Advocacy Update – 1st August 2024

1. Advocacy and campaigning Initiatives
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
3. Reports and research
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to

1. Advocacy and campaigning Initiatives

Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws

In the run-up to the General Election, hundreds of people across the UK wrote postcards to the incoming Prime Minister calling for the repeal of Anti-Refugee Laws and for the new UK Government to build an asylum system that protects, rather than punishes, people seeking safety.

On Monday 29th July, together with our friends at Praxis, we made sure that over 350 hand-written messages reached the Prime Minister directly. Campaigners from the Praxis NRPF Action Group handed the postcards into 10 Downing Street, urging the Government to dismantle the hostile environment and to build a ‘fair system that treats our friends and neighbours with dignity’.

You can find a blog with photos from the hand-in here, and, in case you and your community would like to send your own messages to the Prime Minister, you can download the postcard template to print here.

#CommunitiesNotCamps

The new Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, has announced the Bibby Stockholm barge is to be closed after its contract ends in January 2025. Campaigners in Dorset welcomed the news, with a spokesperson from Portland Global Friendship Group, who have provided ongoing support to those on the barge, saying ‘We are delighted the Bibby contract is not to be extended past January 2025. We and many of the men, wish it was sooner’. Congratulations to all who continue to campaign to close the barge.

The news about the closure of the Bibby Stockholm barge has been universally welcomed by the refugee sector, but organisations across the UK are calling for people to be moved off the barge immediately and for other harmful large-scale accommodation sites to be shut down. See statements from Right to Remain, Asylum Matters, Refugee Action, Refugee Council, QARN, and these pieces in inews and Left Foot Forward.

Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice to show support for four former residents of Wethersfield who are bringing a legal action challenging conditions at the prison-like site. During the hearing, further disturbing details have emerged, with a report on the camp confirming extremely high rates of suicidal ideation, and a ‘prevailing culture of degradation and disbelief’.

Lift the Ban

As debate in the new Parliament resumed, Green party co-leader Carla Denyer MP and Liberal Democrat MPs Brian Matthew MP and Vikki Slade MP put forward questions in the Chamber asking whether the Government would lift the ban on work for people seeking safety.

2. Government and Parliamentary updates

   Asylum processing to resume

   The past few weeks have seen important developments, including that the Government is to consider all Rwanda ‘inadmissible’ asylum claims here in the UK following a high court challenge, while new regulations amending provisions in the Illegal Migration Act mean that the ban on processing asylum claims has been lifted. While this is very welcome news, we echo Right to Remain’s and Free Movement’s analysis that the Illegal Migration Act remains a dangerous and harmful piece of legislation that must be repealed in its entirety.

3. Reports and research

Academics from the University of Exeter in partnership with Public Law Project, Migrants Organise, Dr Jo Wilding and Dr Daniel Newman have produced a report Immigration legal aid and value for money: identifying the missing data. The report points to evidence that legal aid cuts have led to increased spending in other parts of government and public services and argues for a data-driven approach to policy, identifying areas where data is currently missing.

The House of Commons Library has produced a research briefing on the immigration rules.

JCWI have produced a report ‘Work it Out! Advancing Migrant Workers Rights’ which examines how restrictions on migrant workers’ rights fuel exploitation and undermine safety at work. It looks at the criminalisation of work, the system of work sponsorship, exclusion from the state safety net, lengthy and expensive routes to regular status and a lack of safe reporting pathways.

Focus on Labour Exploitation have released a briefing on how a well designed fair work agency could benefit care workers.

Migrant Rights Network have produced a report Hostile Office: The Home Office is racist by design

about the history and manifestations of racism in the immigration system.

Scottish Refugee Council have produced a new online guide Information for New Refugees in Scotland.

Our friends at NACCOM and Homeless Link have published their report on Migrant Homelessness – look out for their resource pack arriving next week.

4. Resources, events, jobs and training

‘Introduction to Asylum Support’ – ASAP Training

ASAP are holding a training session which provides an overview of the asylum support system including s95, s98, s4 and destitution. It is suitable for those with no or limited experience of working on asylum support applications. It is a 2.5 hour session from 10am to 12:30 pm on Thursday the 29th of August and will be held on zoom. If you would like to attend this session please register your interest here by Thursday the 15th of August.

‘Knowledge is Power’ – Right to Remain workshop
Right to Remain’s next Knowledge is Power workshop is on Thursday 8th August. The session will be taking place on Zoom, from 10am until 12:30pm. The Knowledge is Power workshop is designed to help you to get to grips with the basics of the asylum system and the Right to Remain Toolkit. Tickets are available here.

Jobs

• The Welsh Refugee Coalition are recruiting a new Chair – deadline 23 August
• Helen Bamber are recruiting a counter trafficking legal and policy specialist – deadline 4 August
• Greater Manchester Youth Network are recruiting a new Programme Coordinator – deadline midday 9th August
• Refugee Action are recruiting a Senior Research and Policy Officer – deadline 8 September
• Maryhill Integration Network are recruiting an Education Outreach Officer – deadline 12 August
• Refugee Council are recruiting a Business Development Manager – deadline 11 August
• Rural Refugee Network are recruiting a Youth Worker – deadline 18 August
• Refugees at Home are recruiting a Communications and Digital Media Manager – deadline 19 August
• Welsh Refugee Council are recruiting a new Chair of Trustees – deadline 16 August

5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to

• This profile of Cindy Ngamba, Bolton’s own flagbearer for the Refugee Olympic Team.
• This piece in The Conversation about the Government’s shift in language around irregular migration.
• This worrying piece in The Observer about a threat received by the founder of Migrants at Work.
• St Augustine’s Trustee Hakar’s message to Governments around the world.
• Article in the journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy on How Do Legal Aid Cuts in England and Wales Impact LGBTQ+ People Seeking Asylum? Perspectives from Providers and Directly Affected People .