Writers take aim at 'corrosive' anti-migrant narrative, says expert

By Georgie Gould

Migrants are an integral part of the social and cultural life of the country – and more needs to be done to combat the anti-migrant narrative that has gone unchallenged by the mainstream.

Credit: Getty IMages

These comments come from a researcher from the University of Surrey’s School of Literature and Languages, who is inviting the public to an event where migrant writers will share their poetry and stories about how they have created a sense of home across the UK.

The free event will take place on 27 July, from 6 pm until 9 pm at the Ritzy (Brixton Oval, London SW2 1JG).

Dr Gabriele Lazzari, project lead from Surrey's School of Literature and Languages, said:

The central problem that our project looks to address is how migrants are portrayed in the media. The dominant, corrosive narrative is that migrants are threats to national security, national stability, and, in some cases, ethnic purity. Within more liberal spaces, they are often seen as recipients of philanthropic compassion, people who should only be passively grateful to their host country.

This is a dangerous discourse that deprives migrants of agency, opportunities for self-determination, and for telling their stories. We hope our project becomes part of a much larger movement for a course correction in this national discussion. Dr Gabriele Lazzari, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature