By Conor de Smith, Ruairi O’Connor, Sophie Sandberg, Luke Smith, Danial Nash and Matthew Knight
Race related hate crime in the Leicestershire area has risen by 22% following the Summer Brexit vote, however this figure is still well below the national average.
Statistics have shown a nationwide rise in race related hate crime of 41% in the immediate aftermath of the vote, where the United Kingdom elected to leave the European Union (EU).
Despite the upward trend throughout the country, Leicester’s figures, although increased, still show the accepting nature of the city.
As shown in the graph, the outcome of Brexit did affect the amount of racial hate crime in Leicester quite significantly, with 22 more offences recorded in the month following the crucial vote (July).
However, it does not appear that the local community feels as much of an affect as the stats would suggest.
Ajaib Singh, main spokesperson of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Temple in Leicester, stated:
“Leicester is a very multicultural city. The people are very integrated in most areas – apart from some specific areas between specific religions.
He continued to say, “I have not seen any hate crimes for a long time.”
Although, on the surface multiculturalism seems to be thriving in the area, there are some people who are uncertain how it could develop in the near future.
Kamaron Mostapha, 40, said that “I think the hate between the Brits and the foreigners will grow and create safety problems in the city. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, but I hope that nothing will change.”
