In the wake of last Thursday’s vote to leave the European Union, Britain has seen a surge in xenophobia expressed in taunts, threats and worse.
For many, foreign and native-born, the UK has suddenly become a much scarier place.
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On a passenger train in Manchester, three teenage boys verbally and racially abused other passengers, telling one to “get back to Africa”.
Manchester Police have confirmed a 20, 18 and 16-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of affray in connection with the incident.
In west London police are investigating vandalism at a Polish cultural Centre.
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Their Chair Joana Mludzinska says racist attacks have stepped up since the referendum.
She says the Polish community haven’t seen this kind of behaviour before.
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Londoner Karissa Singh, has resorted to starting a “post ref racism” campaign after she says she was approached in a bar following the result and told ‘I know we only voted to leave the EU but we should have voted out to all of you lot.’
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She said there is a “very joyous, jubilant sense of ‘we voted for you to leave, now you pack your bags and you leave’.”
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Mutuma Ruteere, a United Nations racism specialist, said migration should be seen as a positive thing.
He says there isn’t a crisis in migration, the crisis is one of tolerance and diversity.
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Conservative MP, Simon Hoare, denounced the attacks in parliament recounting another incident, this time a racist tweet sent to someone in London. He likened the increase in xenophobia to a genie being let out of a bottle.
His leader David Cameron slammed the comments as “hideous”.
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He said he thought sentiments like these were banished from the UK, the country those now being targeted as foreigners call their home.
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