British Muslims are likely to face "more discrimination" under new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to a British political scientist who said the new premier was guilty of using discriminatory rhetoric against the community.
Suella Braverman, Sunak’s choice for home secretary, came under fire late last month after branding people seeking asylum in the U.K. – many with darker skin, often from Muslim countries – an "invasion," but she has remained at her post, despite the xenophobic remarks.
Braverman's comments, as well as Sunak's remarks about Islam and extremism, show the direction of the government's immigration policies, said Muhammed Çağrı Bilir of the University of Leeds' School of Politics and International Studies.
"When Sunak launched a campaign for the conservative leadership (to become prime minister), he produced a discourse such as the fight against "Islamic extremism" and equating Islam with terrorism," Bilir told Anadolu Agency (AA).
"He was criticized for ignoring the demands of Muslim deputies to take a clear stand against Islamophobia. As a result, he received a lot of backlash," he said.
A 2019 study found Islamophobia rife within the ruling Conservative Party, and Boris Johnson, who stepped down from the premiership this July, was known for making Islamophobic remarks.
"Not much will change during Sunak’s term," added Bilir, warning that in fact "we are entering a period where more discrimination awaits Muslims."
"In the Sunak government's approach on immigration, asylum seekers are categorized, and a distinction is made as to whether they really escaped from human rights violations or whether they came with only economic motives," he explained.
"The legitimacy of the asylum requests of those who came by boat, especially via France, is being questioned," he added.
Bilir said those seeking asylum in the U.K. will be strictly examined under the Rwanda plan, a controversial plan announced by Johnson this April to send people seeking asylum in Britain to the small African nation of Rwanda to await a decision.
On Oct. 24, Sunak succeeded Liz Truss, the U.K.'s shortest-serving prime minister, who served for only 44 days.
Sunak, of Indian origin, made history as the country's first prime minister from an Asian background.