsewhere, but they were also significantly outnumbered by counter-protestors, yet just going by mainstream media you'd have no idea there actually was a counter-protest present at all.

The recent explosion in anti-immigration rhetoric and media amplification of it is, obviously, deeply concerning, but it's hugely suspicious just how much it's dominating the media when the discourse is at odds with how the majority still view the matter, and it's being led by a tiny minority party four years out from an election. It's especially egregious when even the BBC, supposedly a bastion of "balance" and impartiality are giving endless coverage to Reform that is in no way commensurate with their elected presence.

I am white and I really despise the dog whistling going on at present.

Although i would love nothing more than Labour to sort its shit out, I am convinced Reform will get in at the next election.

And if you think a few flags is bad now, I think we are in for an appalling Trumpian leadership by Farage and his cronies.

Look at how the Nottingham local press has been excluded from the council. This is really serious and means there is very little oversight of spending, accountability etc.

Everyone should be worried.

These morons with their flags and protesting against immigrants can so easily be manipulated into hating any group of people.

Some people I know are keeping emigration as a backup plan but staying put for now, because despite the rhetoric, day-to-day life still feels manageable. It’s more the news cycle and certain vocal groups that amplify the fear

I agree it will pass and eventually the reasonable people will prevail.

Please know that many of us are disgusted with the anti immigrant sentiment and feel ashamed of the idiots who are going round putting flags everywhere because they think it’s clever. I would like to go and write ‘MIGRANTS WELCOME HERE’ on all of them, but I try to avoid vandalism.

The protests are against “illegal” immigration, so unless you are illegal why would you feel the need to move? People have had enough of the government spending our taxes on illegals instead of looking after our people regardless of ethnicity backgrounds.

I think in much poorer parts of the Uk education and general awareness tends to be at a much lower level. So it is very easy for the locals to believe the gutter press and main stream media/social media etc.

Not condoning racism at all of course.

I have noticed now I no longer live in London there is way more ignorance.

You genuinely believe that none of these people at these protests are racist?

The amount spent on illegal immigrants at detention centres in the UK is extremely low, its around £15k total for each illegal immigrant from detention until removal, I can’t remember what the per capita amount is, it was something like 11p-12p.

We left the UK a few years it, racism was part of that, of course not all of it, we lived and worked in London. We are yet to experience racism where we live (i know that will end eventually), but thats something we have never experienced before, our son even mentioned it after about six months, he was eight.

After brexit I had more than one colleague confused as to why myself and other non-white colleagues were still allowed in the UK, they weren’t confused why white non-brits were still allowed in the UK. We were all actuaries, so all fairly book smart.

Illegal immigration is a thinly disguised cover for racism. So anyone who looks even vaguely non-white will be told to go back to where you came from. Are these people worried about the young white Australian woman who has overstayed her visa? Of course not!

People don’t tend to walk around with a big sign over their head saying “I’m here illegally”. So the “patriots” don’t know who is here legally and who is here illegally. A vast majority of the “patriots” voted for Brexit, so we left the EU and now the EU has no need to help us deal with migrants who are coming, predominantly from war torn countries. Their own xenophobia has caused any increase in “illegal” migration. Burned by their own short sightedness.

Our government is looking after our people. The biggest spend by the government is on health, followed by the bloody state pension.

I am white and would leave if we ever had a Reform government.

The problem is that the people protesting against the "illegal" immigrants don't really understand the difference between economic migrant, asylum seeker, and illegal immigrant. They are really protesting about asylum seekers without understanding that the only way of applying for asylum is to physically be here which explains the desperation that some have to get here, despite the danger.

I don't suppose they realise that people granted asylum do not become British citizens, and that their status is reevaluated periodically to establish whether their claim is still valid. If not, they go home.

Illegal immigrants disappear into the undergrowth and aren't claiming anything as they are illegal and have disappeared into the undergrowth. Thus no taxes are spent on them other than trying to find and eject them.

I’m Jewish and thinking of leaving due to a recent spate of abuse against my husband and daughter.

I’m 54 years old and born and raised in England. 2nd generation. This is my home. I don’t know where else I would/could go. So I’ll stay but I’m scared about the future. I was devastated when I found out I couldn’t have children but now I feel like it’s a blessing in disguise as I would worry myself stupid about their future.

Im a British born white Muslim so I do get odd looks and glances like im wearing a traffic cone on my head instead of a headscarf and comments like why am I dressing like a P**i, which disgust me. But now because of these protests and flags etc, im anxious to go outside. Ive already been told by a tattooed up thug that im a traitor to my own kind and look like I belong to the taliban. So ridiculous. The whole world is my kind.
Yes, we have a problem with a large volume of people coming here. And I genuinely believe a lot of them are coming from hideous war torn countries. Palestine, issues in Somalia.and places like Lebanon etc. And we do need some way to assess who are genuine refugees.

Some come here because they think you can get anything in the uk. It's just not that simple

But ranting and raving with a.beer in your hand and screaming sink the boats, we dont want you here youre here to rape our kids is just crazy. It's not going to achieve anything......

And anytime I watch videos on FB or YouTube or news "the list of what they get increases" they get handed PlayStation and designer clothes as soon as they get to the hotel. It's ridiculous. I'm sure they do. Not.

Sorry to hear that.

The whole thing is a bit oddly thought out. So much anger at people being housed in hotels, when there’s no suggestion of where they should be housed. These aren’t luxury resorts as far as I can see. Just a room and a bed and very basic food. What could or should the alternative be? Is it council housing people are wanting provided? Purpose built “camps” perhaps? Surely someone’s done the maths and found this to be the cheapest option.
The idea that any country would turn away asylum seekers is unthinkable. The focus surely should be on processing claims as fast and efficiently and safely as possible.

“But now because of these protests and flags etc, im anxious to go outside. Ive already been told by a tattooed up thug that im a traitor to my own kind and look like I belong to the taliban. So ridiculous. The whole world is my kind.“

And the irony is that the Taliban are good friends of Farage, but of course his supporters like to pretend that isn’t the case, his supporters are quite good at make believe.

I’d start planning then because it is almost inevitable that the next government will be Reform led.

Something remarkable will have to happen for that not to be the case.

No other party polling at the levels they do at this point in an election cycle has even gone on to lose the next GE.

I suspect however that when they do win the impact won’t be as dramatic as you think.

@GreyingSunshine I’m so sorry you feel unsafe.
I’m white and live in London- as far as I would know, it’s the same rubbing along vibrant place However I drove down from Scotland last weekend along the M6 and noticed lots of flags from Cumbria to south of Birmingham, then nothing.
Other areas I know include Suffolk/ Norfolk- ok
Essex- not ok
Yorkshire/ Northumbria, richer naicer areas ok, more deprived- not ok.
If you’re seriously thinking of relocating look into Scottish central belt. Glasgow is genuinely multicultural, scenery is stunning and your DCs wouldn’t have university fees.
Sadly it feels as if any community which is predominately white and deprived is becoming more reform.
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