Forget Jim Ratcliffe's half-apology: to speak of immigrants colonising' Britain is wrong and sinister | Sunder Katwala

"Has Britain been colonised by immigrants? That is what the Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe claimed in an interview with Sky News. He later said that he was sorry that his choice of language has offended some people, saying that what he had intended was to talk about how to control and manage immigration to promote growth. While Ratcliffe did not define the immigrants by race, to talk about Britain being colonised will inevitably be heard that way by many people."

"What changed after the pandemic was not just record levels of immigration, but a different, more ethnically diverse less white composition of migrants than the pre-Brexit mix. According to data, the most common countries of nationality of those who arrived between 2021 and 2024 (pre-settlement) were India, Nigeria and Pakistan. So it is unsurprising that anti-racism group Kick It Out found the language unacceptable. This is why Manchester United's statement distancing themselves from their co-owner our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters reflect the history and heritage of Manchester, a city that anybody can call home emphasised anti-racism as part of its broader commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion."

Britain's status as a multiethnic, multifaith society reflects imperial and post-imperial history, including colonisation of much of Africa and south and south-east Asia and postwar immigration from colonies and newly independent Commonwealth states. Post-2020 migration patterns changed markedly: large European inflows from 2004 to 2016 fell to negative net migration for the year to July 2025, and were replaced by a larger increase in immigration from outside the EU. Migrant composition became more ethnically diverse and less white, with the most common nationalities arriving between 2021 and 2024 (pre-settlement) being India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Language framing Britain as 'colonised' by immigrants triggers racial interpretations, prompting responses from anti-racism organisations and institutional statements emphasising equality, diversity and inclusion.

Read at www.theguardian.com