Throughout October, colleagues from our Race Equality Network have been sharing their personal experiences as part of Black History Month to help increase understanding across SGN and the network areas we work.
Sunny Onuh, Regulatory Assurance Manager, has shared his story - all opinions expressed are his own.
I moved to Liverpool from Nigeria at 12. Seeing Britain through the lens of being an immigrant and a Black man has shaped my perspective on this country.
Living here has been a privilege I don’t take lightly, especially given the instability in the region I came from. With so much noise around immigration, asylum, and identity, one question echoes: “Is Britain a racist country?”
I know this is a deeply polarising question. The truth is that it’s the wrong question, a headline-grabber used by the media to get people fired up.
Britain’s not one-size-fits-all – it’s regional, class-based, layered with history. Your experience of racism here depends on where you live.
The better question: how well is Britain handling the shift to becoming truly multiracial?
The law and progress
The UK has spent decades building protections through the Race Relations Acts and the Equality Act. Laws don’t change hearts, but they set standards and consequences. That shows intent – Britain has chosen to be a country that rejects discrimination, even if it’s not fully successful yet.
Identity and belonging
Racial discrimination isn’t just about skin colour. Irish and Eastern European groups have also faced hostility, though their children often blend in more easily. For Black and many Asian communities, visible difference means still being seen as “other”.
It raises a deeper question: who gets to be fully British? As a Black man, if I had been born in England, would I be considered English?
Nationality is about where you are born or belong; ethnicity is about heritage. If a white person were born in Nigeria, they would be Nigerian by nationality, but not Igala (my ethnic group). In the same way, a Black man born in England should be English. Yet for many, to be truly English still means to be white.
Integration, not assimilation
Integration means learning the language, respecting the law, and participating in civic life. Assimilation, though, asks for shedding parts of your identity.
When people see communities of colour who dress, speak, or worship differently, the assumption is that they haven’t fully integrated. It reveals a discomfort with difference: like the unease some feel when a young woman chooses to wear a headscarf.
When a migrant arrives, the way they’re received by local communities often shapes how well they integrate. Negative experiences can push migrants to retreat, choosing to live where others share their background, language, or culture. It’s not resistance, it’s self-preservation.
The colonial shadow
You can’t have a conversation about race in Britain without acknowledging its imperial past. The Windrush Generation were invited to rebuild the nation, yet faced hostility and betrayal.
Many of these people saw themselves as British, only to find that their Britishness was denied on arrival.
Britain has now made efforts to confront this history, showing a willingness to grapple with the past rather than ignore it.
Scarcity and division
What’s often labelled racism can be fear and frustration about scarce resources – overstretched resources, limited housing, wage stagnation. People who are struggling begin searching for someone to blame, and migrants are an easy target. The pain is real, but the cause is misdiagnosed and anger misdirected away from leaders and towards neighbours.
Diversity and contribution
Despite tensions, modern Britain has embraced cultural fusion: from chicken tikka masala or jollof rice to festivals, music and fashion. These aren’t fringe anymore, they’re British. Culture has moved ahead in places where politics still hesitates.
And the economy? Britain needs migration and younger workers to keep vital sectors going like healthcare, social care, construction, hospitality, and tech. Migrants also contribute by paying taxes.
Most people want reassurance that the government is in control of our borders. Safety is important. But the idea that Britain can close its borders and still operate smoothly? That’s not realistic.
For years, governments have quietly depended on migrants to fill workforce gaps, but when elections roll around, immigration becomes a political football – a failure of leadership and transparency.
What we need are clear answers: how much migration is required, where it’s needed, and why, with communities actively involved in the process. We also need meaningful investment in public services so that communities feel supported rather than overstretched.
Britain today
I’ll end with a personal story as an example of how migrants contribute.
My wife, Gloria, came to the UK in 2016 on a spouse visa and wasn’t entitled to claim any benefits, having to pay a surcharge to access the NHS. Even when she secured a job, the financial burden was significant. Over the first six years of our marriage, we paid £10,000 for her right to live and work here.
And that’s just for one person – extend that to the costs for a family of four. The public is rarely aware of all this money flowing from migrant families into government coffers. In my experience, most migrants give far more than they take.
Coming back to my original question. After three decades here, I don’t believe Britain is racist at its core. Although racism still exists, it’s probably one of the more migrant-friendly countries to live in.
Over the past 30 years, the overall trajectory has been forward. There’s been real progress in allyship and representation across politics, media, sport, business, and the arts. People are more willing to challenge behaviours that once went unchecked.
Still, when I see people marching to “take their country back,” I feel a sting. After 30 years of living here and 20 years of contributing to the system, it’s hard not to wonder – how would me and my family fit in their version of Britain?
