Politicians are lying about immigration - and stirring up racism

One year on from last year’s riots, Chris Philp MP and Robert Jenrick MP start the week by casually attributing so-called ‘small boats’ crossings with sexual violence.

On the anniversary of 2024’s riots and in the wake of another weekend of anti-migrant demonstrations, high-profile politicians are helping to fuel this violence.

There was a time not so long ago when comments like this would have been met with shock and outrage. Now, we barely bat an eyelid when another MP joins the ranks of the anti-migrantclub. It’s become seemingly accepted to attribute the presence of racialised men seeking safety with violence against women and girls, or making communities less safe.

Over the last 12 months, racist mobs regularly gather outside asylum accommodation, far-right violence breaks out on our streets, and anti-migrant narratives about so-called ‘small boats’ become so normalised that effigies of Brown and Black men in a dinghy atop a pier of pallets were lit as part of Orange Order ‘traditions’.

At Migrants’ Rights Network, we regularly speak to migrants and racialised people who live in increasing fear of far-right violence. So many people have said they feel scared to leave the house or on edge when they’re walking to the shops - a reality they never thought they’d have to grapple with in 2025. And yet, this is becoming part of their everyday lives. At the same time, this fear has been coupled with frustration when politicians not only fail to condemn anti-migrant demonstrations or rhetoric, but actively contribute to it.

We don’t have to look far to see what they’re referring to: politicians double down on anti-migrant disinformation more and more. In the wake of far-right violence in Northern Ireland, DUP MP Carla Lockhart went on local radio to reinforce the false correlation of migration to increased crime without facts or figures to back up her claims. Something Reform UK’s Sarah Ponchin MP echoed by claiming the majority of sexual assaults on White British women are by migrants.

So, why are politicians allowed to spread disinformation without any consequences?

In July, Demos and Full Fact hosted an event following the publication of research on learnings from last year’s riots. I took the opportunity to ask event panellists Dawn Butler MP and Ben Spencer MP how they believe we can hold politicians accountable for spreading anti-migrant disinformation.

While Dawn Butler highlighted her history of calling ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson a liar to emphasise the need to challenge politicians directly when they lie, Ben Spencer wasn’t so comfortable with this suggestion. He said that the only thing this would lead to would be a breakdown in the parliamentary process, where MPs would point fingers at each other and say, “You’re lying!”

Well, perhaps, as Dawn Butler quickly reminded him, politicians shouldn't lie in the first place. If we can’t rely on our elected officials to hold their peers to account or if disinformation can spread with little to no consequences, then what is left?

As far-right scapegoating becomes more and more normalised, what we see is silence from national and local governments. If we want more people to have trust in politics and politicians, then we need meaningful accountability.

Do we want a roll-out of the strengthening of the code of conduct being introduced into the Senedd to hold politicians accountable? We think so. Until there are consequences, we will likely see racist riots on our streets time and time again, and the far-right gain more ground.

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Fizza Qureshi is the CEO of the Migrants’ Rights Network, a UK campaigning charity that stands in solidarity with migrants in their fights for rights and justice.

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