Racism, Violence, and Belonging in Britain

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and violence which some readers may find distressing.

On Tuesday 9^th September, a South Asian Sikh woman in her twenties was raped by two white men. In the middle of the brutal assault, they told her that she 'doesn’t belong in this country’ and to ‘get out’.

As a young South Asian woman in the UK, I have been deeply affected by the rise of anti-migration propaganda and the recent ‘Unite the Kingdom’ (a far-right campaign that weaponises patriotism and the Union Jack to spread anti-migrant messages) protests, and the violence it has brought along with it. The current political climate in the UK is inflicting both psychological and physical harm on ethnic minority groups. Communities like mine are being threatened by far-right groups with deportation and are being told to ‘go back to where [we] came from’.

But here’s the contradiction: in a country where chicken tikka masala is celebrated as a national dish, why am I told to go back to my country? In a country where people sunbathe to darken their skin, sip turmeric and chai lattes, and oil their hair, why am I told to go back to my country? In a country where Friday nights often end with an Indian takeaway, why am I told to go back to my country?

These contradictions seem absurd, even laughable, but there is nothing funny about them. 

Racism has always been present in my life, whether it be sly comments from girls at school or men shouting slurs as they drive past.

I have always been wary but never afraid of those who carry racial prejudice. I have always believed that people who feel entitled to demean someone based on skin colour or faith do not deserve my attention. But lately, it has become harder to dismiss this kind of bigotry as insulting but innocuous.

Whereas before I would brace myself to laugh off the ‘you don’t look Indian’ and ‘where are you really from’ comments, I now feel a genuine fear at the thought of leaving my home. I don’t just worry about the looks I might get, or the unwanted attention I may attract, but what could happen if someone chose to act on their prejudice. And I know I am not alone in this.

Racist and anti-migrant rhetoric has long been present in the UK.  Recent events, fuelled by racist and fascist ideology and amplified by mainstream media, have left minority ethnic communities feeling anxious, hyper-alert, and unsafe in the country they call home. Evidence shows that microaggressions have an impact on the mental health of minority ethnic groups; therefore, the impact of these overt acts of racism should not be underestimated.

The attack on the young woman in Oldbury has left many South Asian girls feeling even more vulnerable and scared.

As girls, we’re always told to be careful at night, to get home early, not to drink too much or wear revealing clothes. To simply avoid danger and be vigilant. But this attack happened at 8am. It did not happen in a dark alley at midnight. It happened on a busy road where people live, in broad daylight, when the victim was on her way to work.

It was a disgusting, racially motivated hate crime carried out on an ordinary morning, all because of the victim’s skin colour.

Photo taken from the BBC

I feel genuine fury and disgust when I think about this attack and the sense of entitlement those men must have felt over an innocent person. Did it make them feel powerful? Did it give them something to be proud of? Right-wing groups are labelling ‘immigrants’ as violent and demanding that they leave the country, yet it is their supporters who are committing acts of violence in the name of this message.

Police and politicians have since confirmed this was a racially motivated attack, and have recently arrested one of the men, who was in his thirties. In response, members of the Sikh community have gathered in protest, standing in solidarity with the victim and demanding justice.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated act of violence. In August, two Sikh taxi drivers were attacked by three white men outside Wolverhampton train station. Both victims sustained serious injuries requiring hospital treatment.

The current political climate in the UK is fuelling this cruelty.

Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of far-right and racist individuals took to the streets of London in what may have been the largest right-wing demonstration in UK history. This protest was organised by Tommy Robinson, a British anti-Islam campaigner and prominent far-right activist. Many of the protesters, who have been reported to be predominantly white men, draped themselves in Union Jack (the national flag for the UK) and St George’s (which represents England) flags while demanding the mass deportation of ethnic minority groups, claiming to ‘protect the nation’ and suggesting we pose a ‘unique threat’ to white women. The irony is sickening.

Reform UK and far-right groups seem to only care about violence against women when they can frame it in an ‘anti-migration’ setting, exploiting the trauma women and girls face for their own political gain. Hijacking women's safety to be used against ethnic minorities is not only disgusting, it's hypocritical and disingenuous. The truth is, women are not unsafe because of immigrants; women are unsafe because of men. If we followed the protestors’ logic, perhaps all men should be deported.

Everyone has the right to free speech and peaceful protesting. But this rally was anything but peaceful. It left several police officers injured, communities too intimidated to leave their homes, and even featured a video appearance from Elon Musk telling the crowd to either ‘fight back or die’, and warned that ‘violence is going to come to you’.

Photo taken from Deccan Chronicle

Aside from protests, the far right is twisting national symbols into tools of exclusion and intimidation, trying to make people like me feel unwelcome in the very country we call home.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer released a statement on X, stating that the British flag represents diversity and will not be surrendered to be used as a symbol of violence or fear. Yet, it is surreal and infuriating to witness the sudden rise in flags being hung in public places such as bridges and lampposts as a clear warning to ethnic minorities.

What many right-wing individuals forget, or more simply choose to forget, is that Sikhs have a long history of sacrifice and service to this country. During the First World War, Sikhs made up 22% of the British Indian army, despite representing only 2% of the population at the time. In the Second World War, the British Indian Army became the largest volunteer army in history, with Sikh soldiers earning Victoria Crosses for their bravery. Furthermore, post-war Sikhs came to the UK to respond to labour shortages in British industries such as textiles and factory work.

Photo taken from the BBC

So, while racists tell us to get out of their country and are furious that we supposedly stole their jobs, they need to remember that we were invited here. And while racists boast about who they have attacked, we will continue to take pride in what we have contributed to this country and our local communities. Our courage, our solidarity, our commitment to protecting and supporting one another, and our belief in building communities rooted in love and belonging. That is our legacy. That is our strength.

What we’re seeing now is not separate from history but a continuation of it. The same entitlement that once justified colonisation and building an empire is alive today in the voices that tell people of colour they don’t belong here in the UK. Far-right rhetoric thrives on selective memory: it erases the centuries of extraction and violence that enriched Britain, while portraying migrants and minorities as threats.

To be told to 'go back' is not merely ignorance. It is violence. It is a deliberate rewriting of history to protect power and scapegoat the vulnerable. We don’t owe this country our silence, our apologies, or our disappearance. We owe it our truth.

And the truth is: we are not going anywhere.