12/06/2026
The brutal attack on Stephen Ogilvie is horrifying. But the racist intimidation, arson attacks on people's homes in Belfast, and anti-migrant mobilisation spreading beyond it did not happen in a vaccuum.
They are the result of years of scapegoating refugees and migrants for political failures, a racist undercurrent to who society imagines a “migrant” to be, and the deeply troubling power of far-right actors and influential figures to mobilise grief into hatred.
We want to say clearly:
This racialised violence is not an accident, it is years in the making.
For years, migrants, refugees and racialised communities have been blamed for housing shortages, stretched public services, economic insecurity and political failures they did not create.
People have been told there are “good” and “bad” migrants - and increasingly, that you can tell who belongs and who does not by the colour of someone’s skin. Eventually, those ideas stop sounding like politics and start becoming permission.
A horrific attack against one person should never become justification for targeting entire communities, but far-right actors understand something important: fear is powerful.
That is why they move quickly after moments like this - amplifying outrage, spreading misinformation, and redirecting grief towards people with the least power.
At Conversation Over Borders, we talk a lot about connection - not because it is soft, but because it is protective. Relationships make it harder to dehumanise people. Solidarity makes it harder for hate to spread.
And this week, alongside the violence, we’ve seen another response:
People opening their homes.
People standing with neighbours.
People speaking out.
If you are frightened, exhausted or angry right now:
Stay connected.
Check in on people.
Challenge misinformation.
Show up where you safely can.
Join local organising.
Sign up to hear more and join the movement: https://buff.ly/HeMJnyY
Organised hate must be met with organised community.
