Successive governments' efforts to integrate ethnic and religious minorities in the UK have been deemed "grossly insufficient to cope with the scale of the challenge", according to a review headed by a former Home Office official.
Dame Louise Casey's report, which consisted of a year-long study of community integration across the country, said official attempts to merge communities were "well meaning", but the "unprecedented pace and scale of immigration" meant they had fallen short.
Previous governments were sharply criticised for their inadequate integration programmes, dating back to Tony Blair's premiership.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Events and projects that have been described to us as 'saris, samosas and steel drums' can help bring people together but too often attract the already well-intentioned", said Casey.
Such programmes "do not succeed in tackling difficult issues such as women's inequality, miss the hardest to reach and fail to focus on the real socio-economic gaps that exist between different groups", she added.
The study, which was commissioned by David Cameron when he was prime minister and Theresa May when she was home secretary, "is likely to trigger controversy", says The Guardian.
Casey said there was a "vicious cycle" in which Muslims felt they were being blamed for extremism and terrorism, leading to further hostility and greater segregation.
However, the report also claims some ethnic minorities have failed to address and rectify "deeply regressive religious and cultural practices, especially when it comes to women".
Casey said she met "far too many women who are suffering from the effects of misogyny and domestic abuse, women being subjugated by their husbands and extended families", adding: "They don't know about their rights, or how to access support, and struggle to prepare their children effectively for school."
Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, said: "This government is building a democracy for everyone and our country has long been home to lots of different cultures and communities, but all of us have to be part of one society – British society."
-
Rob Jetten: the centrist millennial set to be the Netherlands’ next prime ministerIn the Spotlight Jetten will also be the country’s first gay leader
-
Codeword: November 4, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
JD Vance wades into choppy religious waters about wife UshaTHE EXPLAINER By emphasizing his hope that the Second Lady convert to Christianity, the Vice President of the United States is inviting controversy from across the religious spectrum
-
Ascension island: UK could send small boats arrivals to remote Atlantic territorySpeed Read UK government weighs up alternatives if Rwanda scheme is ruled unlawful by Supreme Court
-
Justice Department sues Texas over Mexico border buoysSpeed Read
-
New York City weakens right-to-shelter rules ahead of expected migrant surgeSpeed Read
-
Italian Coast Guard to escort 1200 migrants stranded in the Mediterranean SeaSpeed Read
-
Is the U.S. culpable in Mexico's deadly migrant fire?Today's Big Question People on both sides of the border have already begun pointing the finger as to who (or what) is responsible
-
Blaze kills 39 at migrant detention center in MexicoSpeed Read
-
NYC migrants refuse to leave midtown hotel, citing inhumane conditions at new Brooklyn shelterSpeed Read
-
4 proposed solutions to the U.S. border crisisSpeed Read Can America's illegal immigration problems be fixed with sensible policy?
