LONDON: UK Counter Terrorism Policing have said they are monitoring threats from extremists against migrants and refugees after an attack by a man with far-right beliefs on a processing facility on Oct. 30.
Andrew Leak, who had previously tweeted about burning Muslim children alive, killed himself after throwing homemade explosives at the Western Jet Foil Asylum Processing Centre in Dover.
The number of people trying to enter the UK via the English Channel has risen significantly in the past few years, driven in part by people seeking safety from countries including Iran and Afghanistan.
In September 2020, lawyers representing Channel migrants were also targeted by far-right extremists, while a teenage boy was arrested in 2021 after writing on a neo-Nazi online forum: “I am planning an attack against the Dover coast where every Muslim and refugee has been given safety. If you’re interested tell me now.”
Police fear that more attacks could be forthcoming against vulnerable migrants in the UK. Reviews into the safety of processing and housing facilities for migrants, which have been subjected to increasing numbers of protests in recent weeks, have been ordered by authorities.
A spokesperson told The Independent that UK Counter Terrorism Policing are working “around the clock to monitor and assess any new, emerging or potential terrorist threats.”
Leak, 66, followed numerous online channels and platforms that document migration across the Channel to Britain, including activists who harassed refugees at hotels across the UK. He was hailed as a hero by many in online far-right and neo-Nazi groups after the attack.
One person responded to his actions by posting online: “This is just the start.” Another wrote: “The hotels will be catching fire at some point too.” And another said: “Let this be the beginning of the push back, it’s about time.”
A Home Office spokesperson told The Independent: “The security and safety of our sites and those within our care has always been taken extremely seriously and remains our upmost priority, and since the shocking incident at Western Jet Foil, we have reviewed our risk assessments and taken steps to protect those in our care.
“A police investigation into the incident at Dover is still ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”