This summer’s anti-immigration protests and riots have left a lasting negative impact on some people seeking sanctuary here according to a report we’ve compiled following a survey with clients, staff and volunteers. Two months after August’s civil unrest, we asked how the riots had affected them and how they felt in the aftermath. The results form a report, ‘Unwanted, like a stranger’ – Reflections on the 2024 riots.

Our survey, which was completed by 38 service users and 20 staff, was undertaken in a bid to understand how the riots affected the daily lives, mental health and sense of security amongst our clients, volunteers and staff.

Action Foundation CEO, Duncan McAuley, said: “The deep impact of the riots on those who contributed to this report and the scale of support shown for migrants following the civil unrest exposes the need for a genuine, meaningful and constructive conversation about immigration. The violence and racist attacks last summer should be a call to dialogue and change across our communities in the North East.”

Of those refugees and asylum seekers surveyed, 58% said they felt personally affected by the riots, protests and attacks and 32% reported feeling scared.

One woman said: “I didn’t go out for two weeks. I went out one day with my baby, a teenager screamed at me: ‘Go back to your country!’”

A male asylum seeker described their feelings at the time as: “Scared, lonely, sad and angry. The most bad feeling was that there are people who don’t like me, who want to hurt me.”

Another wrote: “My wife was crying and wanted to go back to Iran. Scared of being attacked.”

More than half of the people surveyed said they felt unsafe and that they adjusted their day-to-day activities. People’s most common response was to stay home, whilst others reported that they moved to be with family or friends. Some said they avoided certain areas and postponed appointments.

“We stopped going to the park that (we) used to go to every day,” one woman said.

Action Foundation runs four main services for refugees and asylum seekers in Tyne and Wear covering accommodation support; free English teaching; employability and digital inclusion classes; a regular Drop-in offering casework advice and a youth project called Young Lives. Last year the charity supported more than 3,200 people.

Young people

The manager of our Young Lives service, Bridget Stratford MBE, said some of the families she works with were directly targeted with abuse and attacks.

One family had their windows smashed, while another presented CCTV footage of neighbours’ anti-social behaviour towards them.

Ms Stratford says in the report:

“One child disclosed that they had been physically assaulted because of their background and multiple children recounted being shouted at in the street with racist remarks or being told to ‘go back home’. Even months after the events, they could vividly articulate how they had been emotionally affected and how this led to heightened anxiety as they returned to school in September.”

Lasting impact

It’s clear from the report that the riots have had a lasting effect on adults as well as children, with emotions still raw for some. Asked how they felt two months on from the riots, people said:

“I feel like I am living in a hidden war. Or a cold war.  I feel I am hunted.”

“(It) feels calmer but the memories are still there, and I have difficulties sleeping.”

 

Show of support

However, others were heartened by the show of support for migrant communities that happened in response to the riots. One comment read:

 “I feel OK now because there are many people that supported refugees out there. I appreciate that.”

The report concludes: “We recognise that the events of August 2024 affected all our people, especially young people, women and families and that these negative feelings haven’t evaporated.”

Action Foundation plans to engage with other organisations across Tyne and Wear in a bid to better support and address the specific challenges faced by refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants, starting on November 28 when Duncan will speak at this year’s VONNE (Voluntary Organisations Network North East) conference and AGM which is focusing on community cohesion.

For details about the VONNE conference, click here.