The Marginalisation of the British Working Class and the Dreadful Plight of Asylum Seekers
The riots that swept through the UK in August 2024 reflected a cauldron of frustrations simmering beneath the surface, exposing deep societal rifts. At the heart of this unrest is the growing alienation of the British working class, whose cries for help have gone unanswered by the state for years. Alongside them, asylum seekers, many of whom have fled unimaginable horrors, are caught in a political and social storm. Both groups, victims in their own right, face different forms of neglect and hostility, and yet, the real culprits profit from the chaos: arms companies and politicians that fuel the conflicts driving asylum seekers into exile.
The British Working Class: Ignored and Forgotten
The British working class has long been the backbone of the nation, contributing to the prosperity and growth of the country. Yet, in recent decades, they have been increasingly marginalised and ignored. The erosion of manufacturing jobs, rising costs of living, and a social safety net that seems to shrink every year have left many feeling abandoned by their own government.
James and Oscar, residents of Hull, are emblematic of this neglected class. The pest control man had just arrived at their home to deal with a rat infestation, a fitting metaphor for the decay and neglect that has taken hold in many working-class communities. James recounts waking up one night to a rat biting his nose, a nightmarish reality that underscores how far the standard of living has fallen for people like them.
Hull, once a thriving port city, has become a symbol of broken promises and unfulfilled potential. The riots that erupted in August were not, as some politicians claimed, simply an outburst of “far-right thuggery.” They were, in James’s words, a “kick back” against years of governmental neglect. As he points out, people are crying in doorways, hungry and cold, yet no one seems to care about the plight of English-born citizens. The working class sees their own struggles; poverty, homelessness, and a crumbling welfare system being ignored while it appears to them that asylum seekers are provided with shelter and basic needs.
The frustration is palpable. “Government after government have laid the bomb,” says Danny, a former homeless man who now works to help others in need. “And it’s just exploded.” The riots, while violent, were a manifestation of deeper societal issues; of anger, neglect, and inequality.
The Dreadful Plight of Asylum Seekers
On the other side of this divide are the asylum seekers, people who have fled war zones, persecution, and unimaginable violence in search of safety. The asylum process in the UK is fraught with delays and uncertainty, with many asylum seekers placed in temporary accommodations, such as hotels, while they await the outcome of their claims. Most are men who confront the hazardous journey, sometimes alone, before possibly summoning their families at a later time.
James and Oscar, while deeply critical of immigration policies, express a kind of conflicted sympathy for the asylum seekers. “God bless them, they’ve got problems too,” James acknowledges, but adds that the anger people feel comes from a sense that their own struggles are being overlooked. The hotel in Hull, home to dozens of young men waiting for their asylum claims to be processed, became a flashpoint during the riots. It symbolised the perceived preferential treatment that asylum seekers receive, while British citizens like Donna, who has been homeless for over two years, are left to fend for themselves.
For many asylum seekers, the journey to the UK is the last chapter in a harrowing escape from conflict, persecution, and danger. They arrive traumatised, often with nothing but the hope of starting a new life. Yet, instead of finding safety and acceptance, they are met with suspicion and hostility. Many British citizens, struggling to survive in a failing system, view the asylum seekers as competitors for already scarce resources; housing, healthcare, and social services.
This resentment is not born from racism in every case, but from a sense of profound injustice. As Danny points out, “Ours are fighting a daily war.” The British working class is engaged in a battle for survival, against poverty, homelessness, and addiction, while asylum seekers, fleeing literal wars, are seen as draining the limited resources that should be used to help them.
Racism Is Not the Answer
Amid the chaos and anger, there is a dangerous undercurrent of racism that cannot be ignored. The riots were marked by appalling instances of racial hatred, with asylum seekers targeted simply for being foreign. Sir Keir Starmer’s comments about “far-right thuggery” may have oversimplified the situation, but there is no doubt that xenophobia played a role in the violence.
However, racism is not the answer to the deep-rooted problems facing the British working class. Blaming asylum seekers for the country’s woes only serves to distract from the real issues: a failing economic system, growing inequality, and a government that has abandoned its most vulnerable citizens. As James admits, not everyone shares his sympathy for asylum seekers, but many of those involved in the riots were not motivated by hate. They were angry, frustrated, and desperate to be heard.
Racism only deepens the divides within society, pitting the working class against immigrants instead of addressing the systemic failures that have left both groups struggling. The asylum seekers are not the enemy; they are fellow human beings who have endured unimaginable suffering. The true enemy is a system that allows both asylum seekers and the British working class to be neglected, ignored, and left to fend for themselves.
The Profiteers: Arms Companies and the Creation of Asylum Seekers
While the British working class and asylum seekers struggle for survival, there is a group that profits from their misery: arms companies. These corporations, often backed by governments, play a direct role in fuelling the wars and conflicts that create refugees in the first place. The arms trade is a lucrative business, and the UK is one of the largest exporters of weapons in the world.
The same weapons that are sold to oppressive regimes and war-torn regions are the ones driving people to flee their homes in search of safety. Asylum seekers from countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen are often the victims of conflicts fuelled by Western-made weapons. Yet, while these refugees suffer, the companies that produce and sell arms continue to rake in profits.
The irony is not lost on those who are paying attention. Asylum seekers are fleeing wars that were, in many cases, made worse by British arms exports. The British working class, meanwhile, is left to bear the brunt of austerity policies and economic decline, while the arms industry thrives. The profits from war do not trickle down to the streets of Hull, where people like Donna and Carl are struggling to survive. Instead, they go to the shareholders of arms companies, whose fortunes are built on the suffering of others.
A Call for Solidarity and Change
The riots of August 2024 were not an isolated incident. They were the result of years of neglect, frustration, and inequality. The British working class has been abandoned by governments more interested in maintaining the status quo than in addressing the deep-rooted problems facing its people. Asylum seekers, meanwhile, have become scapegoats for a system that is failing everyone except the wealthy and powerful.
But racism is not the answer. The anger and frustration felt by the working class are real and justified, but it is misplaced when directed at those who are even more vulnerable. The true enemies are the politicians who have turned their backs on the poor and the corporations that profit from war and human suffering.
What is needed now is solidarity between the working class and asylum seekers. Both groups are fighting different battles, but they share a common enemy in the forces of greed, inequality, and injustice. By coming together, they can demand change a system that prioritises people over profits, justice over inequality, and peace over war. Only then will the simmering anger that led to the riots be truly addressed, and a more just and equitable society be built.
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