Numerous residents of the UAE are expressing worry and shock over the riots in the UK, which mark England's most severe unrest in 13 years. Some expatriates have altered their travel itineraries, while others have urgently reached out to friends to confirm their well-being. Briton Grant Randall from Surrey expressed relief that his family was unharmed. "My parents and sibling reside outside the London area affected by the riots," he noted. "Nonetheless, I am hoping the disturbances do not extend elsewhere. Such widespread disorder is unusual for the UK. The public is deeply distressed over the recent stabbing of girls."
The violence erupted shortly after three young girls were murdered and five other children were critically wounded in a knife assault during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Initially, false social media reports claimed the assailant was a Muslim asylum seeker, but police identified the suspect as a 17-year-old born in Wales, whose parents are from Rwanda. On Sunday, rioters torched a facility in northern England that houses asylum seekers, and mosques were also attacked.
Grant, an entrepreneur in Dubai, believes the unrest has been simmering for some time. "Britain is seeing a daily influx of hundreds of illegal immigrants arriving by boat," he stated. "The government's inaction on this unchecked influx has led to this incident becoming a breaking point for the accumulated anger, despite the attacker not being an immigrant. It's unfortunate that it has escalated into such a situation, and I earnestly wish for peace to be restored swiftly."
Dubai-based expat Julia Lehmann, currently on vacation in Germany, plans to travel to London with her family on Wednesday. "We've booked sightseeing tours and will visit relatives there," she explained. "We haven't canceled any plans as the area we're going to hasn't been impacted." However, she mentioned that some plans have been adjusted due to the current circumstances. "My husband, being Muslim, had intended to pray at the London central mosque," she said. "But considering the volatile situation, he has opted not to proceed with that plan."
Shazia Farooqui, a UAE resident studying in London, has been anxious despite no immediate threats in her vicinity. "The disturbances are mainly in cities like Leeds and Liverpool," she noted. "In London, I haven't encountered any racism or mob violence. Yet, I am concerned, especially for my hijabi friends who have faced increased Islamophobic and xenophobic remarks." She plans to be more cautious in her movements.
British expat Vasudha Khandeparkar, an analytics and AI director at Grant Thornton, expressed her distress over the riots. "The rapid escalation of riots due to misinformation highlights how quickly false narratives can lead to real-world chaos," she observed. Vasudha was particularly unsettled seeing familiar areas on TV during the riots. "It was unnerving to see the scene outside a colleague's house, especially as I was struggling to contact them," she recounted. "I eventually learned from others that they were safe."
Amina N, a former Dubai resident now living in Leeds, stayed indoors with her family over the weekend. "We had some protests near our home," she said. "They were relatively peaceful. In other areas, a mosque was burned. For the first time, I feel somewhat unsafe in this country."
