SINN Féin’s Raymond McCartney has blamed a climate of Brexit-inspired xenophobia is responsible for a spike in the deportations of EU citizens from Britain.The Foyle MLA said:“Over 5,000 EU citizens have been forced to leave Britain since the Brexit vote.
“The record number of deportations is further evidence of a spiralling climate within British politics of rising xenophobia, racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in recent years.
“The hardcore anti-immigrant rhetoric of the Tories, DUP and UKIP in the pro-Brexit camp is directly responsible for a spike in hate crime and these deportations.
“As Westminster sits to discuss the rights of citizens in the EU, the right-wing political establishment in Britain must take note of the impact their own rhetoric has on the lives of migrants and minorities.”