Thousands of Afghan refugees housed temporarily in British hotels have faced increasing harassment by far-right groups, according to organisations monitoring the activities of extremists.
Campaigners said the groups are drawing on Islamophobic narratives to whip up hate against the refugees. Seeking to highlight the cost to the taxpayer and the ‘importing of Muslims’ to gain support for a racially and Islamophobic driven narrative.
Britain First – Right-wing extremism
Britain First is one of the most notorious and prominent groups involved in the campaign, and according to its own website, it has made more than a dozen unsolicited visits to hotels housing refugees across England in recent weeks.
The Guardian – The ‘West has no plan for Afghan refugee disaster’
Right-wing extremism monitor Hope Not to Hate said the resettlement schemes for Afghans have become a focal point for many far-right groups.
It said the arrival of the refugees has led to the far-right “reviving, and refining, similar attacks used during the Syria crisis.”
Afghan refugees an easy target
It added, is using ideas rooted in Islamophobia such as the “Muslim takeover of Europe,” or framing refugees and others from Muslim countries as potential terrorists or sex offenders, to incite hatred against them.
A narrative used consistently by the likes of Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage in the early days, before he rebranded himself. They have set the platform to use refugees and in this particular instance Afghan refugees as an easy target.
In the videos, right-wing activists are seen filming themselves showing up at hotels and trying to find and film refugees, who they incorrectly describe as illegal immigrants.
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