Solidarity in a Time of Anti-immigration Narratives

Over last few years in the UK, there’s been a visible rise of Nationalism; from far-right protests, to statements from Political leaders’ and public figures’ that create a potentially overwhelming and frightening environment for people of colour and immigrants living in the UK. The Anti-Immigration rhetoric is not just a societal concern, it is a safety and workplace issue faced by those within the energy and engineering community. Our industry relies heavily on global expertise, mobility of skills, and a diverse engineering talent pool. Working harmoniously is not just nice to have, it’s critical for delivering essential infrastructure, energy, materials and paving the way to energy transition safely. The UK Engineering sector already faces significant and persistent skills shortages, with international talent playing a vital role in closing these gaps, as highlighted by a recent piece in the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE Professional Engineering Magazine Issue 1, 2026).

In today’s age of misinformation, a quick look at the news/online demonstrates that not all media highlights the benefits of immigration, with inflammatory statements from public figures (such as recent statement from Jim Ratcliff) dominating the headlines. The visible and often large-scale displays of hate could lead marginalised groups, and those who choose to live and settle here, to believe they are not welcome. Perhaps even leading them to believe that most of the nation hold these extreme views, although that is not the case for most people.

Disproving this view became more difficult last year when the UK Government announced potential changes to immigration policy with the release of the “Restoring control over the immigration system: White Paper". The need for change was stated as required due to record high migration levels in 2023 (+906,000, four times the level recorded in 2019). Along with the current Prime Minister stating pressure on public services, housing and “importing” workers rather than investing UK nationals. Citing the example of the engineering sector where apprenticeships had halved and visas had doubled [2].

The changes listed within the white paper’s Framework covered a broad range of areas with a lot of the focus on how people apply for Indefinite leave to remain or Earned Settlement Status, with the headlines stating the previous 5-year wait to apply will be doubled to 10 years. Alongside this, there are proposed changes to increasing language requirements, increasing the threshold salary back to pre-2020 levels, reducing the number of some skilled worker visas (Health & Care home workers) and ban on brining family members with the visa [3].

These changes, whilst intending to create a “more Controlled points-based migration systems and inform policy development and the process for measuring and modelling migration and it’s impacts” are great in theory but have created a lot of uncertainty for those who are looking to or are in the process of applying for Settled Status. One engineering professional who had recently gained Settled status advised:

“I would say UK is getting more dangerous to live even if you are a citizen for many years but have a different skin colour. the proposed change to Indefinite Leave to Remain application threshold going from 5 to 10 years created a lot of uncertainty/anxiety regarding my work, affected my sleep pattern for a while, as well as work. I recognise I’m in a privileged position that I don’t have to worry about it (LR) anymore but many of my friends are dealing with this anxiety and uncertainty and the lack of clarity really adds pressure on applicants.  I have personally felt all this news has further fuelled hate crime across some sections in the UK, which is a scarier thought compared to the changes ILR process”

There has been more focus in the media recently on anti-far-right marches and online support for fighting “Ignorance not Immigration” but erasing the hate rhetoric isn’t easy [4].  The Governments promise to “regain control” may be feeding further into the anti-immigration rhetoric, with the connotations of the language used potentially echoing far-right narratives, through presenting immigration as a problem not the nuanced system that it is.

However, the OBR’s (Office for Budget Responsibility) 2024 report shows the numbers behind immigration and tells a different more balanced story. It concluded that “most economic models suggest that immigration boosts the UK economy over time, with migrants generally improving public finances, particularly if they are of working age and earn above-average salaries” [5].

Whilst increasing training and participation rates in the UK will likely have a positive effect in the long term, narrowing the critical shortage occupations list does little to improve current workplace skills shortages, particularly within engineering and energy.  

This shortage is highlighted in AXIS Network’s Vision 2030 framework and the need for workforce diversity underpins the path to achieving an inclusive and gender-balanced energy industry.

The Vision 2030 pillars emphasise that attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce brings considerable benefits to an organisation. Analysis over the years backs this, and has shown that companies with greater gender and ethnic diversity are more likely to achieve above-average profitability [6]. This correlation is due to diversity driving innovation, which in turn drives profitability. Diversity brings broader knowledge, experience, opinions and networks to your organisation [7]; and these qualities will only become more essential as we progress through the energy transition and face new challenges as an Industry.

The hostile rhetoric, policy uncertainty and public narratives frame immigration as a problem to be solved rather than a contribution. The impact goes beyond recruitment statistics: affecting the wellbeing, sense of belonging and personal safety of colleagues who are immigrants or people of colour. For an industry which depends on collaboration, trust and inclusion, this creates real risks, not just to diversity and innovation, but to the ability of our people to feel safe, supported and able to do their best work.

The complexity of the “Immigration debate” has increased over time, and you would not be alone in thinking this is overwhelming, and feeling unsure as to how you can help or begin to change things. Often saying nothing rather than risking offending someone feels safer, however one of our committee members provided advice for moments like these:

"At times like these, the safety of people of colour is threatened and it can leave many feeling anxious. The simple act of checking in on colleagues/ friends/ neighbours who are in racially marginalised groups can go a long way to lighten the heaviness. As long as questions are asked with curiosity rather than judgement, the conversation can foster a feeling of solidarity and help demonstrate that the extreme views are not held by the majority. Even if someone may not want to discuss how they feel at that moment, it will likely help them feel as though they don't need to suffer in silence"

Sources:

[1] Professional Engineering magazine Issue 1 2026 "Autonomous world", Institution of Mechanical Engineers (https://www.imeche.org/my-account/pe-magazine-online)

[2] Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, UK Home Office, January 2026 (Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK)

[3] The UK's points-based immigration system: policy statement, UK Home Office, February 2020 (The UK's points-based immigration system: policy statement (accessible version) - GOV.UK)

[4] Thousands gather for anti far-right march in London, BBC News, March 2026 (Thousands gather for anti far-right march in London - BBC News)

[5] The numbers that show how immigration benefits the UK - and where it costs, The i Paper, February 2026 (The numbers that show how immigration benefits the UK - and where it costs)

[6] Diversity Matters Even More, McKinsey & Company, December 2023 (Why diversity matters even more | McKinsey)

[7] Harnessing The Power of Diversity For Profitability, Forbes Business Council, March 2022 (Harnessing The Power Of Diversity For Profitability)