From prisons to speed cameras and welfare to nuclear warning systems, the British government has outsourced a huge number of state operations to private companies – including the housing of asylum seekers.

This week, riots erupted on the streets of Belfast following the stabbing of Stephen Ogilvy. The suspect is an ex asylum seeker. It’s the third summer in a row that the asylum accommodation system has been the focus of violent protests.

Has Britain lost control?

READ: How Britain lost control

https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2026/06/how-britain-lost-control

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