Emerging in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, England, in 2014, Anti-Immigration Birds is a mural that offers a powerful critique of anti-immigration sentiment and racism.

The artwork depicts five gray pigeons perched on a wire, holding signs that read ‘Migrants Not Welcome’, ‘Go Back to Africa’ and ‘Keep Off Our Worms’, directed at a more colorful and exotic-looking migrant swallow. Banksy uses the balance of nature to ironically criticize racist rhetoric against immigrants.

The gray pigeons represent the local population, while the signs openly reflect anti-immigration attitudes. The phrase ‘Keep Off Our Worms’ highlights the absurdity of such prejudices.

The migrant swallow symbolizes diversity, and its solitary position underscores the exclusion of immigrants in society. Using nature as a metaphor, Banksy exposes the senselessness of anti-immigration sentiment; in nature, no bird excludes another for being a migrant, as migration is a natural process. Banksy emphasizes that anti-immigration attitudes are a human construct, contrary to nature.

The piece also questions the authorities’ stance on immigrants. The signs reveal that racist rhetoric is not just individual but systemic, with Banksy critiquing how such attitudes are normalized and supported by authority. The swallow’s colorful appearance symbolizes the cultural richness of immigrants, while the gray tones of the pigeons reflect the monotony and soullessness of racist rhetoric.

Anti-Immigration Birds appeared in 2014, ten days before local elections in Clacton-on-Sea. In 2014, anti-immigration sentiment and racist rhetoric were on the rise in the UK, with parties like UKIP, which was influential in the area, promoting anti-immigrant policies. Amid the Syrian civil war, millions were forced to migrate to Europe, intensifying the migrant crisis.

The mural garnered significant attention; however, Tendring District Council removed it following a complaint that it was ‘racist and offensive’, underscoring the accuracy of Banksy’s critique. Rather than understanding the message, the authorities chose to silence it.