Refugee charity tells of 'lasting impact' of summer riots

Police on the streets in Sunderland at the height of the summer riots.

This summer’s anti-immigration protests and riots have left a lasting negative impact on people seeking sanctuary in the region, says a North East-based refugee charity.

Two months after August’s civil unrest Action Foundation surveyed service users and staff about 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.

The charity’s CEO, Duncan McAuley, said: “The primary aim of the survey was to understand how the riots have affected the daily lives, mental health and sense of security among our clients, volunteers and staff.

“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 female with refugee status said: “I didn’t go out for two weeks. I went out one day with my baby and a teenager screamed at me ‘Go back to your country.’”

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 following the unrest in Sunderland and Hartlepool.

The report found people’s most common response was to stay home, whilst others reported that they moved to be with family or friends, while others said they avoided certain areas.”

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.

Last year the charity supported more than 3,200 people.

The charity runs a regular Drop-in offering casework advice and a youth project called Young Lives.

Manager of Young Lives, Bridget Stratford, said some of the families she works with were directly targeted with abuse and attacks.

She added: “Even months after the events, they could vividly articulate how they had been emotionally affected.”