Study reveals that UK news and political language around immigration has fueled a backlash against antiracism

Study reveals that UK news and political language around immigration has fueled a backlash against antiracism

A pattern of increasingly hostile language in both the UK press and Westminster debates has led to people of colour being framed as immigrants and depicted with far less sympathy, a new report finds.  

The Runnymede Trust, a race equality think tank, sifted through more than 63 million words drawn from 52,990 newspaper stories and 317 House of Commons debates on immigration between 2019 and the July 2024 general election. The researchers conclude that the way media outlets and politicians talk about race and migration has underpinned a surge in reactionary politics and a backlash against anti-racism—creating fertile ground for the far right. Titled “A Hostile Environment: Language, Race, Policing and the Media,” this is the second phase of Runnymede’s study; its first, covering 2010–14, revealed that “illegal” was the single most common qualifier for migrants in parliamentary debates, reinforcing the idea that migration is inherently criminal.  

In comparing the two periods, the report shows that from 2019 to 2024 the term “illegal” became even more tightly linked to “migrant” and “immigrant” across newspapers and Commons speeches than it was in 2010–14. This, the authors argue, cements the notion that illegality is migrants’ defining trait. They also trace how the post-2014 “hostile environment” policies have expanded and normalised state surveillance—through laws, reporting obligations and data-sharing arrangements.  

When the team filtered news coverage for identity markers attached to “immigrant,” they found “Mexican” topped the list—usually in stories about the United States—followed by “Chinese” and “Indian,” which appeared most often in UK immigration contexts. Other frequent pairings included “Asian,” “Irish,” “Haitian,” “Muslim,” “Jewish,” “non-white,” “Venezuelan,” “Cuban” and “African.” The report notes that UK media overwhelmingly picture immigrants as ethnically minoritised individuals.  

An analysis of Hansard shows that in Commons debates the ten words most commonly collocated with “migration” are “illegal,” “net,” “committee,” “act,” “bill,” “tackle,” “level,” “reduce,” “system” and “mass.” At the same time, MPs tend to use more humanising language—such as “guest,” “brave,” “community” or “diaspora”—when discussing Ukrainians. The report warns that racist rhetoric from top politicians and the press portrays immigration as an existential threat to British life, thereby legitimising ever-harsher policies.  

The researchers highlight the slogan “Stop the boats” as a striking example of media-parliamentary collaboration in framing public opinion. Its appropriation on placards and in chants during the summer 2024 riots demonstrates how hostile language can embolden racist violence. Use of this narrative peaked in 2023 and, although it dipped slightly in 2024, remained widespread throughout the study period.  

The Home Office has been approached for comment. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the August 2024 riots, sparked by the Southport attack, underscored the necessity for a fresh strategy on community cohesion. It added that a national task force is devising a strategic approach, backed by £1.5 billion in community-service investments across 75 areas.