Migrant experiences of antisocial behaviour - indicative findings

Working with Migration Yorkshire, an organisation that supports organisations across Yorkshire and Humber to achieve positive outcomes of migration, I explored how migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and other recently settled populations experience antisocial behaviour.

We conducted qualitative research with these groups and with practitioners and charity workers in the sector. Jack Liuta, community researcher at Migration Yorkshire, helped conduct the interviews in an ethical and empathetic way, using his own experience of migration to the UK to help participants to feel safe and comfortable.

We found that migrants were often not sure how to define antisocial behaviour, although perhaps that is unsurprising as my previous research suggested that practitioners and ‘perpetrators’ of antisocial behaviour are often unsure too. Migrants in our study focused on extreme, criminal and racist or xenophobic behaviours, although there were some examples of minor annoyance or nuisance. Many migrants talked about behaviours in relation to the feelings they triggered: of being unwelcome, unwanted and unsafe.

Our research suggested that migrants often experience persistent antisocial behaviour, including racist and migration status targeted behaviours such as verbal abuse, physical assault or antisocial behaviour from service providers or professionals. For example, multiple participants spoke about experiencing poor service, or in some cases violence, from the police.

Despite antisocial behaviour being commonly experienced, there were numerous barriers to reporting including language and a lack of information. Others highlighted negative perceptions of the police, either from previous countries or in England, which meant they felt they would not be taken seriously or could face repercussions for reporting.

These fears are perhaps not unfounded, as participants reported racist or xenophobic attitudes from the police and being treated as a suspect when they did make a report. Additionally, migrants spoke of wanting to show gratitude to the society they lived in, wanting to not cause problems and to keep to themselves.

The impact of antisocial behaviour on migrants was significant and, in some cases, long-lasting. These impacts often built upon previous trauma, especially for asylum seekers and refugees who had come to the UK seeking sanctuary. Some spoke of feeling unwelcome and unsafe in society, sometimes leading to separating themselves from other people or not going to certain areas of the place they live in.

Additionally, there was a clear impact on the health of migrants following antisocial behaviour, with issues of stress, anxiety and depression in adults and children. One of them said:

“It really affects children when they hear someone calling them names or asking them to leave. It just affects them mentally and make them consider really so they think they are unwelcome and unwanted”

Whilst still in the early stages of analysis, Jack and I shared our findings in a keynote speech at the Voluntary Community Sector Conference in November. As well as fore-fronting the voices of migrants, this was an opportunity to hear practitioner feedback on the project and how they can use the findings in their work.