A new wave of anti-immigration sentiment seems to be rising worldwide. The reasons are more or less familiar: economic and cultural anxiety, political leaders feeding off it, and the growing belief that immigration systems are broken. Each place has its own trigger, but together, they tell a story of societies turning inward, convinced that newcomers are a threat instead of a strength.
The UK is no exception. Reform UK, a Right-wing party built on populist anger, is fast gaining ground. And social media makes the divide even sharper.
Once again, the issue of Pakistani grooming gangs has been revived. More than just a crime story, it has now become a symbol used to argue that immigration and multiculturalism have failed.
A rallying cry for Right
For decades, in town after town, vulnerable local girls were preyed upon by groups of men—overwhelmingly of Pakistani origin—while police, councils, and even sections of the media looked the other way. Whether this was done out of a fear of being accused of racism or sheer negligence, the result was the same: years of silence while lives were being destroyed. And so, every time the issue is back in conversation, it is remembered less as a heinous crime and more as a collective system failure.
This perceived failure fuels the anger now spilling into the broader anti-immigration debate. For many, grooming gangs are evidence of a system unwilling to confront uncomfortable truths. The silence of the authorities has become the rallying cry of the Right, asserting that immigration brings cultural dangers that the state is too weak to acknowledge.
And now, with figures like Elon Musk highlighting the issue on global platforms, the conversation has tilted even further. Musk’s posts, while drawing attention to the problem, also paint all immigrants with the same brush. And what should be about justice for victims and a hard look at systemic failures instead becomes a stage for blame games.
It’s clear that most of the perpetrators were of Pakistani origin, yet they are repeatedly described as “South Asian”. The term clubs together Indian Muslims, Bangladeshis, Sikhs, and Hindus—communities with no connection to these crimes. Indian Muslims, in particular, who have rarely been linked to such offences in Western nations, now find themselves bearing the stigma for acts they never committed. The line between accountability and prejudice blurs, and in that gap, entire communities get scapegoated.
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Diverse challenges
When we refuse to name the problem honestly, we close the door to a solution. Yes, responsibility lies with individuals, but to deny that culture played a role is to look away from the truth. How is it that so many men from the same background could be involved—or remain silent? The answer is not comfortable. It lies in the moral codes these men carried with them, where women are judged through the lens of family honour, where “outsiders” are seen as lesser, and where silence is safer than shame. These ideas, rooted in the cultures the men migrated from, did not vanish when they arrived in England. They travelled with them and began to shape how justice, dignity, and protection were rationed out.
It is this transplant of social hierarchy into the diaspora that allowed the abuse to continue for so long.
Authorities often seem unsure about handling this reality. While diversity brings strength, it also brings challenges—and pretending they don’t exist doesn’t help anyone.
Look at the past: When honour killings started surfacing in South Asian and Middle Eastern communities in the UK, authorities turned a blind eye. It took years, and far too many tragedies, for them to even begin to understand the problem. The hope now is that the UK has learned lessons from its past, and is better equipped to handle the challenges of diversity—by understanding migrant communities and cultures instead of dismissing them entirely.
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist, writer, and TV news panellist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called ‘India This Week by Amana and Khalid’. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)