Calendar of Racism and Resistance ( 4 – 17th February 2026)

Calendar of Racism and Resistance ( 4 – 17th February 2026)

February 18 2026 News

Written by: IRR News Team


 

ELECTORAL POLITICS| GOVERNMENT POLICY

As anti-migrant, anti-equalities, anti-abortion, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQI rhetoric in electoral campaigning are increasingly interlinked, we reflect this in the coverage below which also includes information on the influence of the Christian Right as well as the religious Right generally.

3 February: At the European parliament, Patriots for Europe and the European Conservatives and Reformists host the Political Network for Values conference, ‘Free Speech vs. Regulated Speech’, with Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Watch International and other US conservative Christian groups among the listed speakers. (DeSmog, 6 February 2026) 

5 February: An analysis of dozens of messages contained in the latest tranche of Epstein files shows Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon attempting to tap Jeffrey Epstein for support and funding to bolster European far-right parties, including AfD in Germany, the League in Italy and Marine Le Pen in France. (Guardian, 5 February 2026) 

5 February: An investigation finds that the US State department is set to award grants to fund Maga-aligned think tanks and charities in Europe to spread ‘American values’,  disseminate Washington’s policy positions and challenge perceived threats to free speech, with meetings already taking place with Reform UK. (Financial Times, 5 February 2026)

5 February: After a Fidesz election rally in Gyöngyös, Hungary, is disrupted by Roma protesters calling for the resignation of the construction minister for racist remarks, prime minister Viktor Orbán posts that the protesters are criminals paid by the opposition. Police deny claims that they passed on personal data about the protesters to the government. (EU Observer, 5 February 2026)

7 February: Reform-run Kent council is accused of fabricating £40m net zero savings linked to its Elon-Musk style ‘department of local government efficiency’. Reform councillors concede that the party found no significant wasted expenditure when it took over the local authority in 2025. (Guardian, 7 February 2026)

9 February: Despite losing the second round of the Portuguese presidential election, far-right Chega candidate André Ventura secures a record share of the vote for the party (33.2 percent). (Guardian, 9 February 2026)

9 February: In Spanish elections in the north-eastern region of Aragón, the far-right Vox party, which comes third, doubles its seat count (total of 24, 18 percent of the vote), making the conservatives reliant on their support to govern. (Guardian, 9 February 2026; Reuters, 9 February 2026)

11 February: The Traveller Movement publishes a pan-London study of how well Romani (Gypsy), Roma, Irish and Scottish Traveller communities are included in London’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategies. (Traveller Movement on X, 11 February 2026)

11 February: After Reform’s Chris Large resigns as group leader on Staffordshire County Council, it emerges that at least one complaint was made against him for endorsing racist comments on TikTok. Large claims his account was hacked. (BBC News, 11 February 2026)

12 February: The far-right Swiss People’s Party introduces the ‘No to a 10 million Switzerland’ initiative, which will lead to a referendum on 10 June on whether to limit immigration to stop population growth. (Guardian, 12 February 2026)

12 February: After Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni describes those protesting against the Winter Olympics as ‘enemies of Italy’ and ‘gangs of criminals’, the opposition link her comments to repressive measures, including a security decree approved one day before the Olympics began that allows police to detain suspected potential agitators for up to 12 hours prior to a protest. (Guardian, 12 February 2026)

13 February: As part of its foreign funding programme to financially back political groups and European think tanks sympathetic to MAGA ideology, the  Heritage Foundation holds talks with 10 European groups, including the ‘non-partisan’ British Free Speech Union , and the French organisation Western Arc whose mission is to  ‘organize western civilizational renewal’. (Politico, 13 February 2026)

13 February: In a case brought by the cofounder of Palestine Action, the High Court rules that its proscription under anti-terrorism laws is unlawful, as a disproportionate interference with freedoms of expression and assembly. The group remains proscribed pending a government appeal. (Guardian, 13 February 2026)

14 February: Former Reform UK MP Robert Lowe launches a new political party, Restore Britain, which will partner, in his constituency, with Great Yarmouth First. (BBC News, 14 February 2026)

14 February: At the Munich Security Council conference, the EU’s foreign policy chief rejects the US claim that Europe faces ‘civilisational erasure’. (Guardian 15 February 2026)

15 February: Reform’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election is criticised for describing as ‘insane’ a jail sentence for a man who on social media posts called for people to ‘start the slaughter’ of migrants and to burn down asylum hotels. (The I paper, 15 February 2026)

16 February: An inquiry into European NGOs by right-wing MEPs in the European Parliament’s scrutiny working group, looking for political influence-peddling and lack of transparency in funding of migration- and climate-friendly groups, fails to find any wrongdoing. (EU Observer, 16 February 2026)

ANTI-FASCISM AND THE FAR RIGHT

With anti-migrant, anti-Muslim, anti-equalities, anti-abortion, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQI activities increasingly interlinking, we now incorporate information on the Christian Right as well as the religious Right generally.

4 February: A court in Budapest, Hungary sentences German anti-fascist activist Maja T. to eight years in prison for taking part in assaults on participants at a 2023 far Right ‘Day of Honour’ rally, one of Europe’s largest neo-Nazi events. Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled her extradition unlawful over detention concerns, and critics argue the trial was politically motivated, as Viktor Orbán’s government has designated antifa a terrorist organisation. (Newser, 4 February 2026)

4 February: A Vashti Media investigation reveals the links between pro-Israel street movement Stop the Hate and the British far Right. (Vashti Media, 4 February 2026) 

7 February: Around 200 anti-fascists outnumber far-right demonstrators at a rally in Warwick organised by Patriotic Alternative, where Aryan Front banners were on display. (Newsflare, 7 February 2026)

7 February: The campaign Moseley is for Everyone, in a Birmingham suburb, removes Union flags from public street furniture to rounds of applause from observers. ‘It’s a very diverse community with a good sense of cohesion. We object to outsiders taking over the public realm by putting up flags the way it’s been done’, says the organiser. (Birmingham Live, 7 February 2026)

7 February: After Tommy Robinson travels to Cheslyn Hay, Staffordshire, to confront a transgender teacher and posts a video online, the school rejects claims in the video that students have been punished for using the wrong pronouns. Parents express concern about the safety of the school due to Robinson’s intervention. (Express & Star, 7 February 2026)

10 February: West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council say that they are monitoring the situation after reports of angry scenes in Moseley after local people take down flags erected by Raise the Colours. In Stirchley, around a mile from Moseley, some residents and businesses also take flags down. (BBC News, 10 February 2026) 

16 February: Police in Lyon, France, launch a murder inquiry after far-right activist Quentin Deranque dies after being attacked on the street during an anti-immigration Nemesis Collective rally opposing the presence of Rima Hassan, an MP for left-wing La France Insoumise, at a university conference. (Guardian, 16 February 2026) 

POLICING| PRISONS| CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

3 February: ‘Supermax’-style separation units are to be introduced to the UK to house ‘the most dangerous extremist prisoners’, who will be unable to use human rights law to challenge the tough conditions, says justice minister David Lammy, following recommendations by the UK’s reviewer of counter-terror laws. (Guardian, 3 February 2026) 

“It is important to emphasise that the review has not recommended the creation of a ‘supermax’-style prison in the UK.”

Our view on the independent review of separation centres: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/03/supermax-style-units-most-dangerous-criminals-introduced-england-wales

— The Howard League (@thehowardleague.bsky.social) 4 February 2026 at 16:02

4 February: At Woolwich Crown Court, six Palestine Action activists are cleared of aggravated burglary at the Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol. (Guardian, 4 February 2026)

4 February: Following the inquest into the death of Matthew Osborne, a coroner refers the deaths of five men who took their own lives within nine months at Lowdham Grange, a category B prison run by Sodexo, to Nottinghamshire police for possible criminal investigation. One of the five, Lithuanian national Rolandas Karbauskas, who hanged himself, spoke barely any English; lack of interpretation facilities was flagged up at his inquest. (BBC News, 4 February 2026)

5 February: A man misidentified by a London supermarket with a facial recognition system and wrongly accused of being a shoplifter says he should not have to prove his innocence. (Guardian, 5 February 2026)

9 February: In France, the trial opens in Paris of nine riot police officers (CRS), filmed beating Yellow Vest protesters with batons in Paris in December 2018 and charged with ‘wilful violence by a person holding public authority’. (RFI, 9 February 2026)

13 February: Following the High Court ruling that the ban on Palestine Action was unlawful, the Met says that while showing support for PA remains an offence, the ‘unusual circumstances’ surrounding the ruling means they will focus on gathering evidence for possible future enforcement, rather than making arrests. Retirees, who make up many of the nearly 3,000 people previously arrested, say uncertainty remains about their trials. (Guardian, 13 February 2026; Guardian, 16 February 2026)

14 February: Police spent over £10 million enforcing the ban on Palestine Action, arresting over 2,000 people for holding signs, and the government spent £700,000 unsuccessfully defending it in court, it is reported. (Observer, 14 February 2026)

ASYLUM | MIGRATION| BORDERS| CITIZENSHIP

Asylum and migrant rights

5 February: The European Court of Justice rules unlawful Bulgaria’s refusal to entertain an asylum claim from a Syrian teenager on ‘safe third country’ grounds because he had spent a month in Turkey. (Courthouse News via ECRE, 5 February 2026)

5 February: The Home Office introduces a ban on asylum seekers using taxis for medical appointments, with exemptions for people with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses and pregnancy-related needs requiring authorisation by the Home Office. (BBC, 5 February 2026)

9 February: As the IPPR says over 300,000 children will be forced to wait ten years for settled status in the UK under government ‘earned settlement’ proposals, Lord Alf Dubs calls for refugee family reunion to be reinstated to enable children with family members in the UK to join them. (Guardian, 9 February 2026; Guardian, 9 February 2026)

9 February: The government announces an expansion of the Hong Kong visa scheme to adult children of British national (overseas) status holders, their partners and children, and clarifies that unlike other migrants, Hong Kongers will be eligible for settlement in five years. (Guardian, 9 February 2026)

12 February: As the Home Office consultation on earned settlement, which proposes doubling the standard qualifying period from 5 to 10 years, closes with 130,000 responses, 35 Labour MPs, 17 MPs from other parties, 21 peers and 33 civil society organisations write to the home secretary urging that migrants already in the UK are exempted. (EIN, 13 February 2026)

Borders and internal controls

3 February: At least 15 people die when the Greek coastguard collides with a speedboat carrying migrants off Chios in the eastern Aegean. 25 more migrants, including around 11 children, and two coastguard officers are rescued and taken to hospital on Chios. (Ekathimerini, 4 February 2026)

5 February: The Cranston inquiry into the drowning of at least 33 people in the Channel in November 2021 reports systemic government failures, lost opportunities, and inadequate resourcing leading to chronic understaffing at Dover Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. A French naval vessel did not respond to a Mayday call, and HM Coastguard prematurely ended the search. The inquiry makes eighteen urgent recommendations. (Guardian, 5 February 2026)

11 February: A new report on the state of the rule of law in Greece says that violent pushbacks continue despite condemnation by the ECtHR, and that police violence, sometimes fatal, towards migrants in custody is not properly investigated. (Refugee Support Aegean, 11 February 2026)

12 February: After spending over a year in pre-trial detention, an Egyptian asylum seeker is acquitted by a Greek court of facilitating illegal entry for allegedly assisting with refuelling a vessel during its journey from Libya. He is convicted of illegal entry. (Legal Centre Lesvos, 14 February 2026)

13 February: Changes to border controls from 25 February requires dual British citizens to show their British passport or apply for ‘certificate of entitlement’ to attach to their second nationality passport, at a cost of £589, when travelling to the UK, as many say the change was not communicated effectively to those living abroad. (Guardian, 13 February 2026) 

16 February: The new rules requiring British dual nationals to show a UK passport when entering the UK are found to be discriminatory against some women, in particular those from Spain and Greece, who took out citizenship after Brexit, as the name on two passports is not the same. (Guardian, 16 February 2026)

Reception and detention

2 February: A two-year-old video shared online in the Netherlands sparks outrage as it shows an asylum reception centre guard in Budel, Noord-Brabant, apparently forcing an asylum seeker to bend down on his knees to kiss the guard’s boots. Viewers liken the guard’s behaviour to the Gestapo or ICE. (InfoMigrants, 4 February 2026)

8 February: Data from Ireland’s Department of Justice reveal that almost 400 asylum seekers were turned away from IPAS asylum centres in January as there was no room. (Irish Times, 8 February 2026) 

Deportations

5 February: The Home Office says that 60,000 people have been removed or deported since Labour took office in July 2024, of whom 43,000 left ‘voluntarily’ after being told they were in the country illegally. (Independent, 5 February 2026; Info Migrants, 13 February 2026)

6 February: Three African countries (Namibia, Angola and the DRC) targeted for visa sanctions by the home secretary agree to fast-track taking back their own nationals. (Times, 6 February 2026)

6 February: Nine UN experts publish a letter calling on the UK and France to end the ‘one in, one out’ system which they say has led to cruel and inhuman treatment of vulnerable victims of torture, slavery and trafficking, including responding to a peaceful protest with riot shields, tear gas and dogs. (Guardian, 6 February 2026)

 9 February: HM Inspectorate of Prisons reports on removals to France under the ‘one in, one out’ scheme, finding that passengers were given insufficient information on what would happen to them on arrival, causing anxiety, and inspectors observed instances of unprofessional behaviour. (HMIP, 9 February 2026)

10 February: The European Parliament approves a law allowing asylum seekers arriving in the EU to be sent to a country with which they have no links before their claims are processed. (Euronews, 10 February 2026)

11 February: Sixteen migrants launch a legal challenge against the ‘one in, one out’ policy, arguing that it has insufficient safeguards against the risk of modern slavery in France, as a coalition of 22 British and French charities call on the government for an immediate end to the ‘dangerous scheme’. (Independent, 11 February 2026; InfoMigrants, 12 February 2026) 

12 February: An Egyptian man swallows a lithium vape battery shortly before a planned deportation on a private chartered flight to Egypt. The Home Office cancels the flight and the man is taken to hospital for treatment before being returned to detention. (Guardian, 12 February 2026)

12 February: 23 men and 15 women, including an 80-year-old and a 12-year-old child, are arrested for deportation as they sign in to notify Irish authorities of their whereabouts, causing panic as families are separated. (Breaking News, 13 February 2026)

16 February: 75 organisations from across Europe call on the EU to reject a draft regulation to increase deportations of undocumented migrants, warning that it risks ICE-style immigration enforcement. (Guardian, 16 February 2026)

16 February: Following the death of a 67-year-old Sudanese man in police custody in Egypt, a media investigation reveals that since the strategic partnership agreement with the EU in 2024, Egypt has arrested, detained and forcibly deported thousands of sub-Saharan refugees regardless of their legal status. (Mada Masr via ECRE, 16 February 2026)

Crimes of solidarity

12 February: The Greek authorities issue a European arrest warrant against Norwegian humanitarian activist Tommy Olsen, who runs Aegean Boat Report, set up in 2018 to monitor and share data on those seeking refuge on the Greek islands. (EU Observer, 12 February 2026)

14 February: Three days after the Italian cabinet approves a bill allowing naval blockades of migrant boats, authorities detain SOS Humanity’s ship Humanity One for 60 days in Trapani, Sicily, and imposes a fine of €10,000 following the ship’s rescue of 33 migrants in the Central Mediterranean without contacting the Libyan coastguard. (DPA, 14 February 2026; Reuters, 11 February 2026) 

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISCRIMINATION

February: The chapter on the UK in the Human Rights Watch world report for 2025 highlights restrictions on protest, the ban on Palestine Action, far-right anti-migrant mobilisation and the ruling by the Supreme Court that ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex rather than legal gender identity. (Human Rights Watch, 11 February 2026) 

EDUCATION

Although we do not cover student protests for Palestine, we do track university administrative measures that deny the right to protest and authorise the use of force, or silence pro-Palestinian voices and display anti-Palestinian bias.

6 February: A Morning Star report reveals how ongoing disputes at universities and sixth-form colleges highlight the damage being done to Black and working class students’ education through private equity takeovers in education. (Morning Star, 6 February 2026)

9 February: Scotland’s education minister confirms that the Scottish government rejects the UK government’s levy of £925 per international student scheduled for 2028 onwards and will not impose it. (The Pie, 9 February 2026)

10 February: A student society at Bangor University refuses to host a question-and-answer session with Reform UK, stating it has ‘zero tolerance for any form of racism, transphobia or homophobia’. The party’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, suggested a Reform government would pull £30m of funding from the university. (BBC, 10 February 2026)

11 February: All secondary schools will be expected to have ‘inclusion bases’ as part of new government strategy aimed at keeping more children with SEND in mainstream schools, though critics warn these could become new ‘dumping grounds’ for the most vulnerable children. At least 200 educational psychologists are to be trained over the next two years, costing £25 million. (Schools Week, 11 February 2026; TES, 16 February 2026) 

12 February: A mapping study by Social Investment Business (SIB) of youth centres across the country finds that almost half of all council areas in England have youth work ‘black holes’ of few or no services, with poorer areas in north-west England the worst affected by cuts to youth services since 2010. (Guardian, 12 February 2026) 

HOUSING| POVERTY| WELFARE

6 February: Official data reveal a fivefold increase (from 3,500 to over 19,000) in refugees homeless or at risk of homelessness in the four years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, which housing charities say is a direct result of refugees being forced to leave asylum accommodation within 28 days of being accepted as refugees, while universal credit takes around 35 days to come through. (BBC News, 6 February 2026)

9 February: A report by the cross-party Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee finds that most social housing tenants live in appalling housing conditions, do not have their complaints treated seriously, and have not had their homes improved to meet ‘decent standards’ in twenty years. (UK Parliament, 9 February 2026) 

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 

5 February: The Roger Sylvester Centre, a new multipurpose mental health centre dedicated to Roger Sylvester, who died in police custody in 1999 after being detained outside his Tottenham home under the Mental Health Act, opens in Haringey, north London. (Social Care Today, 12 February 2026)

9 February: A new report published by Healing Justice, The Violence of Liberal Racism: What Palestine Reveals About British Mental Health, examines how racism and repression are experienced by practitioners and trainees in mental health care, especially around Palestine solidarity. (Healing Justice, 9 February 2026)

12 February: As calls grow for greater transparency around public sector deals with Palantir, a US technology firm that provides military technology to the Israeli military and Trump’s ICE units, FOI requests reveal that health officials warned Wes Streeting in 2025 that public perceptions of the company would limit the rollout of its NHS data system, meaning the contract would not offer value for money. (Guardian, 12 February 2026)

CULTURE| MEDIA| SPORT

5 February: Wrexham MP Andrew Ranger condemns ‘misinformation’ on social media suggesting that a grade II listed hall with a swimming pool, Llyndir Hall hotel in Clwyd, North Wales is to become accommodation for ‘illegal migrants’ and asylum seekers. (Daily Post, 5 February 2026) 

7 February: A Guardian investigation finds that publishing platform Substack takes a cut of subscription fees from newsletters promoting Nazi ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism, including accounts praising Adolf Hitler and spreading Holocaust denial. Critics say the platform’s algorithm amplifies far-right extremist content and contributes to real-world radicalisation, while Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie has defended hosting such material under free expression principles. (Guardian, 7 February 2026)

8 February: Advocacy group MEND issue an ‘action alert’ urging viewers to complain to Ofcom after GB News aired a segment alleging that some Pakistani men ‘celebrate Eid by inviting families round to rape white women’. MEND says the broadcast breached multiple sections of the broadcasting code and is encouraging formal complaints to the regulator. (MEND, 8 February 2026) 

9 February: Team GB freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy says he has received death threats and messages urging him to kill himself or suffer serious injuries after posting an image criticising ICE on social media. The Olympic silver medallist says the abuse and threats were ‘insane’ but stands by his condemnation of the agency. (Guardian, 9 February 2026)

9 February: In a riposte to Nigel Farage’s attack on Turkish barbershops, Glasgow barbershop G11 plasters its windows with pictures by political street artist Rebel Bear of Farage with various hairstyles including an Afro, a mullet, a man bun and a Scouse perm. (Glasgow Times, 9 February 2026) 

9 February: The campaigning group Art not Evidence submits an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill going through parliament, which would make music lyrics inadmissible unless they relate directly to the allegation being tried. (Guardian, 9 February 2026)  

10 February: Mark Bonnick, a former kit man at Arsenal FC, is suing the club for unfair dismissal after being sacked in 2024 over social media posts it deemed antisemitic, accusing it of putting ‘profit before people’. Bonnick denies anti-Semitism, says his comments were anti-Zionist and taken out of context, and claims he was discriminated against for his beliefs. (Telegraph, 10 February 2026) 

11 February: Channel 4 News reports that Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a far-right figure who has been convicted of hate crimes against Jewish people, is behind widely shared AI-generated music videos published under another name. In a statement, Bonehill-Paine denounces antisemitism and says he had been ‘brainwashed’. (Channel 4 on X, 11 February 2026)

12 February: The Football Association is looking into comments by Jim Ratcliffe after he claimed the UK was being ‘colonised’ by immigrants, as Manchester United FC publicly reaffirms its ‘inclusive and welcoming’ values. The club stresses its commitment to equality and diversity following widespread criticism of its co-owner’s remarks. (Guardian, 12 February 2026)

13 February: Ireland’s home UEFA Nations League match against Israel on October 4 is likely to be moved abroad due to security concerns and the risk of large-scale protests linked to the genocide in Gaza, it is reported. (Irish Examiner, 13 February 2026)

13 February: Indian author Arundhati Roy withdraws from the Berlin International Film Festival after jury president Wim Wenders said film-makers should stay out of politics, comments she calls ‘unconscionable’. Roy says artists must speak out on Gaza and accuses Germany and other governments of complicity, saying she was ‘shocked and disgusted’ by the remarks. (Guardian, 13 February 2026) 

16 February: Following a Telegraph report that the British Museum was removing the name ‘Palestine’ from exhibits under pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel, the director says the reports are a complete misrepresentation and that the Telegraph failed to check with him. (Middle East Eye, 15 February 2026; William Dalrymple on X, 16 February 2026) 

RACIAL VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT

For details of court judgements on racially motivated and other hate crimes, see also POLICING | PRISONS | CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

13 February: Greenwich Council issues a statement condemning racist graffiti sprayed outside Greenwich Islamic Centre. (Royal Borough of Greenwich on X, 13 February 2026)

16 February: Women taking part in counter-demonstrations in support of residents of asylum hotels in Scotland report being threatened and followed home. (National, 16 February 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. 

The Institute of Race Relations is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

The majority of the IRR’s work is free to access. Please consider supporting our research and analysis by making a donation.

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