- Advocacy and campaigning Initiatives
- Government and Parliamentary updates
- Reports and research
- Resources, events, jobs and training
- What we’re reading, watching and listening to
- Advocacy and campaigning Initiatives
Take Action – Have Your Say on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025 has now entered the Committee Stage, where MPs will scrutinise it in detail. The House of Commons Public Bill Committee is accepting written evidence from organisations and individuals with expertise or lived experience. This is a crucial opportunity to challenge harmful provisions and push for a fairer asylum system. We strongly encourage partners to submit their evidence as soon as possible to ensure their voices are heard. Find full details and submit your evidence here: House of Commons Public Bill Committee., with submissions email to: [email protected].
Take action by sending our template letter and briefing to your MP.
Lift the Ban Campaign Moment: People with Lived Experience Demand the Right to Work
On 26th February 2025, the Lift the Ban Coalition staged a powerful campaign moment at Parliament Square in London, bringing together over 60 people with lived experience to demand the right to work for asylum seekers. The event sent a clear message to the UK government: it’s time to Lift the Ban. Currently, people seeking asylum are effectively banned from working, forced to live on just £49.18 per week, and left unable to support themselves or contribute their skills to society. This policy traps people in poverty, wastes potential, and harms communities. At the stunt, those directly affected spoke out about the urgent need for change, calling on policymakers to allow asylum seekers to work after six months of waiting for a decision on their claim.
The campaign is growing, but we need more voices to amplify this demand. Join the Lift the Ban coalition and help us fight for change. Find out more and take action at www.lifttheban.co.uk
Click here for some of the event highlights on Twitter and Instagram.
TAKE ACTION:
-
Here is our Parliamentary briefing which will be updated when required.
-
Send our template letter to your MP asking them to stand up for asylum rights
-
Use our media briefing which will be updated as the situation develops and the bill progresses to respond to the bill
-
Use Care4Calais’ letter-writing tool to ask your MP to oppose the move to block refugees gaining citizenship
-
Sign the petition to shorten residency period for undocumented migrants to apply to regularise status
-
If you haven’t already, visit our newly refurbished website and sign the pledge.
Asylum Poverty
Email to Ministers – protect EVERY child from poverty.
Praxis has been campaigning since the election to try to make sure that children in migrant households are included in the government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy. They have been working with the Child Poverty Unit, Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium and the NRPF Partnership to make the case that a strategy that ignores the impact of NRPF on child poverty will struggle to reduce poverty for all children in our communities. Please lend your voice to this campaign by sending an email to the relevant Ministers, Liz Kendall and Bridget Phillipson using the link here.
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
The Housing Standards (Refugees and Asylum Seekers) Bill is currently progressing through Parliament, aiming to establish national minimum standards for accommodation provided to people seeking asylum. Introduced by MP Chris Stephens, the bill seeks to address concerns over unsafe, unsuitable, and overcrowded housing, ensuring all asylum accommodation meets basic living standards. If passed, this legislation could lead to significant improvements in the quality of housing for asylum seekers, many of whom currently endure substandard conditions. You can track the bill’s progress here and read more about the wider issues around asylum housing in the UK here.
Cranston Inquiry
Proceedings are underway in this inquiry, which is examining the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people lost their lives crossing the Channel. Harrowing evidence is emerging of the experiences of the few survivors, and a litany of failings in the handling of the incident. Coverage here and here.
3. Reports and research
Sharp Rise in Afghan Asylum Refusals Leaves Thousands in Limbo
Lawyers and campaigners have warned that the UK is becoming a “hostile environment” for Afghan asylum seekers, as Home Office refusals surged from 48 in late 2023 to 2,000 in the last quarter of 2024. While Afghanistan remains under Taliban control and removals are not possible, those refused asylum are left destitute, unable to work, and stuck in indefinite limbo. Asylum Matters’ Executive Director, Louise Calvey, criticised the policy, stating that it “denies safety and support while leaving people with nowhere else to go.” The Refugee Council also highlighted the human cost, with families trapped in hotels instead of being able to rebuild their lives. Read more on this from The Guardian.
Lost Childhoods: the consequences of flawed age assessments at the border
This report by the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium documents the harm caused by children being routed into the adult asylum system, the lack of safeguards, and lays out data collated by the Helen Bamber Foundation showing the extent of flawed decision making and the impact on local authorities. Read the report here, coverage here.
Experiences of accessing education in asylum accommodation
This report by Together with Migrant Children and the Public Law Project lays out evidence from organisations working with asylum seeking families on delays in accessing educational provision for children in the asylum system, highlighting waiting time lengths, issues organisations are seeing, and a lack of alternative provision. Coverage here.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Kanlungan Filipino Consortium report launch: “On the frontline: Impact of COVID-19 on the Filipino Community in the UK”
In the context of Kanlungan’s participation in the Covid-19 Inquiry, this report gives an account of the experiences of the community during the pandemic and the extensive policy, advocacy, and direct support work Kanlungan delivered during this period — from Filipino food for NHS workers to vaccination clinics and immigration advice.
Date: Weds 12 March, 6-9pm Location: St Margarets House, 21 Old Ford Road, London E2 9PL
Full info and registration here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-the-frontline-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-filipino-community-in-the-uk-tickets-1251269744489
Contact: Francesca (she/her) on 07737562952
Glasgow Calls to Lift the Ban on Work for Asylum Seekers
This week in Glasgow, former asylum seekers and campaigners gathered to demand an end to the ban on work for people seeking asylum, highlighting the devastating impact of enforced unemployment. Clemence Karina Kazeia, who sought asylum from Namibia, described how being banned from working left him isolated and struggling to afford basic transport costs. Campaigners, including Maryhill Integration Network, continue to push for urgent reform to allow people seeking asylum to contribute to society and support themselves. Read the article here.
Lloyds Local Collaboration Funding
Lloyds Bank Foundation have launched Round 2 of their Local Collaboration Programme to support collaboration in small charities to achieve local & regional change – more details on their website
Jobs
-
West End Refugee Service (WERS) are hiring an Head of Operations & Refugee Leadership, deadline 9th March.
-
Social Workers Without Borders are looking for an Operations Manager (3 days a week). Deadline 9am 17th March.
-
NEON is looking for a Senior Network Adviser. Application deadline is 13th April, 2025.
Future Advocacy are looking for Head of Campaigns/Director of Digital Campaigns, deadline is 23rd March.
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to
-
A positive perspective on migration – looking at Spain’s booming economy shows the power of an open approach to migration in The Guardian.
-
Asylum applications in Europe fell by 11% in 2024, with over 1 million requests recorded—explore the latest trends in migration patterns in this AP News report.
-
The latest episode of The EbE Podcast is a powerful conversation on the lasting impact of colonialism, the role of education in empowerment, and the importance of reclaiming Black history. Hosted by Jason Thomas-Fournillier with guests Nico Ndlovu, Catherine Lebadou, and Jonathan Kazembe, this episode is a must-listen for anyone committed to racial justice and social change. Tune in now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
