History has a chilling way of repeating itself, and nowhere is this more evident than in the treatment of immigrants and minorities. A century-old playbook is being dusted off, and the results are eerily familiar. But here's where it gets controversial: are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, or can we break the cycle?
Our collective memory is shockingly short. We often view government policies as groundbreaking, when in reality, they are rooted in historical precedents. If we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to relive its darkest chapters. Take the recent policies targeting immigrants and refugees in the UK. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposal to extend the qualification period for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years (and up to 20 for refugees) feels like a stark overreach. Coupled with her crackdown on asylum seekers, denying them permanent status even if their claims are valid, it’s hard not to feel disoriented. But these moves aren’t new—they’re echoes of the past.
Fast forward to 1924, and you’ll find Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin appointing Sir William Joynson-Hicks as Home Secretary to appease the right wing. Joynson-Hicks, an unapologetic antisemite, made it exponentially harder for immigrants to naturalize, raising the requirement from five to ten years, and to 15 years for Russians—a thinly veiled reference to Jewish refugees fleeing persecution. He tightened immigration controls, instructing officers to be hyper-vigilant and distrustful of ‘aliens.’ Sound familiar? While Mahmood isn’t an antisemite, the parallels in policy are uncanny.
And this is the part most people miss: the context surrounding these policies is strikingly similar. A century ago, the right-wing press—led by The Times, Daily Mail, Express, National Review, and Morning Post—fueled paranoia about a ‘flood’ of ‘aliens’ and ‘undesirables,’ code for Jews. Jews were accused of ‘tribalism,’ refusing to assimilate, and ‘leeching’ off the state. Fast forward to today, and Muslims and immigrants face the same baseless accusations. They’re blamed for housing shortages, unemployment, and even accused of ‘tampering with white girls.’ Right-wing conspiracy theories now claim Muslims are plotting a ‘global caliphate,’ mirroring the antisemitic fears of a Jewish world order from the past.
These narratives are not only false but dangerous. For instance, a recent poll revealed that Muslims in the UK and US are more likely than non-Muslims to believe in democracy and express loyalty to their countries. So, why the persistent hatred? The answer lies in the media. Outlets like the Daily Mail, Express, GB News, and social media platforms continue to sow division. Governments, instead of confronting these lies, often endorse them, shifting blame onto others—like Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage recently did by accusing the Green Party of ‘sectarianism’ for attracting Muslim votes. Is ‘sectarian’ just a new code for Muslim?
Here’s the controversial question: If the media is the primary driver of hate, why aren’t governments doing more to hold them accountable? History offers a solution. In 1934, when the Daily Mail supported Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, J Lyons & Co, a major advertiser owned by a Jewish family, threatened a boycott unless the paper dropped its fascist ties. It worked. The Mail backed down, and Mosley’s movement began to crumble. This is a lesson we must heed today.
But it’s not just the media. Governments are failing to address the real issues. Net migration is plummeting, threatening public services like hospitals, care homes, and universities. Politically, the right-wing agenda is backfiring. The Greens are overtaking Labour in polls, and only 37% of 2024 Labour voters plan to stick with the party. In trying to appease the billionaire press, the government is burning its own house down.
The narrative of ‘scheming aliens undermining our values’ has been a century-long weapon, originally wielded by antisemites. It creates an environment where minorities—Muslims, immigrants, refugees, Black and Brown people, and even Jews—are increasingly unsafe. The choice is ours: learn from history or repeat its horrors. What will it be?
George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist
