Global Anti-Immigration Sentiment on the Rise

Written by Claire Beaumier

Even huge sports stadiums do not hold the crowd size that attended far-right, anti-immigration protests in London on September 13th. Over 110,000 people rallied behind giant Union Jack banners and flags, in addition to American flags and “Make America Great Again” posters. The unexpected size of the protest makes one thing abundantly clear: nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment have moved from the political fringe to the mainstream of British politics.

The United Kingdom is not the only Western country with a growing sentiment toward immigration. In the United States, ICE recently revealed it has received more than 150,000 job applications as the Trump administration expands its legally disputed immigration crackdown. ICE is opening new offices nationwide and increasing its visibility to the American public, as we have seen on our own campus. ICE raids are becoming normalized, signaling we are in the midst of a cultural shift that has been steadily growing under the Trump administration.

The public’s embrace of this reality is troubling. Outside ICE detention centers, crowds congregate as though it is a tourist attraction. People pose for pictures at the gates of the Florida facility, which is mockingly named “Alligator Alcatraz,” using human suffering as a vacation backdrop. The forced removal of a person from their home and family- one of the most traumatic experiences imaginable -is met with absolute coldness from many on the right.

This normalization of migrant dehumanization has led people to be more at ease participating in racism and profiling. The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned a lower court judgment that prohibited stops based on a person’s appearance, occupation, language, or neighborhood. This opened the door for racial profiling during immigration raids. Communities are being discreetly deprived of laws that once prevented them from arbitrary stops. People who speak Spanish, have low-paying occupations, or appear Latino are increasingly targeted in public spaces. As a result, millions of people’s daily lives are now in constant risk, where going to work or speaking their native language could get them profiled and arrested.

Despite differing contexts, the United States and Britain are moving in the same direction politically. Far-right leaders in the U.K. are drawing bigger audiences than any other recent political gathering. With ICE’s expansion presented as a patriotic employment opportunity, the U.S. government is presenting deportation as a civic duty. Both the U.S. and the U.K. show the same concerning trend, that nationalism is a cultural identity and is leading to the dehumanization of migrants.

I fear the creation of a society in which the violent removal of people from their homes and workplaces becomes normalized and treated as entertainment. The mentality is crossing borders, especially in the wake of massive protests in London. I worry that with the rise of ICE in America, other countries may follow suit, and human dignity will become expendable globally.