Immigration, Anti-Terrorism and Islam: Capitalist State Control of Muslim Populations in Contemporary Britain

Abstract

This thesis provides a Marxist analysis of New Labour's immigration and antiterrorism policy. The analysis focuses on the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and the Nationality and Immigration Act 2002. The introduction of these two pieces of legislation came as part of New Labour's response to the inner city disturbances in the summer of 2001 and the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11th of the same year. The project challenges the official construction of these policies as the necessary state response to a threat to the nation. The analysis outlines that the threat facing the nation is portrayed as a coordinated threat from immigration and terrorism. Moreover, the core concern of the thesis is New Labour's role in constructing a synonymous relationship between this threat and Muslim populations, both immigrants and established communities in the UK.

The analysis of the legislation is preceded by a historical analysis of UK immigration and anti-terrorism policy from 1945-2001. The history outlined takes the form of a history of the present. Each legislative development in the post-war period is analysed in it specific context. The historical analysis leads into the analysis of ATCSA 2001 and NIA 2002, but challenges the idea that present legislation is the result of a period of logical development in state strategy. The final section contains a Marxist analysis of New Labour's political project. The analysis is informed by the work of Nicos Poulantzas and Stuart Hall and illustrates that New Labour's demonisation of Muslim communities stands as a core crisis management strategy. Moreover, I will illustrate the role these policies play in fragmenting the economically subordinate class. The class fragmentation these policies create reveals New Labour's strategy to control opposition to state policy and their attempts to maintain the unequal power relations necessary for the advancement of Western capitalism.