What do the riots in UK portend?

Dr. Venkat Iyer, BSc (Hons), LLB, LLM, PhD, FHEA, Barrister

Oct. 29, 2024 / 17:30-19:00

Room 301, 3F, building 10, Sophia University

In person only / No registration necessary

The United Kingdom has, generally speaking, enjoyed a good record of race relations. For over half a century the country has received and absorbed immigrants in large numbers, including during crisis situations (e.g. East Africa in the 1970s, Hong Kong in the 1990s).  Recent years have, however, seen rising tensions and growing anti-immigrant sentiments in the British public, especially after a record number of foreigners entered the country since 1997 from both European Union countries and further afield.  The issue of immigration became a central factor in the Brexit debates leading up to the UK’s exit from the EU in 2000.   More recently, there has been an influx of asylum seekers arriving illegally in small boats from France, which has increased public unease further.  Dr Iyer’s talk will examine the complex issues involved, offering insights from legal as well as other angles. 

Dr Iyer is a barrister and academic based in Northern Ireland. He is attached to Ulster University where he teaches media law, constitutional law, and business law. He has been in legal practice since 1981 and is a trained mediator. Between 2008-15 Dr Iyer served as Law Commissioner for Northern Ireland. 

A former Nuffield Press Fellow at Cambridge University (UK), Dr Iyer has lectured in a number of foreign universities, and he continues to be a visiting professor in several institutions.  His lectures have spanned such subject-disciplines as law, politics and international affairs. He has acted as a consultant to a number of governments, private corporations, and nongovernmental organisations.  

Dr Iyer is the author of a number of books and articles, and the editor of two journals, The Commonwealth Lawyer and The Round Table: Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, both published from London. 

This event is organized by David H. Slater (Professor, Sophia University).