Russia accused of fuelling UK migration divisions

Russia is stepping up efforts to inflame tensions over immigration in Britain as part of a wider campaign to undermine democracy and deepen social divisions, according to senior counter-terrorism police and security experts.

Officials say the Kremlin is exploiting polarising issues through covert online influence, paid operatives and disinformation campaigns, with concerns growing that anti-immigration sentiment is increasingly being weaponised to fuel instability.

Security Chiefs Warn Of Rising Threat

Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said foreign states were exploiting social divisions at a time when the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism was growing.

He warned that increasingly polarised views were contributing to the security risk, with hostile actors using "wedge tactics" designed to drive communities further apart and erode trust in public institutions.

Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said Russia's ambitions extended beyond propaganda, describing the objective as disrupting British society by recruiting people willing to amplify pro-Kremlin narratives.

Influencers And Online Networks Under Scrutiny

Security officials say Moscow uses a mix of paid agents, unwitting social media personalities and coordinated online campaigns to spread narratives aligned with Russian interests.

Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, was jailed in November

They point to the conviction of former UKIP MEP Nathan Gill for accepting payments linked to pro-Russian activities, while Western authorities have also exposed alleged covert influence operations involving online content creators who said they were unaware they had been working through Russian-backed intermediaries.

Analysts say social media has dramatically expanded Russia's ability to target specific audiences and amplify divisive debates.

Flashpoints Become Propaganda Opportunities

Experts believe the Kremlin closely monitors high-profile incidents involving migration, crime and community tensions before amplifying narratives that heighten public anger.

Andy Pryce, the former Foreign Office head of countering disinformation, said Russia combines direct propaganda with amplification of existing voices to maximise division. Rather than creating new disputes, he argued, Moscow seeks to intensify those already present.

Before setting fire to Keir Starmer’s former properties, Roman Lavrynovych was paid to put up leaflets for a fake far-right group targeting migrants and Muslims in the UK

Goal Is Chaos, Not Conversion

Researchers say Russia's strategy is not necessarily to persuade Britons to support Moscow, but to weaken confidence in democratic institutions by portraying Britain as fractured and unstable.

Dr Lukasz Olejnik of King's College London said the approach focuses on identifying contentious issues and escalating them. The objective, he argued, is simple: deepen mistrust, exhaust public debate and leave democratic societies more vulnerable to internal conflict.

How Putin is inflaming immigration tensions to spark disorder in Britain