Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Ethnic minorities more likely to experience loneliness, says report

by LAUREN CODLING

ETHNIC minorities are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness, new research revealed today (20).


Those from a BAME background face an array of challenges which could mean they are more vulnerable to experience feelings of not belonging and isolation, according to the Barriers to Belonging report. It added that there was reluctance to ask for help due to stigma in certain cultures, meaning BAME members encountered greater barriers in accessing support.

Shuchi Sharma Bhatnagar came to the UK from India with her husband in April 2018. Admitting she experienced loneliness after moving to London, she revealed her initial struggles when she first arrived.

“Once all the initial rush had died down (of moving) and everything was settled, I started feeling like I had nowhere to go or anyone to talk to,” she told Eastern Eye. “It dawned on me that I wasn’t feeling great and I felt it was due to the lack of things to do and people to talk to.”

Although she began to participate in activities, such as salsa classes, Bhatnagar would still come home and feel exceptionally lonely.

Having come from Delhi, where she had a large support network, she missed the connection that she had had with friends and family.

“It wasn’t that I wasn’t interacting with people,” the 34-year-old recalled. “I just missed the connection with people that I had back home.”

She confided in her husband, but admitted she was reluctant to tell her family in India how she was feeling.

“I didn’t want to worry them,” she reasoned.

However, in October, Bhatnagar had an opportunity to join the British Red Cross (BRC) as a Connecting Communities volunteer. The role saw her interact with people who had similar feelings of loneliness.

She attributes the volunteering role as having a positive impact on her life and reducing her feelings of isolation.

“Within the first week, I saw a difference in myself,” she enthused. “When I started doing it, I saw it as something positive that I was putting back into the world.

“It was being involved with something and it was immediately uplifting for me - it is great to connect with people.”

Within the report, published by the BRC and Co-op, organisers are calling on the government to fully address and challenge the issue.

Paul Amadi, the BRC chief supporter officer and executive sponsor of the BRCs’ Inclusion and Diversity Steering Group, spoke to Eastern Eye about the report’s key findings.

On why loneliness appeared to affect the ethnic community at a larger level, Amadi cited the research which suggested that members of the BAME community were more likely to encounter discrimination.

“If you’ve experienced discrimination in the workplace or within your local community, then you’re more likely to feel alone,” he said. “One of the things that creates the sense of loneliness is not feeling part of a community.”

The stigma which can occur within the BAME community, Amani said, may be down to the idea that there is a greater emphasis on self-reliance and managing yourself if you are from a certain cultural background.

According to the findings, 76 per cent of the ‘other BAME’ group and 70 per cent of British-Pakistani groups said they would worry what others thought about their feelings of loneliness.

He also emphasised the need for access to community services.

“We know that some people in the BME community are unable to afford access to some of the services that enable them to feel a sense of belonging,” he stated.

Looking to the future, Amani is hopeful that the new report will enable the conversation to continue.

“One of things (BRC) do is shine a spotlight on the issue and present a clear way forward,” he explained. “What we are calling for is a greater commitment from government to tackle loneliness and we are trying to ensure more research is undertaken in this area so we can further the evidence and the barriers that people from BAME backgrounds face.”

More For You

Shabana Mahmood

Newly appointed home secretary Shabana Mahmood arrives at Number 10 at Downing Street as Keir Starmer holds a cabinet reshuffle on September 5, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Shabana Mahmood named home secretary, Lammy deputy to Starmer in major reshuffle

Highlights:

  • David Lammy becomes deputy prime minister while keeping foreign affairs brief
  • Angela Rayner resigned after admitting underpaid property tax
  • Lisa Nandy to stay on as culture secretary
  • Reshuffle marks first major shake-up of Starmer’s government

SHABANA MAHMOOD has been appointed home secretary in a major reshuffle of prime minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet following the resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

Keep ReadingShow less
Epping protests

The protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping triggered a series of demonstrations across the country during heightened tensions over immigration. (Photo: Getty Images)

Asylum seeker convicted of sex assaults case that led to protests

AN ETHIOPIAN asylum seeker, whose arrest in July led to protests outside a hotel near London where he and other migrants were housed, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl and another woman.

The protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, about 20 miles (30 km) from London, triggered a series of demonstrations across the country during heightened tensions over immigration.

Keep ReadingShow less
Angela-Rayner-Getty

Rayner, 45, announced she would step down as deputy prime minister, housing minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party. (Photo: Getty Image)

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner resigns after admitting tax mistake

Highlights

  • Rayner steps down after admitting underpaying property tax
  • Resigns as deputy prime minister, housing minister and Labour deputy leader
  • Becomes eighth minister to leave Starmer’s government, and the most senior so far
  • Her departure comes as Labour trails Reform UK in opinion polls

DEPUTY prime minister Angela Rayner resigned on Friday after admitting she had underpaid property tax on a new home. Her resignation is a fresh setback for prime minister Keir Starmer, who had initially stood by her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Migrants boat
Migrants swim to board a smugglers' boat in order to attempt crossing the English channel off the beach of Audresselles, northern France. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK pauses refugee family reunion route amid migration reforms

Highlights:

  • Refugee family reunion scheme suspended as part of migration reforms
  • Nearly 21,000 visas issued in the past year, mainly to women and children
  • New rules to include contribution requirements and longer waiting periods
  • Government expects first migrant returns to France later this month

THE GOVERNMENT has announced it is suspending a scheme that allowed families of refugees in the UK to apply to join their relatives, as part of efforts to cut irregular migration.

Keep ReadingShow less
Angela-Rayner-Reuters

Angela Rayner arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street on September 2, 2025. (Photo credit: Reuters)

Rayner's future uncertain as report on stamp duty case expected soon

DEPUTY prime minister Angela Rayner is awaiting the outcome of an investigation into her underpayment of stamp duty on a property in East Sussex, with the findings expected soon.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said he anticipated the report, led by ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, would be delivered “pretty quickly.” He added: “Then, of course, I will act on whatever the report is that's put in front of me.”

Keep ReadingShow less