Life of an Immigrant in post-Brexit Britain
(Image source: London News Pictures)
The morning of June 24th left many people across the world broken-hearted. Voters have decided – Britain is leaving the EU. One question seemed to start coming up after the realisation sunk in: “What does it mean for us?”
Truthfully, Brexit means different things to different people. While far-right nationalists were probably rejoicing, people working in industries dependant on the established international networks Britain had began to worry, and immigrants started to fear deportation. The future became uncertain for all of us living in the UK, as well as for Britons living abroad. As dramatic as it sounds, most people really don’t know what to expect.
(Image source: http://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/europe/brexit-triggers-huge-rise-hat… ) Sadly, what was to be expected, and ended up happening, is the racist and xenophobic extremists gaining even more confidence in their righteousness. The majority voted Leave! The majority thus must agree that letting people freely into our country needs to stop! Conclusions like these are what fuels these hateful groups, as they are able to justify their actions. They are just doing it for the good of the country! Which is why the rate of hateful crime against minorities spiked after the referendum, with 16% more cases reported than last year during the same period, climbing up to a 49% increase during the last week of July. The main targets seem to be “visible” minorities and people from Eastern Europe. According to the home secretary Amber Rudd, the levels of hate crime have since gone down to the same level as last year, but it is undeniable that something has shifted in the society. For many, the country they consider home does not feel safe anymore. She has, however, also expressed that companies should be forced to keep records of their international staff, to prevent people from other countries from stealing jobs that “belong to” British people.
(Image source: http://muslimgirl.com/30838/ashish-guptas-latest-fashion-flips-anti-immi… ) During London Fashion Week, Ashshish Gupta, a fashion designer of Indian descend, dedicated his collection to Indian tradition and its relevance in Britain. He himself wore a T-shirt reading “Immigrant“, and spoke up about how for the first time he feels like he is not welcome in the country he has considered home for 20 years.
Statements like these are important, especially to those of us who are young and uncertain about our future in this country. Moving to the UK, studying, and eventually settling down here has been my dream for a very long time, and as a girl from central/eastern Europe, I don’t feel especially welcome here at the moment. It is heart-breaking, because we don’t come here to steal jobs or the government’s money. Many of us come here because it’s our dream, because we love the culture, and because the life back home is really tough for a lot of us. Many people forget that, especially since Britons are treated abroad as posh and highly cultured, which is why they don’t really get to experience the unfair prejudice themselves. Luckily, Scotland has been very accepting and vocal about its displeasure with the outcome of the Referendum. After all, our HC chapter just would not be the same without all of our wonderful members from across the world!