ELECTORAL POLITICS | GOVERNMENT POLICY
We do not have capacity to cover all stories related to criticism of social media posts by political candidates.
13 May: European parliamentarians describe as an ‘outrageous’ ‘ideological crusade’ a decision by the European People’s Party and the far-right Patriots for Europe to extend by another six months a scrutiny committee investigating NGOs that receive EU funds. (EU Observer, 13 May 2026)
13 May: The King’s Speech includes another Immigration and Asylum Bill to put into law the government’s proposals to conduct more forced removals, dilute human rights protections and replace immigration judges with an appeal body within the Home Office. (Refugee Council, 13 May 2026)
14 May: 50 prominent Palestinians and Arabs call on Keir Starmer to afford their communities equal protection, also stating that Palestine solidarity marches are not ‘spaces of hate’ but ‘spaces of shared humanity’ and that concerns raised by British Palestinians and Arabs ahead of the Nakba commemorations and the Unite the Kingdom rally have been met with ‘silence and neglect’. (Middle East Eye, 14 May 2026)
15 May: Far-right politician Gidi Markuszower (the Dutch Alliance) is accused of incitement to violence after saying, in an interview, that Palestinian refugees should be prevented from entering the Netherlands ‘with even more force than what they fled from’ and that Palestinians should stay in ‘Arabia’ or ‘wither away’ in Gaza. (Middle East Eye, 15 May 2026)
18 May: The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion launches the National Conversation, with members of the public asked to compete a ten-minute survey about their neighbourhood and vision for the future and small group discussions taking place across the country. (Guardian, 18 May 2026)
23 May: The annual report of 10 human rights organisations warns that fundamental rights in Germany are under threat from a ‘rapid militarisation’ unprecedented since World War II and embraced by Conservatives, Socialists and Greens, who at the same timer approve cuts in development aid and refugee programmes. (Deutsche Welle, 23 May 2026)
23 May: In a by-election in Ireland for the Dublin Central constituency, independent anti-immigration candidate, Gerry Hutch, who called for ‘illegal immigrants’ to be interned, singling out Somalis, comes fourth, with 11.3 per cent of first preference votes, while another independent anti-immigration candidate, Malachy Steenson, doubles his share of the vote. (Guardian, 24 May 2026; Guardian, 21 May 2026; Irish Times, 24 May 2026)
24 May: In parliamentary elections in Cyprus, the far-right National People’s Front (ELAM) makes the biggest gains, emerging as the third largest parliamentary party with 10.9 per cent of the vote (up from 6.8% in 2021) and doubling its number of seats to eight. (Guardian 24 May 2026)
25 May: In Germany, two government documents published by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (‘Hidden Messages Anti-Semitic Codes and Ciphers’ and ‘Secular pro-Palestinian extremism’) are criticised for conflating anti-genocide advocacy with antisemitism. ( Middle East Eye, 25 May 2026)
ANTI-FASCISM AND THE FAR RIGHT
15 May: A vehicle that ran over a man in the Birmingham suburb of Stirchley as residents were taking down union flags was marked with a Raise the Colours logo, witnesses report. Members of the public report ‘harassment, intimidation and physical assault’ by Raise the Colours and a local MP writes to the police demanding ‘preventative measures’. (Guardian, 15 May 2026)
16 May: According to police estimates, 60,000 people attend the second far-right Unite the Kingdom march in central London, which was Christian-themed and organised to take place on the same day as the annual demonstration to commemorate the Nakba against the Palestinian people. Tommy Robinson calls on supporters to get involved in local politics. (Guardian, 17 May 2026)
16 May: Two men are arrested at a Unite the Kingdom march meeting point on suspicion of GBH, one in relation to the incident in Birmingham of a man who was run over by a van and suffered a broken after flags were removed from lampposts. (Guardian, 16 May 2026)
16 May: In a stunt which critics say normalises far-right actions, charity Choose Love raises over £130,000 for refugee support by getting donors to give 2p for every metre of Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march, with billboards along the route proclaiming ‘Tommy Robinson chooses love – and there’s nothing he can do about it!’ (Metro, 16 May 2026)
26 May: The Iranian drill rapper Tony Mohraz (021kid), who campaigns for a return of the monarchy and has been accused of inciting violence against left-wing Iranians in London, posts a film of himself attending a Unite the Kingdom rally. (Guardian, 25 May 2026)
ANTI-TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY
14 May: The Metropolitan commissioner reveals that counter-terrorism teams are leading 11 investigations (leading to 35 arrests) after a ‘sustained period of attack’ upon the Jewish community who are ‘not currently safe in the capital’. (Guardian, 14 May 2026)
POLICING| PRISONS| CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
13 May: The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association says that the UK Crime and Policing Act contains provisions, such as on ‘cumulative disruption’, that are ‘fundamentally incompatible with international human rights’ and warns against stigmatising and banning pro-Palestinian marches in the name of preventing antisemitism. (OHCHR, 13 May 2026)
15 May: Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old Congolese man living in Ireland, dies after being held face-down for several minutes by several men, including security guards, on a Dublin street following an alleged shoplifting incident. (Black Current News, 19 May 2026)
Correction – Yves Sakila’s nephew tells Channel 4 News his uncle’s death at the hands of security guards in Dublin was “similar to George Floyd”.
“It’s racism, pure racism,” he says. pic.twitter.com/tx62vtcDa9
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) May 24, 2026
15 May: A neo-Nazi teenager who attacked a Kurdish barber with an axe is jailed for more than 15 years. Alina Burns attacked Mohammed Mahmoodi outside his shop in Bristol after saying she wanted to ‘kill all Jews and Muslims.’ (Guardian, 15 May 2026)
16 May: The cost pf policing the Unite the Kingdom rally and the Nakba 78, where 43 arrests were made, was £4.5 million. Police were given extra powers to stop and search without suspicion, prosecutors were issued with new legal guidance ‘on the use of offensive banners, slogans, chants or symbols’, and organisers were made personally responsible for the conduct of speakers on stages. Armoured vehicles were placed on standby and facial recognition technology was deployed at transport hubs. (Independent, 17 May 2026; Middle East Eye, 16 May 2026)
16 May: Al Jazeera publishes a video showing police violently hitting and pepper-spraying protesters as thousands gathered in Berlin, Germany, to mark the 78th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. (Al Jazeera, 16 May 2026)
19 May: The IOPC, having initially declined to do so, opens an investigation into the use of force by police against Nicholas Stone, a retired NHS worker who died shortly after becoming unwell following police contact at a protest against the far-right Bristol Patriots in January. (Guardian, 19 May 2026)
19 May: A man pleads guilty to shouting racially abusive remarks at a police officer who was called a ‘p***’ and told ‘go back to your homeland’ during the Unite the Kingdom rally in London. (Standard, 19 May 2026)
19 May: The gardaí and police ombudsman open inquiries into the death of Yves Sakila, who died on the 15 May after being detained and chased by security officers at a department store in Dublin, Ireland. Police officers’ involvement on arrival at the scene is investigated. As distressing footage circulates on social media, The Congolese Community in Ireland and the Africa Solidarity Centre issue statements. (RTE, 19 May 2026; Irish Council for Civil Liberties, 19 May 2026; The Journal, 18 May 2026)
21 May: The Mayor of London blocks a £50m Met deal with US tech company Palantir which would have brought in AI automated intelligence analysis into criminal investigations, with MOPAC citing a clear and serious breach of procurement rules. (Guardian, 21 May 2026)
21 May: The European Legal Support Centre and the Public Interest Law Centre file a formal complaint with the Bar Standards Board against three patrons of UK Lawyers for Israel, accusing them of abusing their senior positions as barristers to intimidate individuals and organisations involved in lawful advocacy related to Palestine. (Middle East Eye, 21 May 2026)
24 May: Research by Queen Mary University of London and Defend Our Juries based on 256 case studies links the rise in ‘political prisoners’ to custodial sentences for acts of climate change or war in Gaza-related direct action or civil disobedience. The average detention period was 28 weeks, with one in three jailed for six months or more and one in five for more than a year. (Guardian, 24 May 2026)
New breed of political prisoners in Britain…. despite spokesperson for judges reassurance : “Judicial independence and impartiality are fundamental to the rule of law.”https://t.co/3vS8vF6dvz?
— CAGE International (@CAGEintl) May 23, 2026
ASYLUM| MIGRATION| BORDERS| CITIZENSHIP
Asylum and migrant rights
15 May: The 46 member states of the Council of Europe, including the UK, sign the Chişinǎu Declaration, which endorses the use of third-country ‘return hubs’ and off-shore processing of asylum claims, potentially allows deportation to a risk of inhuman or degrading treatment and limits to judges’ intervention to stop removals, leaving human rights groups ‘deeply concerned’. (Guardian, 15 May 2026; EIN, 15 May 2026)
18 May: A Red Cross analysis of Home Office data reveals that several hundred children, roughly a third of them unaccompanied, remain separated from parents every month that refugee family reunion rights are suspended, as a judicial review of the suspension is heard in the High Court. (Guardian, 18 May 2026)
21 May: Following years of pressure and for the first time, the Home Office publishes its own data confirming that hundreds of unaccompanied young people are being treated as adults based on appearance and face significant risks in adult accommodation, shared rooms with strangers, immigration detention and adult prisons. The Helen Bamber Foundation warns of the high level assessed to be children by local authorities, as many remain in limbo whilst waiting a decision. (Helen Bamber Foundation, 21 May 2026)
Borders and internal controls
14 May: A new situation report from the Legal Centre Lesvos documents intensifying securitisation of Greece’s borders and an alarming rise in deaths. 81 deaths and 41 disappearances occurred during attempts to reach Greece from Turkey and Libya between January and April, along with several shipwrecks linked to violent pushbacks by Greek or Turkish coastguard and increased criminalisation of asylum and rescue. (Legal Centre Lesvos, 14 May 2026)
17 May: National Crime Agency (NCA) figures reveal 300 arrests and 59 convictions in the year to April 2026 for offences related to bringing people to the UK; how many of these were asylum seekers is not revealed. (LBC, 17 May 2026)
17 May: The NCA says several hundred people each year are paying smugglers to leave the UK for France, especially migrant workers from north Africa as well as refused asylum seekers fearing deportation to their home country. (iNews, 17 May 2026)
Reception and detention
20 May: Wealden District Council expresses dismay over a secret agreement discovered in court papers between the Home Office and Ministry of Defence allowing the Crowborough military camp to accommodate asylum seekers until 2030, despite repeated promises that the camp would close within 12 months. (BBC, 20 May 2026)
Deportations
16 May: The ‘one in, one out’ deal with France, under which 605 people have been returned to France and 581 brought to the UK from France, is extended to October. (Guardian, 16 May 2026)
20 May: The Home Office cancels the deportation to France of an Eritrean man after he made a serious attempt on his life. (Guardian, 20 May 2026)
HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISCRIMINATION
16 May: On the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, British Palestinian Committee director Sara Husseini says that British Palestinians are being treated as suspects rather than victims of mass suffering and that some are afraid to wear Palestinian symbols at work or display Arabic jewellery and keffiyehs in public. (Guardian, 16 May 2026)
Must read interview with Sara Husseini, Director of @BritPalCommitt, describing the significance of the solidarity movement and our marches for Palestine: “it’s a protest against the most hateful acts possible: war and genocide.”https://t.co/dD7YGAi5B4
— Palestine Solidarity Campaign (@PSCupdates) May 17, 2026
EDUCATION
23 May: The Oxford Union ‘postpones’ a debate on Islam featuring Tommy Robinson due to security concerns. As faith leaders oppose the invitation, Oxford Union’s president Arwa Elrayess faces resignation calls after it is claimed she ‘secretly’ invited Robinson. (Oxford Mail, 23 May 2026
HOUSING| POVERTY| WELFARE
16 May: Record numbers of UK renters are crowdfunding to cover rent and household bills. GoFundMe reports a 60 per cent increase in rent donations since 2022, with 100,000 donors helping vulnerable people keep a roof over their heads. (Guardian, Saturday 16 May)
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
16 May: A University of East Anglia study of young Afghan refugees who fled unaccompanied by family members finds that they have suffered long-lasting PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, loneliness, insomnia and physical pain, and receive inadequate long-term therapeutic support. (Independent, 16 May 2026)
EMPLOYMENT| EXPLOITATION| INDUSTRIAL ACTION
12 May: A BBC investigation finds an increase in racist abuse and attacks on NHS staff, with over 8,200 incidents reported in 2024 (the latest year for which figures are available) and research by campaign group Equality 4 Black Nurses finding that two-thirds of incidents go unreported. (BBC News, 12 May 2026)
22 May: Bill Winters, chief executive of the global bank Standard Charter, posts a partial apology after facing a backlash to comments he made referring to some of the 7,800 staff set to lose their jobs to artificial intelligence as ‘lower-value human capital’. (Guardian, 22 May 2026)
CULTURE| MEDIA| SPORT
While we cannot cover all incidents of racist abuse on sportspersons or their responses, we provide a summary of the most important incidents. For more information follow Kick it Out.
13 May: More than 245 people, including Greta Thunberg and Gary Lineker, sign an open letter defending Southbank Centre chair Misan Harriman against what they call a ‘dishonest smear campaign’ after he allegedly compared Reform voters to Nazis and shared a post questioning media coverage of a Muslim victim of the Golders Green attack. The letter says that silencing critics of Israel by labelling them antisemitic does not protect Britain’s Jewish community. (Guardian, 13 May 2026)
15 May: Councillors report online abuse following local elections. Nosheen Khalid (independent, Birmingham) says that cyberbullies created AI-generated images of her naked, semi-naked and taking off her hijab. Shazad Fazal (Labour, Calderdale, West Yorkshire) received 200 abusive messages, some branding him a paedophile and a terrorist, and one asking him how many women and children he had sexually assaulted. (BBC News, 15 May 2026)
17 May: French production company Canal+ threatens to blacklist more than 600 actors and directors who signed a petition warning against the growing influence of far-right billionaire Vincent Bolloré, warning that this ownership risked ‘a fascist takeover of the collective imagination.’ France‘s Human Rights League and the CGT union take legal action against Canal+ over the blacklisting threat. (Le Monde, 17 May 2026; Euronews, 23 May 2026)
24 May: British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed says that UK intelligence services made three attempts to recruit him, including through the involvement of a senior BBC executive. (Guardian, 24 May 2026)
RACIAL VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT
For details of court judgements on racially motivated and other hate crimes, see also POLICING | PRISONS | CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
14 May: According to the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI), racist violence has reached unprecedented levels, with new statistics showing that in the twelve months up to 31 March 2026, 1,507 race hate crimes were reported, an average of four race hate crimes a day. (Irish News, 14 May 2026)
15 May: Anti-racism campaigner Beverley Simpson says that her family have been subjected to ongoing racist verbal abuse with mud and water balloons thrown at their home in Strathfoyle, Londonderry. (BBC News, 15 May 2026)
This calendar is researched by IRR staff and compiled by Sophie Chauhan, with the assistance of Graeme Atkinson, Margaret McAdam and Louis Ordish. Thanks also to ECRE, the Never Again Association, Research Against Global Authoritarianism and Stopwatch, whose regular updates on asylum, migration, far Right, racial violence, employment and policing issues are an invaluable source of information. Find these stories and all others since 2014 on our searchable database, the Register of Racism and Resistance.