High unemployment and housing shortages in the East End in 1888 led the police to focus on national immigration. Two parliamentary committees were set up at the time to look into immigration.

Tensions developed between immigrant and local populations over housing, language and work
Anti-Semitic (prejudice against Jews) views developed and Jews were commonly beaten
Police considered the East End to be a violent area due to these tensions
The murders by Jack the Ripper created further violence; sensationalist newspapers portrayed Jack the Ripper as a stereotypical Jew in terms of physical appearance
No English people believed one of their fellow citizens could commit these murders and decided to blame either a Jewish or Irish immigrant
Racial hatred was strong in the Whitechapel area
Whitechapel was full of police reinforcements during the times of the Ripper murders in the possibility of outbreaks of riots by the Jewish community