The New Statesman: politics and culture The age of deportation | Cover story with Tanjil Rashid
Sep 3, 2025
Tanjil Rashid, the Culture Editor at the New Statesman, dives deep into the current immigration landscape in Britain. He discusses the alarming rise in deportation rhetoric and its impact on national identity. Rashid emphasizes the dehumanization of asylum seekers amidst disturbing political narratives. He connects today’s immigration policies to historical ideologies, pointing out the lasting effects of past speeches on modern nationalism. The conversation sheds light on Britain's evolving humanitarian obligations and the complexities of belonging in a multicultural society.
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Bike Repair Reveals A Human Face
- Tanjil Rashid recounts an Eritrean asylum seeker who repaired her bike and was an upstanding community member.
- The story challenges tabloid portrayals of asylum seekers as threats and humanises arrivals.
Deportation As Identity Politics
- Mass deportation rhetoric reshapes who gets to be considered British rather than solving migration logistics.
- Demonising arrivals as an invasion reframes national identity and exclusion.
The Overton Window Has Rapidly Shifted
- The Overton window has shifted quickly as previously taboo rhetoric on mass deportation becomes mainstream political conversation.
- Ideas once expelled from mainstream parties are now driving policy debates across the right-wing spectrum.