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Breaking: Migrant parents screen video message across Westminster.

28th February 2025NewsCampaignsEventsCall for action

‘This week, Praxis campaigners screened a video message across Westminster to make migrant voices heard on child poverty. The video played on loop around Westminster, parking outside the Department for Education, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Home Office – the departments with the power to make change for migrant children living in poverty. With its Child Poverty Strategy due to be published in Spring, the Government has a unique opportunity to lift families living in vulnerable situations out of poverty and ensure all children can have the best start to life, no matter where they or their parents were born.’

You can watch it here:

We also have a write to Ministers campaign action live if you would like to share.

No child left behind: Take action now!

20th February 2025NewsCampaignsCall for action
This Government promised to cut child poverty. Right now, they are writing their strategy on how they’ll do it. The question is, will they protect every child from poverty or just British children? 1 in 3 children living in deep poverty are migrant children. This is not a coincidence. Hostile immigration policies drive migrant families into poverty.
With Praxis, Voices in Exile took action in writing to Liz Kendall and Bridget Phillipson to make sure no child is left behind.
You can take action and write here: https://act.praxis.org.uk/email-ministers-child-poverty-taskforce?utm_medium=share&utm_source=allies
Praxis also share a couple of explainers on the links between NRPF and poverty, and the solutions that government should consider,

Love in Limbo: Visa rules tearing families apart

17th February 2025NewsCampaignsCall for action
As loving couples and families will celebrate their love and relationships, this Valentines Day Voices in Exile stand with Reunite Families UK https://reunitefamiliesuk.co.uk/uk and a coalition of organisations, to use today to highlight how the hostile environment is preventing people from loving whoever they choose, resulting in their #LoveInLimbo
Every single day we see:
– People being impacted by the cruel spouse visa rules
– People being denied the possibility of being together
– Even if people meet the MIR needed to sponsor their loved ones, they are then penalised with extortionate visa fees
There must be a better way forward, one that does not willingly make the lives of so many people (and children) in our country so miserable. They, like everybody else deserve a fulfilling life here. #FamiliesBelongTogether

Open letter: Refugee citizenship rules ‘breeding division and distrust’

16th February 2025NewsCampaignsCall for action

Voices in Exile signed, along with 148 organisations, a letter urging the government and Home Secretary from citizenship rules which effectively banning tens of thousands of refugees from ever becoming British citizens. This garnered interest from The Guardian –

The online article can be read here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/16/starmer-union-ally-joins-opposition-to-rules-barring-citizenship-for-small-boat-refugees?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Below, you can see the printed headlines:

 

Joint statement: Six months since the racist riots, we urge the government to take action

31st January 2025NewsCampaignsCall for action

Voices in Exile joined 60 racial justice, migrants rights and Muslim organisations to call on the government to take action on growing levels of racism and the thread of the far right six months since the dangerous race riots.

You can read the full statement here: https://www.runnymedetrust.org/news/six-months-since-the-riots-charities-urge-the-government-to-take-action-on-the-growing-threat-of-the-far-right

The Guardian posted about it here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/31/illegal-among-words-most-often-linked-to-migrants-in-uk-politics-report-finds

Joint public letter: Reconsider the decision to suspend all Syrian asylum claims

19th December 2024NewsCampaignsCall for action

Part of Asylum Matters’ campaign to Fight the Anti Refugee Laws, Voices in Exile join over 730 organisations and individuals in signing a joint letter to Yvette Cooper to fight the decision to suspend all Syrian asylum claims, at a time when the safety of Syria is far from certain.

You can read it here: https://asylummatters.org/2024/12/14/joint-letter-to-the-home-secretary-syrian-asylum-claims/

‘It was signed by over 730 organisations and individuals on the frontline of providing support to people seeking asylum in our communities across the UK, urging the Home Office to reconsider the decision to suspend all Syrian asylum claims following the fall of the Assad regime. Over 200 organisations (across the four nations of the UK) and over 500 individuals (including doctors, professors, lecturers, trustees, volunteers, ESOL tutors, teachers, nurses, midwives, directors, consultants, faith leaders, solicitors, lawyers, immigration advisors, charity workers, writers, artists, photographers, trade unionists, local councillors, retirees, legal advisors, refugees, people seeking asylum, journalists, human rights advocates, interpreters, campaigners, support workers, students and more) who are proud to welcome people seeking safety, called on the Home Secretary to reverse the unprecedented move to announce a suspension of the asylum system for a single nationality group, at a time when the safety of Syria is far from certain.’

 

TAKE ACTION:

Firstly, if you haven’t already signed the Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws pledge, you can do so here.

The next step is for everyone to write to their MPs (using this super-easy template tool, where you only have to add your name and email address and it will automatically send) with two simple asks:

  1. Commit to urging the Home Secretary to resume the processing of asylum claims
  2. Commit to meeting with you as their constituent in January / the New Year

We’ve shown the Home Secretary there is public opposition to this move, and the media spotlight we’ve shone means she’s under pressure externally, now we need to ramp up the pressure she is receiving inside parliament.

If your MP agrees to meet with you in the New Year, let us know by emailing nathan@asylummatters.org and we can equip you with a briefing and some top tips on ‘elevator pitching’ to your MP to get the most out of the meeting.

Keep the pressure up on social media too by sharing the letter on your socials with the hashtag #FightTheAntiRefugeeLaws – you could even tag Yvette Cooper.

We join 71 organisations writing to the government regarding transition to eVisa and migrants entitlements

4th November 2024Call for actionTagged ,

We’ve joined 71 organisations, including Migrants Organise and the3million, in writing to the UK government to express significant concerns that the transition to eVisa puts individuals at risk of being denied their lawful rights and entitlements including access to benefits, health and social care, and housing. The letter urges immediate action to prevent risk of denial of lawful rights and entitlements. 

As of 31 December 2024, all physical Home Office Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) will expire. While this does not affect the right to remain in the UK or the entitlements tied to that status, individuals will need to set up an eVisa account to prove their status and access their rights.

The shift to a digital-only system has highlighted numerous issues, including frequent technical glitches and errors that leave many unable to prove their status. Those with limited digital skills are particularly disadvantaged, as the system can be challenging to navigate. Additionally, those responsible for verifying immigration status—such as landlords, employers, and airline staff—often lack the necessary understanding of the process. A Guardian report from March 2024 revealed that database errors have already impacted the immigration status of 76,000 people.

Adding to the concern is the apparent lack of awareness within other government departments. For instance, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has prematurely stopped individuals’ welfare benefits, mistakenly assuming their immigration status and entitlements expire on 31 December 2024.

The3million and 70 other organisations have now urged the government to take immediate action to prevent a repeat of the Windrush scandal. With around 4 million people affected by the eVisa transition, there is a real risk of individuals being denied access to vital services and entitlements. The organisations’ letter outlines these concerns and calls for measures to ensure no one is left without access to their lawful rights. You can read the letter and a one-page briefing at the link below.

eVisa: Government Must Ensure Migrants’ Access to Essential Services

Addressing the housing crisis for refugees in Brighton: Challenges and solutions 

27th October 2024NewsCall for actionTagged

Our Generalist Advice Team offers essential support to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants, helping them access welfare benefits, secure housing, and find childcare. However, finding suitable accommodation has become increasingly difficult, especially following the closure of the Home Office ‘hotel’ in Brighton in 2023.  

Last September 2023, our team saw a rising number of homelessness cases among refugees who had been granted status, which was also impacted by the closure of the Home Office run ‘single men’s hotel’ in Brighton in November 2023. The combination of the closure of asylum hotels and the backlog of asylum claims being processed simultaneously led to an increased demand for third sector organisations to support refugees at risk of homelessness. The closure of half of asylum hotels was part of ‘Operation Maximisation’ —a Home Office policy set out on 13th July 2023 requiring single adult asylum seekers to share a room in Initial Asylum Accommodation (mostly hotels).

The Home Office recently reported a plan to make 10,000 decisions in September and maintain this going forward, prioritising those in receipt of asylum support. Therefore, we are concerned that we will see a rise of homelessness for refugees during this winter period due to lack of housing options available; a flurry of decisions being made at once by the Home Office; a lack of mental health evidence asylum seekers hold due to stigma surrounding mental health support; low ability to access this; and long waiting lists.

To prepare for this, we’re working closely with the Refugee/Asylum pathway team at Brighton and Hove Council and attend regular network groups with the NHS and other third sector organisations.

Jesuit Refugee Service’s new report examines experiences of homelessness among people refused asylum in London in Autumn 2023. Most research participants had no secure accommodation, rough sleeping was common, people were vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and prevented from managing life-threatening conditions. We also experienced this in Brighton and Hove, where refugees had been made homeless because of the asylum system when provided with 28 days’ notice to leave Home Office accommodation and find somewhere new to live.

In addition, vulnerable migrants face multiple barriers to access both council housing and private rented accommodation: not being allowed to work for the first 12 months whilst seeking asylum and then only able to apply for the right to work where limited roles are available from the Shortage of Occupation list — therefore gaining no work experience or income. Other factors that create barriers are the ‘no recourse to public funds’ status, low level English skills, and a lack of evidence to demonstrate vulnerabilities and complex needs.

We would like to acknowledge the local agencies that work with us to support our clients in finding accommodation. These include Care4Calais, Thousand 4 £1000, Room for Refugees, Refugees at Home, Brighton Wellbeing Service, Refugee Radio, Network of International Women, Brighton Exiled Trauma Service, and Brighton Therapy Centre.

For more information on the issue of rising homelessness among refugees, check out the below resources:

Some key terms to learn:

  • Asylum Support – Accommodation and Subsistence from Home Office. This is separate from an asylum claim.
  • Shortage of Occupation List – Asylum Seekers can apply for the Right to Work after 12 months of living in the UK, but the roles are limited to what is on the Shortage of Occupation List
  • No Recourse to Public Funds (often written as NRPF) – unable to access public funds such as benefits like Universal Credit, PIP, etc.

 

Want to do more to help, but don’t know what?

Find out more about hosting a refugee on a short term let here: Refugees at Home

Joint Statement: Response to the announcement to reopen Haslar and Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centres

2nd September 2024NewsCall for action

Voices in Exile reacted quickly to the announcement to reopen Haslar and Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centres, signing the following joint statement, which you can read in full:

Dear Rt Hon Yvette Cooper,

We are writing to you as local residents of Gosport and Oxfordshire, people with experience of detention, visitor groups to detention, organisations working with people in detention, academics, and others with an expressed concern at the announcement to continue with the plans made under the previous Conservative government to reopen Haslar and Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs).

We urge you to abandon these plans. 

Our asks

  1. Reduce the Immigration Detention estate: No human should be incarcerated for administrative convenience. End the use of detention as a tool of immigration enforcement starting by using detention as a last resort and ending the detention of vulnerable people, in line with Objective 13 of the Global Compact for Migration. 
  2. Review and Implement the Brook House Inquiry Recommendations: Ensure that the systemic failures identified in the inquiry are addressed and that similar abuses do not occur in other IRCs.
  3. Uphold the Values of Fairness and Humanity: Align immigration policies with principles of fairness, humanity, openness, diversity and inclusion, as recommended by the Windrush review.
  4. Invest in community-based alternatives: Redirect resources away from detention and into community-based support that prioritise dignity, fair treatment, and human rights.
  5. Engage with Individuals with Lived Experience of Detention: Any future policy decisions must be led by those with lived experience of detention and migration, ensuring that their voices are at the forefront of creating a truly just system.

 

1. Reduce the Immigration Detention estate

We reject the narrative that detention is necessary or justifiable. It is well recognised – through the testimonies of people detained, in academic research, through public and statutory inquiries into detention, amongst national and international human right mechanisms and in evidence from NGOs working in immigration detention – that detention has a profound impact on people’s mental and physical health, with effects lasting far beyond the time spent detained.  The removal of someone’s liberty as part of an administrative process – without knowledge of a release date – has been described by people detained as “mental torture”.  Detention significantly increases the risk of self-harm and suicide – 57 people have died in immigration detention in England and Wales since 2000, 31 of these by suicide. We call for a decisive reduction of the immigration detention estate. No human should be incarcerated for administrative convenience.

The announcement to re-open Haslar and Campsfield IRCs is with the stated intent of increasing immigration enforcement and returns. We welcome the recognition in the Home Secretary’s announcement that this must take into account the vital lessons from Windrush. It is our concern that these aims are deeply conflicted. A broken system, rooted in hostile environment policies, is failing countless individuals in detention, just as it did the Windrush generation. Tellingly, the most recent Home Office pilot for “Alternatives to Detention” delivered by the King’s Arms Project found that 80% of participants – people at risk of detention – were presented with viable options to regularise their immigration status in the UK when provided with adequate legal advice and support in the community. Increasing the use of detention is not the solution to the complex reasons which result in people arriving to the UK via unsafe routes or being unable to regularise their immigration status.

Under the previous Conservative government, the plans to re-open these centres were explicitly linked to the intention to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda. We are greatly relieved that the Labour government has brought an end to the Rwanda Offshoring plans. However, the chaos and suffering of the 220 people detained for removal to Rwanda, without cause, demands urgent reflection. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. Over the years, immigration detention has been used without accountability, with the majority of people detained, only to be released into UK communities, where they rightfully belong, but at devastating cost to their lives. 

2. Review and Implement the Brook House Inquiry Recommendations

The Brook House Inquiry report (2023) found 19 instances with credible evidence of acts or omissions that were capable of amounting to mistreatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In the inquiry, clear links were found between systemic failures of safeguards, an institutional culture of disbelief, indifference and racism amongst staff, and a system which prioritised enforcement and removal at all costs. These findings are not isolated to Brook House IRC or the period April-August 2017. The IMB annual report for 2023 in Brook House IRC found trends including: safety has deteriorated throughout 2023 and concurrently the use of force doubled as compared to 2022; there is a continued failure to properly use Rule 35; and evidence suggesting staff culture and burnout. Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), who visit people in Colnbrook and Harmondsworth IRCs, held a focus group and interviews with people recently detained in centres across the UK and found concerning parallels with the Brook House Inquiry report, including the use of segregation to manage mental health concerns; deficiencies in both healthcare provision and safeguarding, and the inappropriate use of force. This has been echoed by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons, which found all eight seven (correction made by AVID 11.10.24) IRCs in the UK to have serious failings in their most recent reports. The inspection report of Harmondsworth IRC found a catalogue of failures, including dilapidated buildings, shortage of experienced staff, overcrowding, and 48% of people surveyed reported feeling suicidal whilst in the centre. 

3. Uphold Values of Fairness and Humanity

We invite the Home Secretary to take heed of the Windrush review’s recommendation to centre values of fairness, humanity, openness, diversity and inclusion. We state with conviction that the plans to expand detention are out of step with these values. The closure of Haslar and Campsfield IRCs in 2015 and 2019, respectively, was a victory for human rights. It marked a shift toward a more humane immigration system, supported by the recommendations from the Shaw Reviews on the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons and a series of High Court rulings prior that immigration detention had amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3. To re-open these centres is to disregard past lessons. Prior to their closure, Haslar and Campsfield IRCs had a troubled history of abuse and neglect. In 2008, following a media report of extensive allegations of abuse in detention centres, a report from Medical Justice detailed instances of alleged assault in Campsfield IRC and in Haslar IRC. This included, amongst other highly distressing accounts, the experience of a man detained in Haslar IRC in 2003 who, after a suicide attempt, was placed in isolation through the use of force. Around this time, a freedom of information request revealed 52 self-harm incidents in Haslar IRC in 2004/5 and a further 52 incidents in Campsfield during the same period. In 2010, almost half of the people detained in Campsfield IRC went on hunger strike, stating that they were refusing food indefinitely “for our voices to be heard”. Ramazan Kumluca, an 18-year-old seeking asylum, and Ianos Dragutan, aged 35, both committed suicide whilst detained in Campsfield IRC in 2005 and in 2011. This heightened questions and concern amongst local community members who – in both Gosport and Oxford – were distressed by what was happening on their doorstep. They took practical steps to visit people in detention and offer their support. 

The government should follow the example set by these communities, who have committed to humanity, compassion and community. Their message is clear: detention is not the answer, change the narrative and change the direction.  

4. Invest in community-based alternatives

The government should prioritise community-based alternatives to detention alongside wider steps to fix our broken asylum system and address the root issues at the heart of our immigration system. The UNHCR’s independent review of the two Home Office pilots demonstrated increased engagement with the immigration system and personal stability, and participants were treated fairly and with dignity. There was no evidence that the pilots reduced compliance with the immigration system and public funds were more effectively channelled through civil society organisations, at significantly lower costs, rather  than private contractors. Alternatives to detention align with international standards, such as the Global Compact for Migration, of which the UK is a signatory. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when large numbers of people were released from detention, the UN Network on Migration Working Group on Alternatives To Detention stated that this presented: 

“a unique opportunity to look beyond the current crisis and showcase concretely how migration can be governed without resorting to detention, as envisioned by the framework for action provided by the Global Compact for Migration, including in its Objective 13. 

States, United Nations entities, civil society organisations and other actors are encouraged to redouble their collaborative efforts to phase out the use of immigration detention – building on steps forward taken during the pandemic, documenting the positive impact of alternatives, reflecting on lessons learned, and ending as a matter of priority the detention of children, families and other migrants in vulnerable situations.” 

The previous Conservative government failed to take this opportunity. We urge you not to do the same. 

5. One simple ask

If you can’t meet our other critical demands, at the very least, we leave you with one simple ask: speak to people who have experienced detention. Any decision to expand detention must be accountable to the experiences of people directly affected. Their voices should be the compass guiding any choices about this deeply flawed system.

SIGNATORIES (representing over 50 organisations and 85 signatories in total)

  1. Dr Chris Wooff, ACAP (Ashton Churches Asylum Project)
  2. Aderonke Apata, African Rainbow Family
  3. Maya Esslemont, After Exploitation
  4. Gee Manoharan, Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID)
  5. Miranda Reilly, Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID)
  6. Ewan Roberts. Asylum Link Merseyside
  7. Nathan Phillips, Asylum Matters
  8. Emma Jones, Asylum Welcome
  9. Bail For Immigration Detainees (BID)
  10. Sam Price, Beyond Detention
  11. Border Criminologies
  12. Eleanor Brown, CARAS
  13. Charlotte Khan, Care4Calais
  14. Steve Smith, Care4Calais
  15. Sian Summers-Rees, City of Sanctuary UK
  16. Coalition to Keep Campsfield Closed 
  17. Detention Action 
  18. Jonathan Ellis, Detention Forum
  19. End Deportations Belfast
  20. Freed Voices
  21. Maddie Harris, Humans for Rights Network 
  22. Michelle Ezeuko, Irukka
  23. Yasmin Halima, JCWI
  24. Jesuit Refugee Service UK
  25. Alison Bell (Co-Chair), Lewes Organisation in Support of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (LOSRAS)
  26. G. Tipping, LOSRAS
  27. Jean Gould, LOSRAS Prison Visitor Project
  28. Manchester Immigration Detainee Support Team 
  29. Aderonke Apata, Manchester Migrant Solidarity
  30. Mazzy Dee, Mazzy Dee’s Empowerment Network 
  31. Sebastian Rocca, Micro Rainbow CIC
  32. Lara Parizotto, Migrant Democracy Project
  33. Bridget Young (Director) NACCOM
  34. Lia Deyal, No Detention, No Haslar
  35. Mike Brown, No Detention, No Haslar
  36. Oxford Against Immigration Detention
  37. Oxford and District Trades Union Council
  38. Bridget Banda, Play for progress
  39. Natalia Byer, POMOC
  40. Leila Zadeh, Rainbow Migration
  41. Rachael Bee, Refugee welcome homes
  42. Mia Hasenson-Gross, Rene Cassin
  43. Abbas Ali, Resistance Kitchen
  44. Michael Collins , Right to Remain 
  45. Kay Marsh, Samphire 
  46. Kate Alexander, Scottish Detainee Visitors
  47. Keisha Gould, Scottish Detainee Visitors
  48. Ronnie Tagwireyi, Scottish Detainee Visitors 
  49. Mary Munro, Scottish Detainee Visitors (vice chair)
  50. Noku Sunduza, Seka Candles 
  51. Nikki Walters, Southampton Action
  52. Mark Courtice, Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG) 
  53. Anna Lilley, Stand up to Racism South Coast
  54. Emily Crowley (Chief Executive), Student Action for Refugees (STAR)
  55. The Bike Project
  56. Dania Thomas, Ubuntu Women Shelter
  57. Jackie Lederer, Unite Community Portsmouth and District Branch 
  58. Dr Charles Leddy-Owen, University of Portsmouth
  59. Dr Tom Sykes, University of Portsmouth
  60. Rebecca Hamlet, University of Portsmouth
  61. Claudia Bradshaw, University of Portsmouth
  62. Nicodemus Awai, University of Portsmouth
  63. Mel Steel, Voices in Exile
  64. Sonja Miley, Waging Peace
  65. Women for Refugee Women
  66. Paola Uccellari (CEO), Young Roots
  67. Clara Della Croce     
  68. Dr Sarah Anderson (former visitor to detainees at Campsfield House)
  69. MT Talensby 
  70. Catherine McCartney  
  71. Sally Jones   
  72. Jan Probert   
  73. Malcolm Little 
  74. Emily Barnes
  75. Courtney Thomas 
  76. Kate Smart
  77. Laura Robbie
  78. Sheila Curran  
  79. Stephanie Lewis       
  80. Amy Hurley Dugdale
  81. Peter Cotton
  82. Natalia Byer (Local Resident)
  83. Joanna Knight  
  84. Zoe Gardner
  85. Anonymous 
  86. Anonymous      

Co-ordinated By: The Association for Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID), Coalition To Keep Campsfield Closed and Border Criminologies.

Organisations List: Asylum Welcome, Beyond Detention, Detention Action, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK, Lewes Organisation in Support of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (LOSRAS), Manchester Immigration Detainee Support Team, Scottish Detainee Visitors, Waging Peace, Women for Refugee Women (WFRW), The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM), Rainbow Migration, Detention Forum, Asylum Matters, Portsmouth City of Sanctuary, No to Haslar, South Winchester Visitor Group (SWVG), Right To Remain, Ashton Churches Asylum Project (ACAP), African Rainbow Family, After Exploitation, Asylum Link Merseyside, Community Action for Refugees & Asylum Seekers (CARAS), Care4Calais, City of Sanctuary UK, End Deportations Belfast, Humans for Rights Network, Joint Council for Welfare for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), Manchester Migrant Solidarity (Manchester MiSol), Micro Rainbow, Migrant Democracy Project, Oxford Against Immigration Detention, Oxford and District Trades Union Council, Play for Progress, Polish Migrants Organise for Change (POMOC), Refugee Welcome Homes, Rene Cassin, Resistance Kitchen, Samphire, Seka Candles, Southampton Action, Stand up to Racism South Coast, Student Action for Refugees (STAR),Ubuntu Women’s Shelter, Unite Community Portsmouth and District Branch, University of Portsmouth, Voices in Exile, Young Roots, The Bike Project, Freed Voices, Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID), Mazzy Dee’s Empowerment Network.

Open letter: Demand accountability and an immediate shift in policy to prevent further riots

21st August 2024NewsCall for action

Over 100 frontline organisations providing advice to migrants and communities across the country today presented the Home Office with an open letter demanding accountability and an immediate shift in policy to prevent further far right riots.

The 104 signatories to the letter represent organisations that provide advice to migrants from every region in England, Scotland and Wales. Many were impacted by the recent wave of far-right violence and rioting, and had to close their doors or take security measures to safeguard their staff and clients. Over 10% of the signatories signed the letter anonymously, due to ongoing security concerns among organisations providing advice and support to migrants.

The letter, drafted by Haringey Migrant Support Centre (HMSC) and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), states: “Those occupying the great offices of State have a responsibility to break with divisive and dehumanising rhetoric, and to recognise the deep impact of anti-migrant rhetoric and policy on our communities.  

“When our major political parties engage in a race to the bottom on migration policy in order to win votes, the impact on communities is very real. 

“We saw crowds in Rotherham chanting ‘stop the boats’ and attempting to set alight an asylum hotel, knowing there were people seeking asylum inside. That the crowds were chanting a slogan and policy aim deployed by both the Conservatives and Labour in the run-up to the General Election, as well as by members of our Labour Government since, is a damning indictment of our politics, and its complicity in enabling and emboldening the far right.”

 

You can read the full letter below:

 

Re: Recent far right violence

Dear Home Secretary, 

We write to you as frontline organisations from across the UK that provide advice to migrants. Along with migrants, Muslims and People of Colour, we have been made the target of far-right violence. Our colleagues, many of whom experience Islamophobic, racist and anti-migrant violence, have also been targeted because of their work providing advice to people navigating the often-hostile immigration system. During the recent wave of far-right violence, many of us have been forced to close our offices and stop providing life-saving advice to safeguard our staff and the people we work with. Many of our clients continue to live in fear.  

We write to you in grief and horror at the scenes we have seen on our streets up and down the country, and everything that helped bring us to this point. We write to you calling for immediate action. Our communities are bearing the brunt of this racist violence, and the fear that comes with it. Those occupying the great offices of State have a responsibility to break with divisive and dehumanising rhetoric, and to recognise the deep impact of anti-migrant rhetoric and policy on our communities. 

When our major political parties engage in a race to the bottom on migration policy in order to win votes, the impact on communities is very real. We saw crowds in Rotherham chanting ‘stop the boats’ and attempting to set alight an asylum hotel, knowing there were people seeking asylum inside. That the crowds were chanting a slogan and policy aim deployed by both the Conservatives and Labour in the run-up to the General Election, as well as by members of our Labour Government since, is a damning indictment of our politics, and its complicity in enabling and emboldening the far right. 

The violence on our streets is an inevitable result of violent anti-migrant policies and rhetoric from people right at the top of our political system. Right now, we have policies in place that ask neighbours, employers, doctors and landlords to check the immigration status of people they interact with, and turn them over to the Home Office on even the suspicion that they don’t have the right piece of paper in their passport. Immigration raids intimidate, demonise and criminalise migrants, while detention centres impose further abuse and racist violence. Thousands of migrants are locked out of state support and forced into destitution, hardship and homelessness through ‘no recourse to public funds’ – a condition that has been ruled unlawful many times. These hostile immigration policies entrench and legitimise racism, turn communities against each other, and harm all of us.  

It’s clear to those whose lives are in the hands of the Home Office that the immigration system remains fundamentally racist and Islamophobic. We have a system that treats migrant workers as disposable, and allows the wealthy to travel freely while those without that privilege navigate dangerous journeys to cross borders. We have a system that, thankfully, reacted overnight to create real and accessible safe routes for people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, while those fleeing the same in Afghanistan have had to live in hiding for months on end because of Home Office bureaucracy and suspicion.  

During this wave of violence, increased policing powers, disproportionately deployed to surveil and criminalise migrants and People of Colour, have not kept us safe. It has been our communities mobilising to protect each other and coming out to defend, care for and stand in solidarity with one another. 

 

What needs to change

The far right violence sweeping the country must be a wake-up call. The policy on migration, as well as the rhetoric, urgently needs to change. We must see urgent action to dismantle the hostile environment that divides our communities. We must never again hear politicians glorifying ‘stopping the boats’. Instead, we must ensure people can travel safely to the UK by establishing real and accessible safe routes, and enable people to live fulfilling lives once they arrive, whether they are seeking sanctuary, joining family or working. 

The Government must also urgently review asylum accommodation contracts and shift to resourcing local authorities to house people seeking asylum in communities. Conditions in hotels are abysmal and unsafe. In Rotherham, people who fled their asylum hotel to escape the threat of far right violence ended up sleeping in nearby woods, because the hotel manager failed to check on them. It’s clear that the private companies profiting from running asylum accommodation, and therefore the Home Office, are failing in their duty of care.  

It must also urgently overhaul the legal aid system and increase legal aid rates. Many of our services were already stretched to breaking point by years of underfunding of legal aid. Legal aid rates have not been increased since 1996. Cuts to the scope of legal aid and to rates of pay, particularly following the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012, have meant the number of advice agencies and law centres doing this work has fallen by 59% over the last decade. 39 million people do not have access to a local immigration and asylum legal provider across England and Wales. The Government must immediately review the legal aid system, and ensure that our frontline advice services can meet the needs of our communities and work sustainably to help people access justice. 

Recommendations

  • Dismantle the hostile environment in its entirety
  • Acknowledge and address the racist and exclusionary logic embedded in immigration policies and within the Home Office
  • Urgently review asylum accommodation contracts, with a view to shifting away from outsourcing to for-profit companies, to resourcing local authorities to supply accommodation
  • Shift the rhetoric and policy on asylum away from ‘stopping the boats,’ and institute genuine, accessible safe routes for people seeking protection
  • Urgently review the immigration legal aid system, so that frontline advice organisations are properly resourced to provide access to justice

This wave of violence has had a horrifying impact on our communities. It must mark a turning point. We urge the government to heed the call from the communities most impacted, and from advice services like ours, and urgently change course. 

Yours faithfully,  

Haringey Migrant Support Centre

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants

12 frontline advice organisations signing anonymously

African Rainbow Family

Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit

ASSIST Sheffield

Asylum Justice (Wales)

Asylum Link Merseyside

Asylum Matters

BARA – Birmingham Asylum & Refuge Association

BARAC UK

Bradford Law Centre

Brent Council

Bristol Hospitality Network

Bristol Law Centre

Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group

Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign

CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers)

Care4Calais

Cheshire, Halton & Warrington Race & Equality Centre

Citizens Advice Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole

City of Sanctuary Sheffield

Compassion in politics

Connected Routes CIC

Cornwall Refugee Resource Network

Coventry Asylum & Refugee Action Group

Daaro youth project

East European Resource Centre

Evesham Vale Welcomes Refugees

Freedom United

Global Link

Govan Community Project

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit

Greenwich Inclusion Project

Hackney Migrant Centre

Here for Good

Hope Projects

Horsforth Town of Sanctuary

Humans for Rights Network

Jennifer Irons

Jesuit Refugee Service UK

Justlife Foundation

Kanlungan Filipino Consortium

Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)

Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN)

MakeAmplify

Malvern Welcomes

Manchester Migrant Solidarity

Manchester Refugee Support Network

MARAG – Midlands Asylum & Refuge Action Group

Maryhill Integration Network

Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation- MEWSO

Migrant Democracy Project

MIgrant Voice

Migrante Health Workers UK

NACCOM

New Citizen’s Gateway

Oasis church

Open Door North East

Praxis

Project 17

Refugee & Migrant Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL)

Refugee Support Group

Refugees Welcome North Somerset

Right to Remain

Room to Heal

Safe Passage International

Shaman  PR

Shropshire Supports Refugees

Simon Community Scotland

South London Refugee Association

Southall Black Sisters

Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC)

Southeast And East Asian Women’s Association (SEEAWA)

St Albans for Refugees

St Augustine’s Centre

St Chad’s Sanctuary

St Pauls Advice centre

Stand For All

Streetwise Young People’s Project

TGP Cymru

The William Gomes Podcast

the3million

Ubuntu Women Shelter

Voices in Exile

Waging Peace

Walking With in North Tyneside

Waltham Forest Migrant Action (WFMA)

Welsh Refugee Council

West London Welcome

Worcester City Welcomes Refugees

This is who we are: 240 refugee charities stand together in joint response to anti-immigrant violence

6th August 2024NewsCall for actionTagged ,

Today we join over 240 orgs to stand in solidarity with those affected by the recent acts of violence across the UK, many of whom have already fled unimaginable horrors to try to find safety.

 This must be a turning point. Read more below:

MORE THAN 200 REFUGEE CHARITIES ‘STAND TOGETHER’ IN JOINT RESPONSE TO ANTI-MIGRANT VIOLENCE

Solutions to homelessness amongst migrants: A signed briefing

1st August 2024NewsCall for action

Homeless Link and NACCOM have have published a new policy briefing exploring the key drivers of, and potential solutions to, homelessness amongst migrants.

The briefing outlines the the key drivers of migrant homelessness and what policies the new Government should implement to create a society with a home for everyone. It is supported by over 70 organisations working in the fields of homelessness, housing, and migrants’ rights, from local grassroots charities to leading national organisations including Criss, Shelter,  the Refugee Council, and Refugee Action.

Homeless Link and NACCOM have written to the new Minister for Border Security and Asylum Anglea Eagle, sharing the briefing and requesting to work with the Home Office to reform the immigration and asylum system so it is no longer a direct cause of homelessness. Meanwhile, we will be sharing ways for our member organisations to support this work in the near future.

You can read more below:

https://homeless.org.uk/news/homeless-link-and-naccom-share-new-migrant-homelessness-briefing/

Broken asylum system: Joint public letter to the Prime Minister

15th July 2024NewsCall for action

Today we join 300 orgs & 500+ people in calling on 10 Downing Street to urgently overhaul our broken asylum system. We need a new approach: one that protects people seeking safety, rather than punishing them for political gain. This letter was shared exclusively with The Guardian and you can read it below:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/08/human-rights-groups-give-starmer-blueprint-for-asylum-overhaul

6 steps towards migrants justice

20th June 2024Call for actionTagged ,

The rights of people who move have been under attack for too long. Our media and our politicians want to make us forget one simple truth: that people move. We always have and always will. We should be welcomed and supported when we do.

We all need rights. We all need safety. We all need dignity. We all need justice. We all need privacy. We all need community.

These are the six steps towards achieving justice for people who move, and a fairer society for us all. These basic principles have been jointly drafted by 45 organisations that work with people who move on a daily basis, and with allied organisations. We see how deeply the hostile policies and statements targeting migrants impact people and their communities. We’re proud to stand behind these six steps towards migrant justice, and a fairer society for all of us.  

  1.   Rights – We should all be able to thrive, no matter where we’re from or the colour of our skin
  2.   Safety – We must welcome people who seek sanctuary in the UK
  3.   Dignity – We must all be able to live with dignity and feel safe in our homes and workplaces
  4.   Justice – We should all be able to defend our rights and hold the government accountable
  5.   Privacy – We should all be able to pursue health, justice and support knowing that our personal data will be kept safe, and our privacy respected
  6.   Community – We all have a right to participate in our communities, and find care and belonging

Joining the call: Free the Rwanda detainees

14th June 2024NewsCall for action

Voices in Exile joined hundreds of charities in the call to free the Rwanda detainees, coordinated by Right to Remain. You can read more below:

Free the Rwanda detainees!

”On 29 April, the government started rounding up hundreds of people seeking asylum, taking them to detention centres for deportation to Rwanda. People have been locked up for over a month now, even though the Prime Minister announced that the cruel plan is paused, with no flights until after the election on July 4th.

And now, in a High Court hearing into a legal challenge brought by the FDA trade union for civil servants yesterday June 3rd, the Home Office revealed that there will be no flights to Rwanda until July 24th at the earliest.

All those people detained for Rwanda must be released, without delay.”

Voices in Exile joined the call  to free the Rwanda detainees by sharing the hashtags #StopRwanda and #FreeRwandaDetainees on social media alongside hundreds of other charities and individuals.