The Insight Hub Solidarity Pulse reveals a clear truth: hostility is rising, safety is deteriorating, and people are being left exposed. As our first Solidarity Pulse, drawn from this year’s Solidarity Space poll and focused on human impact rather than the organisational data we capture in our Bulletins, it shows why funders and organisations must demonstrate visible, vocal solidarity, not silence.
Far-right hostility, toxic political rhetoric, and relentless media misinformation have reshaped daily life for people with lived experience of the UK’s asylum and immigration system, and for the colleagues supporting them.
Our new Insight Hub Solidarity Pulse lays bare what many already knew but have rarely seen captured so clearly: this is not new, and it is not episodic. As one participant told us:
“What irks me most is that people act as if these issues only appeared this summer… Over a year before the Liverpool riots, I experienced a hate crime in the same area.”
Hostility is widespread, and growing bolder
People with lived experience reported high levels of verbal abuse, threats and harassment, and microaggressions, mostly in public spaces and online. One person said:
“Most incidents happen online and in public spaces like supermarkets and buses.”
Political and media narratives are fuelling the problem: 96% of lived experience respondents said recent rhetoric has affected them , half saying it has affected them a lot.
The findings highlight that colleagues with learned experience are also deeply affected. 84% said far-right hostility has made them more anxious, unsafe, or stressed. One frontline worker put it simply:
“The emotional weight of the stories we hear affects our mental health.”
Safety and wellbeing are deteriorating
For people with lived experience, 93% said the current climate has harmed their sense of safety and wellbeing. Fear for children and young adults surfaced repeatedly:
“Stricter rules and holding people responsible for abusive behaviour, especially toward our children… would be greatly appreciated.”
Colleagues supporting refugees and asylum seekers, meanwhile, are juggling heightened vigilance for service users, negative public perceptions, and heavier workloads. This is a sector under enormous strain and it is happening because of systemic hostility, not isolated incidents.
People don’t report because they don’t trust the system
Despite frequent abuse, 45% of lived experience respondents said they don’t report incidents because they do not trust authorities. Others said they don’t know how, or believe reporting won’t change anything. One respondent told us:
"The two orgs that I looked up do not have very up-to-date websites and socials. I am not sure if they are still active or not. I don’t always want to write to the police."
The sector must change and funders must lead
Across the Pulse, one message comes through clearly: people want solidarity, not silence. They want organisations and funders to back them publicly, vocally, and consistently. Participants were unequivocal:
“Funders should publicly defend the work being done and challenge discrimination. The sector should unite, collaborate, and focus on collective action rather than individual efforts.”
And they made clear what they need to feel safe taking part in public work:
- Strong organisational backing
- Clear safety and risk assessments
- Choice and confidentiality about visibility
What we need now
This moment calls for courage. Not just from individuals, but from organisations, leadership teams, and above all, funders.
The Pulse shows that hostility is not simply creating discomfort; it is creating danger, mental health strain, and operational pressure for the very people driving change in our communities. Silence does not keep people safe. Public solidarity does.
Funders, organisations, and sector leaders must use their platforms, networks, and influence to:
- Challenge hostile policies
- Call out harmful media narratives
- Protect and resource frontline workers and people with lived experience
- Invest in safety, wellbeing, and coordinated public messaging
Download and read the full Insight Hub Solidarity Pulse and share it widely.
