A brutal knifing and attempted beheading in a Belfast street. The murder of an English student after police ignored complaints he’d been stabbed in favour of a Sikh falsely claiming racist abuse. The now regular horror of terrorist attacks.Over many years, the level and ethnic make-up of immigration in Western countries has moved from the far edges of acceptable political argument to the red-hot centre of growing public resentment and social division.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles