T hroughout history, immigration has been fundamental to our socio-economic and cultural progress. Similarly, fear of what immigrants may take from, rather than bring to, the country remains pervasive – and ongoing debates about immigration continue to be antagonistic and discriminatory.

One hundred years ago, immigration was controlled by the 1905 Aliens Act, which restricted immigration from countries outside the British Empire. The 1948 British Nationality Act changed things – and immigration increased once again – but the negative rhetoric and discriminatory behaviour remained. Now, in a move that feels like it brings us closer to where we were a century ago, albeit with different restrictive categories, the current government has announced plans to impose a points-based system for immigration.

In recent times, the rhetoric has fed the increasing polarisation of political standpoints over what it means to be British and to belong. The use of it to magnify fears and demonise those who are not British born or considered “British enough” was seen acutely in the debates surrounding Brexit. A key underlying issue in these debates is a lack of factual understanding of immigration, damaged by false rhetoric used by elements of the media and in recent years being amplified by the internet and influx of “fake news”. To move forward in a new way, we must acknowledge this rhetoric and its ability to skew people’s perceptions.

The prejudicial views we see have too often filtered down into places where nuance and factual discussion are urgently needed, including schools. Prior to the partial closure of schools as part of the coronavirus lockdown, one of our teachers shared a telling example: “When we were studying immigration, another student told me: ‘I’m not being racist Miss, but you need to go back to where you came from’. My students weren’t racists or hateful. They just lacked basic exposure to ethnic, religious or cultural groups outside of their own.” This points to the lack of understanding that contributes to a climate that is hostile in nature, and more people feeling as though they don’t belong.

Recent figures show that just 14 per cent of the UK population are immigrants. The ONS also records that overall EU net migration has fallen since 2016 – a direct correlation with Brexit. However, we are still inundated in the media with stories of how immigrants are arriving en masse to “take our jobs”, our healthcare benefits and our children’s places in school.

Issues surrounding identity for immigrants are further complicated by the rhetoric that “belonging here” means assimilating. Again, this assumes that there is a common experience of being British and that we are all agreed on what “it” is. For many people this version of “British” as implied by recent government policy does not resonate – and yet this becomes the accepted “norm” of what it means.

The overriding rhetoric, therefore, is one of othering, associated with the fear that somehow immigrants are going to “take away” from the “everyday British person”. While we continue to participate in othering, knowingly or not, we will continue to alienate people and remain a divided society.

As humans, we often have an innate fear of the unknown. Many of us are afraid of change and reluctant to accept it. However, we need education to support our curiosity and encourage a spirit of questioning and openness, developing a collective consciousness that recognises hateful rhetoric. Promoting a positive sense of identity and belonging in this country, irrespective of birthplace, race or ethnicity, is needed to minimise discriminatory rhetoric, behaviour and othering.

The question of belonging is in itself a widely debated topic, and with it, immigration is pushed to the forefront of the news agenda. Politicians and influential leaders increasingly use immigration as a topic to leverage support, with damaging results, fuelling underlying negative perceptions and ultimately intensifying division. But how can we begin to challenge this rhetoric?

The younger generation is already beginning to challenge the tired, self-serving narratives that are portrayed online and in the press. You just have to be reminded of rapper Dave’s recent BRIT Awards performance, where the 21-year-old called out racism, inequality and pledged support for the “Windrush generation”.

At Facing History and Ourselves, we believe the answer is through education and using it to build trust and disrupt the current paradigm. TIDE and Runnymede’s recent Teaching Migration report enforces the importance of teaching migration, belonging and empire.

An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Show all 20 1 /20 An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria, 31, holds her daughters, Elena, two, and baby Ioana, weeks old, in her London home A few months after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Maria was told her to go back to her native Romania whilst in hospital by an elderly English woman. “You are a foreigner, your place is not here” recalls Maria, who was stunned Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria and her husband Adi, 37, take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath near their home The couple are preparing to leave Britain later this year with their two children, fed up with what Maria says is xenophobia and the rising cost of living in London Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Elena holds up British passports belonging to her and her sister. Both children have dual citizenship, but their parents do not want to apply for this despite having permanent residency in Britain Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds daughter Ioana, who is less than a week old, while Elena wipes a table Maria had never faced direct abuse over her nationality in her 10 years in the country until that moment at the hospital Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi spends time with his daughters Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi plays hide and seek with his daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Food is served Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi takes his daughter, Elena, to nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi's sister, Nicoleta, 34, carries her niece Elena in a restaurant after a trip out Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria cook together at their home Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi holds his baby daughter, Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and wife Maria take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Berwyn, a neighbour of the couple, who moved to the UK in the 1980s from Australia, says goodbye to Maria after a visit at her home. Berwyn has dual citizenship - Australian and Irish as she lived in Ireland for a few years before moving to Britain. She calls the family her 'dearest Christian Romanian friends' Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Religious pictures including a portrait of Arsenie Boca, a Romanian Orthodox monk, theologian and artist (top), hang on the wall at the home of Adi and Maria Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria dries Elena after giving her a bath after nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her baby daughter Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi works with his colleague Alexandru, who is also from Romania, for a removal company Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Neighbour, Berwyn, holds baby Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria, along with their daughters, leave St Andrews church in Kingsbury after attending a service Reuters

By educating young people on the history of Britain’s colonial past, immigration and race relations, and by encouraging critical engagement with moves to decolonise the curriculum, they will be able to make a stronger connection between the past and today’s underlying issues.

Inclusive debate is vital for the health of our democracy: we need to actively create more spaces for young people to engage in honest conversations about issues they may find uncomfortable, and to highlight the voices of those with lived experience, rather than policy-makers at a distance from the reality of immigration.

We must educate future generations in a way that will ensure they are equipped to challenge the infrastructure and systems that maintain this status quo in order to create a more connected, fair and empathetic society.