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Advocacy and campaigning Initiatives
Racist riots and community response
Following the shocking & terrifying attacks on Black & Asian people, Muslim people and Migrants & Asylum Seekers, Asylum Matters, Praxis & Refugee Action produced guidance for people concerned about far-right violence targeting people in temporary asylum accommodation or with refugee status living in the UK.
We have now translated this document and you can see all the available translations here: Far-right riots: Advice for people seeking asylum and refugees – HOPE not hate
There has been a vast range of powerful community responses to the far right violence as people across the UK have stood up to hate, including but not limited to:
- Thousands organised and attended counter protests all over the UK, outnumbering the far right and leading to (in many cases unprecedented) supportive headlines for anti-racist action in media outlets across the political spectrum
- Open letter to Yvette Cooper opposing far-right violence at hotels by Conversations Over Borders gained over 10,000 signatures
- Refugee Action petition calling for an end to racist rhetoric- https://act.refugee-action.org.uk/page/154730/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=Twitter-sharing
- Joint letter to Home Secretary calling on her to suspend in-person reporting by The Abolish Reporting Campaign and Right to Remain
- Organisations and groups stepped up to offer community support, such as the Migrant Rights Network Safeguarding and Collective Care Forums.
Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws
Following the Government’s announcements yesterday around ramping up enforcement and removals and expanding detention capacity, we have written again to the Prime Minister calling for a compassionate refugee protection system. This is a follow-up to the joint public letter signed by 300 organisations and over 500 individuals that was sent to the new Prime Minister on 8 July and as of yet has had no reply.
We have reiterated calls for the government to end the use of harmful rhetoric aimed at people seeking safety, end the use of immigration detention, increase asylum support rates, restore the right to work, house people in communities not camps, resolve the legal aid crisis, commit to ruling out offshore processing, open safe routes and repeal the Illegal Migration Act and the National and Borders Act. You can find our thread on X here.
Communities Not Camps
The Times and The Daily Mail have reported that the Government is seeking to move away from from housing people seeking asylum in large-scale sites like the camp at RAF Wethersfield and the barge at Portland, and focus instead on ‘massively increasing’ procurement of dispersal accommodation. These reports have yet to be officially confirmed by the Government.
Meanwhile, local pressure is building on the new Labour Government to follow through on the pre-election commitment to scrap Home Office plans to convert RAF Scampton into a large-scale asylum accommodation centre, according to reports in Lincolnshire Live and The Lincolnite. Similarly, pressure is growing on the Government to provide certainty about whether or not the Northeye site in Bexhill will be converted into an immigration detention centre according to reports in BBC News.
inews have reported that £350,000 of taxpayers’ money has been spent by the Government in legal fees to defend the use of RAF Wethersfield as asylum accommodation in court. *Trigger Warning* Channel Four have received videos pertaining to suicide attempts on site and have seen a confidential report for the Home Office that states the conditions at Wethersfield “exacerbate trauma” and that staff were “desensitised”, with some guards “minimising the men’s distress and incidents of self harm”. Medical findings from Médicins Sans Frontières and Doctors of the World describe the scale of the mental health crisis at Wethersfield as “staggering” with 74% of patients presenting with “severe psychological distress” and 41% “experiencing suicidal ideation, as well as deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts” as reported in inews this week.
Lift the Ban: New Immigration Statistics
The Quarterly Immigration Statistics were released today by the Home Office, revealing that there are now 76,268 people in the asylum system who have waited longer than 6 months for a decision on their asylum application. These are all people who could have the right to work while they wait if we lifted the ban on working. With a new Labour Government currently resisting this policy change, it has never been more important to raise our voices with local Labour politicians to call for this common sense reform. I’ll be getting in touch shortly about some campaign events in our region, I hope you and your communities might be able to be involved.
RAMFEL’s Petition to End Hotel Asylum Accommodation
RAMFEL have launched a petition, “Protect Asylum Seekers: End the Use of Hotels.” which calls for an immediate end to the use of hotels as accommodation for asylum seekers and calls that people be housed in safe, welcoming communities.
Justice for sponsored workers
Migrants at Work / MRN are inviting sponsored workers to join a new Justice for Sponsored Workers campaign. More details on how to get involved here and a sign up form for sponsored workers here.
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
Channel deaths
Two more people have lost their lives in the Channel in the last week, bringing the total number of deaths this year to at least seventeen. The mother of Dina Al Shammari, who lost her life whilst attempting the crossing in late July has spoken movingly of the family’s experiences and her daughter’s aspirations to find safety in the UK.
Afghan Citizens resettlement scheme Separated Families Pathway
Following a Ministerial written statement at the end of July, the Government has published details on how to make a referral to bring immediate family members to the UK for people who were evacuated under pathway 1 of the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme. Referrals are possible until 30 October 2024. More details on the requirements and how to make a referral are here
Consultation on Healthy Start Scheme
The Government is consulting on eligibility for Healthy Start for groups who have no recourse to public funds or who are subject to immigration controls. The scheme provides help to buy fresh foods and vitamins for families and pregnant mothers in certain circumstances, and the consultation asks questions about extending the scheme to groups of people with NRPF. The Department of Health and Social Care is especially interested in the views of families or parents with NPRF / subject to immigration control with children under 4; mothers with NRPF/subject to immigration control with children under 1; and pregnant women with NRPF / subject to immigration control. The consultation is here and runs until 23 October 2024.
Asylum Interview disruption due to recent riots
The Home Office have made adjustments for people who have been effected by the recent disorder, see recent communication – “We fully recognise that these circumstances may affect asylum seekers, and their legal representatives. Should an asylum seeker be unable to attend an interview or if their legal representative is unavailable for the same reason, please be assured that this will not adversely impact their application, and their claim will not be withdrawn. For interview cancellations, we advise that you contact [email protected] if this is the case. This address is also found on the invitation to interview letter. Additionally, we are aware that there may be delays in legal representatives submitting further information due to the current situation. We are prepared to accommodate extensions as needed. Requests for extensions should be made direct to [email protected] .Furthermore, if an asylum claim is inadvertently withdrawn, please contact [email protected]
Address updates
We have had confirmation that if someone wishes to update their address details with the Home Ofiice, or wishes to make sure their address is correct they should email [email protected]
Call for evidence: inspection of the management of fee waiver applications
The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has begun an inspection of the Home Office’s management of fee waiver applications, and is inviting anyone with knowledge and experience to submit evidence. The call for evidence remains open until 5th September, and people can submit their evidence by emailing [email protected]. Find out more here.
3. Reports and research
Legal analysis: Nationality and Borders Act incompatible with the UK’s international obligations on modern slavery
A legal analysis, commissioned by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC) and conducted by Dr Marija Jovanovic from the University of Essex, has found that Section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA) is incompatible with the UK’s international obligations.
Immigration raids report by Migrants Rights Network
Migrants Rights Network have produced a new report that finds that immigration raids ‘have a disproportionate impact on racialised communities and act as a method to divide or intimidate migrants and People of Colour, while making millions for the Home Office in the process’. They have also launched a new Reporting Tool which allows you to report and log immigration raids in your local area.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Start having Courageous Conversations about Refugee Rights: new guide
City of Sanctuary UK has developed a new resource to help you and your communities have courageous conversations about refugee rights. You can find the new guide here.
Asylos Training on Country of Origin Information
Asylos is running free webinars in the last week of September targeted at legal representatives and those providing country of information support, including general, disability focused and child focused sessions. See here for further details and to register.
Step-by-step guide to applying for an e-Visa
Brian Dikoff, Legal Organiser at Migrants Organise, has shared a step-by-step guide to applying for an e-Visa on the Free Movement website.
Towards Anti-Racism: Active Allyship in the Workplace- A Guide
The eruption of racist violence recently has left migrants, people of colour and Muslims deeply concerned about their safety and that of their communities. Muslims against Fascism have created this short guide for allies for those committed to actively supporting affected communities in the workplace.
Jobs
- Detention Action are looking for a casework coordinator, deadline 2 September
- Medical Justice are looking for a Head of Advocacy deadline 2 September and a caseworker deadline 8 September
- JCWI are looking for a manager for the Crossborder Forum, deadline 15 September
- Migrateful are looking for new trustees with a range of skills and experience, deadline 30th September 2024
- After 18 in Leicester are recruiting for an operations manager, details here, rolling deadline
- Stop the Traffik are looking for an operations and development analyst, details here, rolling deadline
- Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN) are recruiting a Senior Manager: Advocacy and Support.
What we’re reading, watching and listening to
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- This on the historic achievement of flagbearer Cindy Ngamba, winning the first ever medal for the Refugee Team at the Olympics by securing bronze in the women’s -75kg boxing.
- This blog by the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative’s new Project Officer, Duygu Guzeltas, about her positive experience applying for her new role- with lots of valuable insights and learning for organisations hiring. You can sign up for further news and updates here.
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