UK Civil Servants Told to Monitor Social Media Posts About Migrants
Rebeka Kis, European Conservative, November 19, 2025
The British Government has instructed thousands of civil servants to monitor social media posts about migrants, in guidance intended to counter what officials call “high-risk narratives.”
The instructions form part of the Cabinet Office’s “Resist framework,” which guides the Government Communications Service (GCS)—a 6,000-strong network responsible for official messaging—on how to track and respond to online content that could undermine government policy or spark a public backlash.
Officials are told to flag posts raising concerns about migrant housing, newly arrived asylum seekers and specific ethnic groups, as well as material deemed capable of polarising “societal debates.”
The instructions were issued amid protests at migrant accommodation in hotels following the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl by an Ethiopian asylum seeker in Epping.
Guidance from the Local Government Association, including anonymised case studies, instructs officials on addressing information about “the arrival of asylum seekers settling in hotels and vacant military bases.”
Case studies included in the guidance suggest ways to respond, such as establishing “cohesion forums” and using “prebunking.”
These measures follow revelations that over 32,000 migrants are currently housed in hotels across Britain at significant taxpayer expense. Recent figures show that more than 35,000 crossed the English Channel illegally by early October, showing how Starmer’s government has lost control of Britain’s borders.
Reform UK Chief Whip Lee Anderson criticized the guidance, saying: “This government has allowed the largest invasion of our shores in modern history. It deserves full scrutiny, and the British people have every right to do so.”
The government insists the guidance protects people online, but it coincides with broader concerns over freedom of expression under the Online Safety Act. Labour MP Barry Gardiner has conceded that the law—presented as child protection—also targets “harmful” adult speech, including “sentiments contrary to immigration,” fueling fears that criticism of migration is being quietly curtailed.
