Party leaders told to end 'pernicious' rhetoric fuelling anti-migrant rallies

More than 200 refugee organisations, charities and trade unions have signed an open letter calling on Britain's political leaders to end "pernicious and insidious currents" of racism and hatred that underpin a slew of anti-migrant protests.

- Diane Taylor

The letter, coordinated by the coalition Together With Refugees, has been signed by organisations including Amnesty International UK, City of Sanctuary UK, Care4Calais, Doctors of the World, End Violence Against Women Coalition, Freedom from Torture, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, the Public and Commercial Services Union, Refugee Action and Safe Passage.

It was drafted in response to weeks of protests outside asylum seeker hotels across the country, often countered by anti-racism activists.

The protests have come against a backdrop of inflammatory language or misinformation from politicians including the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and the senior Conservative Robert Jenrick. In June, Keir Starmer, said he regretted a speech warning that Britain could become an "island of strangers".

This weekend, Jenrick prompted anger by claiming mass migration was putting women and girls at risk. He repeated the claim that 40% of sexual assaults committed in London last year were carried out by foreign nationals - one of several assertions about immigration that have been disputed or debunked in recent days.