Why Do People Blame Immigrants? The Pressure Behind Anger, Racism and Behaviour
By Naomi Whiteley, Behaviour Transformation and Pressure Specialist | Creator of the Firm Ground® Methodology
On Friday 23 October 2026, I appeared on BBC Radio 4's AntiSocial, discussing antisocial behaviour, changing social norms and why people seem to be becoming less tolerant of one another.
Towards the end of the programme, immigration and integration came into the discussion.
A point was raised about whether people moving to the UK have been given sufficient guidance about British cultural expectations and acceptable behaviour.
We ran out of time before I could respond properly.
So here's what I would have loved to say.
When in doubt, blame the immigrants.
Is immigration really why we're becoming less tolerant?
Let's establish something first.
There is nothing unreasonable about expecting people to understand the laws, social expectations and standards of behaviour in the country where they live.
But there's a difference between identifying behaviour that directly affects other people and blaming an entire population for wider problems in society.
And I think we're overlooking something important.
What's happening underneath all this anger?
As a Behaviour Transformation and Pressure Specialist, I look beyond behaviour because I know there's usually an invisible force driving it.
And I want people to become aware of that too.
Understanding racism doesn't mean excusing it
I'm not telling you to excuse racism.
It's hurtful. It affects confidence, relationships and people's sense of belonging. It can change where people feel comfortable going, what they feel safe doing and how they live their lives.
It's not okay.
But the person dishing it out may also be trapped in a mental prison of their own.
Some people expressing racist views are carrying unhappiness, resentment and personal pressures that they haven't addressed.
Instead of examining their own lives, they direct that bitterness outwards.
And somebody else becomes the target.
That doesn't explain every instance of racism. Prejudice has different causes, and people remain responsible for the beliefs they hold and how they behave.
But understanding the pressure behind behaviour is important if we want to create meaningful change rather than simply react to what we can see.
Why do people blame others for their problems?
Look at the pressures people are carrying.
Financial difficulties. Relationships falling apart. Unfulfilling jobs. Loneliness. Exhaustion. Uncertainty about the future.
We're still living with divisions that emerged during COVID, while many people and businesses continue to deal with the consequences of Brexit.
Whether you voted for it or not, you didn't get to opt out of the changes that followed and it fucked up the lives of many people.
And those are just some of the pressures people may be experiencing.
They affect how people feel, how they interpret situations and how they interact with the world around them.
When you're already unhappy, frustrated or resentful, it can become easier to look for something or someone else to blame.
Pointing the finger at somebody else is often easier than looking at yourself.
Because looking inward is uncomfortable.
It might mean acknowledging that you're unhappy.
That something in your life isn't working.
And perhaps admitting that you've become so accustomed to living with it that you haven't found the balls to do anything about it.
The fear of change is sometimes the fear of regret
Here's another pressure people don't always recognise.
The fear of regret.
What happens when you finally stop and acknowledge that you've spent years being angry, resentful or miserable?
What if you realise you should have made changes five, ten or twenty years ago?
You might have to confront the possibility that you've wasted years of your life being unhappy.
Years you could have spent making different choices.
And that can be frightening.
Because recognising what needs to change is one thing.
Actually making those changes is another.
It might mean quitting a job.
It might mean letting people down.
It might mean upsetting your children with a decision they don't understand.
It might mean ending a relationship and being single.
Sometimes change means making decisions that other people won't like.
And sometimes it means standing alone for a while.
But remaining unhappy simply because change frightens you isn't much of an alternative either.
Real behaviour change isn't happy-clappy peace-and-rainbows nonsense
I'm not into all that happy-clappy, peace-and-rainbows shit.
Let's all hold hands and make the world a happy place.
That's a load of fucking bollocks.
Real change isn't pretending everything is wonderful and everybody should just get along.
Sometimes real change means stepping away from everyone else for a moment.
Standing on your own.
Looking inside yourself and confronting what you find there.
Recognising what's making you unhappy, what you're carrying and what needs to change.
And then doing something about it.
Then come back stronger and hold hands with the people who are on the same page.
People who are prepared to take responsibility, challenge their own behaviour and make meaningful changes in their lives.
That's how we begin creating something better.
Not by pretending problems don't exist.
Not by blaming somebody else.
And certainly not by expecting everyone around us to change while you remain exactly where you are.
You don't have to make changes alone
Now, I know that change sounds uncomfortable.
And I'm not going to pretend otherwise.
Change is hard.
But you're not alone, because you have me.
Not in the I'll wipe your arse and your nose sort of way.
I'm here to guide you, help build your backbone, plant you on Firm Ground® and help you keep standing when things get difficult.
You'll be part of an army of people who are also taking responsibility for changing their lives.
People who are prepared to have difficult conversations, challenge old habits and make different decisions.
People who understand that you don't have to agree on everything to respect one another, but you do have to take responsibility for your own behaviour.
It's not going to be easy.
Change takes commitment and consistency.
But it is possible.
And you don't have to wait until you're at breaking point to begin.
Ask yourself why you're so angry with society
Here's what I want you to do.
Take five minutes.
Just five minutes.
Sit down and ask yourself:
Why am I so angry with society?
What is actually making me unhappy?
What am I frustrated about?
What am I avoiding?
And am I directing that frustration towards other people because it's easier than addressing what's happening in my own life?
You might not like the answers.
But those answers could tell you far more about what needs to change than spending another five years blaming everybody else.
You cannot change what you're not prepared to examine.
Those of you who are prepared to ask those questions are taking the first step towards making a change.
The next step is joining my Action for Change programme.
And those of you who aren't?
I'd suggest you stock up on sweatbands for that hamster wheel, because you're going to be on it a long time.
Naomi Whiteley is a Behaviour Transformation and Pressure Specialist and creator of the Firm Ground® Methodology, focusing on the pressures influencing behaviour, decisions and personal change.
Listen to the programme: BBC Radio 4 — AntiSocial: Antisocial on antisocial behaviour
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