"It's heartbreaking for me, I don't understand people putting up the flag, said Mohammad, who crossed the Channel almost four years ago, desperate to escape persecution. Back then it was rare to see St George's cross flags as frequently as he does driving around now. The flags are seen as divisive and dangerous in a climate of anti-migrant protests where political discourse is fixated on deportations, small boats and threats to withdraw the UK from human rights frameworks."
"Immigrants, they just want to have a better life. If our country was safe, was all right, we would never leave, said Mohammad, who asked to use only his first name fearing reprisals. After facing persecution as a practising Christian in Shia-majority Iran, Mohammad left his life behind at 28 suddenly and without a plan. These people who are judging us, I wish they used to live in a different country, not their own country, to understand how heavy it is, how difficult it is, he added."
Frequent public displays of the St George's cross have increased across the UK and are perceived as divisive amid anti-migrant protests focused on deportations, small boats and threats to withdraw the UK from human rights frameworks. Refugees and asylum seekers report anxiety, fear of reprisals and emotional distress, citing persecution that forced them to flee. Refugees and asylum seekers comprised about 16% of migrants to the UK in 2024. Political pressure has pushed Labour toward tougher asylum policies, a cabinet reshuffle promoting Shabana Mahmood to home secretary, and plans for alternative housing for asylum seekers. Longstanding hostile environments are familiar to some who arrived under earlier governments.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]