Why anti-immigration 'British patriots' may not be what they seem
The mainstreaming of far-right narratives on immigration is contributing to the toxicity of online debates fuelled by false claims and overseas influence
Toxic immigration debates have become a depressingly familiar part of many people’s online lives. Those on the right argue that not enough is being done to stop “unvetted” men arriving in the UK via small boats. Progressives criticise the demonisation of these vulnerable groups and highlight the poor conditions they live in.
Exchanges between these groups are typically antagonistic in nature. Supporters of anti-immigration protests, the majority of whom endorse Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist Reform party, vehemently deny charges of racism directed at them. They claim they are merely expressing “legitimate concerns” over immigration.
Yet, it is undeniable that there has been a spike in online hate speech over the past year. Charities have asked politicians to moderate their language around immigration to avoid a repeat of the violent disorder seen during last year’s Southport riots. So far, these appeals appear to have been in vain.
False claims about asylum seekers
In October, there were clashes between police and protesters at a mass demonstration in London organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. These anti-immigration protests, and the related online contention, show no sign of abating any time soon.
One would be forgiven for thinking that immigration is all that people talk about online. Recent announcements by Reform, such as plans for the mass deportation of migrants living in the UK illegally, dominate the trending topics on sites like X. Misinformation, such as false claims that asylum seekers receive preferential access to benefits, is frequently posted by Reform supporters.
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Many of those sharing such false information will continue to believe its veracity even after it has been debunked. As we saw last year during the Southport riots, such online misinformation can help fuel racist violence.
However, these toxic online debates over immigration should not be viewed as representative of broader public opinion. Polls by organisations like YouGov do show that immigration is the topic that most concerns British voters. However, attitudes towards immigration remain generally more favourable than in other European countries.
Power of TikTok
There have also been questions raised about the authenticity of the groups behind the recent wave of anti-immigration protests. One study found that a network of ‘UK Patriot’ Facebook pages were actually being run by foreign groups.
The extent of support for Reform online also merits further scrutiny. Bot-like activity has been linked to the high visibility of the populist right-wing party on platforms like TikTok. Several investigations found that bot networks had helped amplify the party during the 2024 general election campaign.
This illustrates how algorithms can be manipulated to artificially inflate certain narratives. Given that many social media users do not leave digital traces of how they feel about immigration, it would be misleading to use online chatter as a proxy for public opinion.
It would therefore be prudent if social media users didn’t believe everything they read about immigration online. Yet, it should be acknowledged that the toxicity in these debates originates from the mainstreaming of far-right narratives on this topic.
Large sections of the media and political class have legitimised racist views by presenting them as “legitimate concerns”. While online platforms may skew public opinion, a collective effort is needed to ensure the public are exposed to fact-based and not false narratives on immigration.
Dr Paul Reilly is senior lecturer in communications, media and democracy at the University of Glasgow
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