The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club has issued a strongly worded rebuke of Sir Jim Ratcliffe following the billionaire co-owner’s controversial remarks about immigration.
In a statement released this evening, the officially recognised fan group described his comments as “deeply concerning” and criticised his characterisation of Britain as having been “colonised” by immigrants.
The supporters’ organisation expressed alarm not only at the specific terminology employed but also at what they termed “positive references to political figures whose rhetoric on immigration and minority communities has long been divisive.”
Their response comes just hours after Ratcliffe’s interview aired publicly.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated that the UK “has been colonised by immigrants”
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Ratcliffe made the remarks whilst speaking at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where the 73-year-old businessman addressed economic concerns facing the nation.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he told Sky News during the interview.
The INEOS founder went further, stating: “I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
His comments swiftly drew criticism, with the supporters’ group taking particular issue with his choice of vocabulary and its broader implications.
🚨 MUMSC statement regarding recent comments by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Read below. pic.twitter.com/mIgxPdKzWB
— MUMSC (@mum_sc) February 11, 2026
The supporters’ club argued that the word “colonised” carries significant weight and cannot be considered neutral terminology.
According to their statement, such phrasing “echoes language frequently used in far-right narratives that frame migrants as invaders and demographic threats.”
The group warned that this type of discourse carries tangible consequences beyond mere rhetoric.
“Public discourse shapes public behaviour,” they stated. “When influential figures adopt language that mirrors extremist talking points, it risks legitimising prejudice and deepening division.”
They pointed to rising hate crime figures across Britain in recent years, citing increases in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racially motivated attacks, and hostility directed at migrants and ethnic minorities.
United fans have protested over Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s co-ownership alongside the Glazers before
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The supporters’ club emphasised that Manchester United stands as a global institution founded upon diversity, comprising players, staff and fans from every conceivable background, faith and ethnicity.
They maintained that this variety represents the club’s greatest asset, and indeed the nation’s.
Whilst acknowledging that immigration policy remains a legitimate subject for debate, the group insisted such discussions must be conducted responsibly. Language that alienates communities or reinforces narratives linked to intolerance has no place in public discourse, they argued.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as well as United’s co-owner, runs INEOS and is one of Britain’s richest billionaires
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“We stand with all communities who reject racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms,” the statement concluded, “and we call for leadership that unites rather than divides.”
