‘Breaking Point’?: Brexit, the Burkini Ban, and Debates on Immigration and Minorities in Britain and France

Abstract

This article uses the Brexit vote and the burkini ban to assess and explore debates on immigration and minority communities in Britain and France. Drawing upon both the historical context, and recent and contemporary developments, it discusses perceptions regarding there being ‘too many’ immigrants, and Islam and Muslims specifically, as well as the character and tone of the political and public deliberations on these topics in both countries. In doing so, it offers an insight into two of the most contentious episodes of Europe’s 2016 debate on immigration and minorities.