Watching the local election results roll in has made this a tough day for all who care about the human right to seek sanctuary. Seeing votes scooped up by those who scapegoat migrants and stoke division in our communities is always worrying.
But as an organisation that works with incredible people across the country who work tirelessly to promote welcome and to support people seeking sanctuary, we believe it’s important to remember that those who promote scapegoating anti-migrant policies do not represent the whole of the UK.
Today’s results should send a clear message to the Government: to the Government: bowing to anti-migrant sentiment and racism clearly isn’t winning you votes. You have the opportunity to turn the dial, embrace sanctuary seekers and those migrating to our country. So far, your Asylum Bill fails to do so – and it hasn’t won voters.
Replicating the same old failed border enforcement policies, instead of making plans to actually make the asylum system work for all of us, especially those asking for our help, didn’t prevent these results. Unveiling meaningless new rules that paint all people seeking asylum as sex offenders on the eve of the election didn’t prevent them either. Nor did months of hostile rhetoric, or promoting the violence and human suffering of immigration raids and deportations.
So here’s the good news: this is the perfect time for the Government to see this divisive approach just isn’t what the UK needs.
Local elections can often be seen as an indicator to national parties of what the electorate wants. We hope the Government can take the right message from this – people want positive change, not more of the same scapegoating. In the asylum system, that change is within easy reach: lift the ban on work, net a £1.6bn boost to GDP, let people share their skills with their new communities, pay tax, work in vital services like our NHS or open businesses to create jobs and economic growth.
What we’re seeing today is how parties who’ve all stood behind anti-migrant policies are largely competing with each other for the same set of voters. A significant group, but still far from the whole country. The Conservative party’s use of Rwanda, Bibby Stockholm and cruel asylum camps didn’t win a majority at the last general election. Today, many people who backed those policies have turned to Reform UK, who put a pledge to effectively ban asylum at the top of their manifesto.
We’re watching parties fight over who can be cruellest to win over just one group of voters. All while overlooking most people who just want real plans to fix our NHS and tackle the cost of living crisis, and fight division by making everyone’s life better.
Meanwhile parties who’ve promoted more positive narratives about migration – including Lib Dems who’ve signalled support for lifting the work ban and Greens who’ve spoken up for safe routes to sanctuary – have also seen gains today. So there’s good reason to think that hatred just isn’t enough to win control of the country. Whatever the party name, what most people want are real plans to make life better for all of us – not expensive schemes to make a small, vulnerable group suffer.
Most of us are proud to help those who need it, proud of our multiculturalism, proud of our diversity, of our vibrant cities, of the towns and villages where people embrace new neighbours.
So let’s remember that while those who target people seeking sanctuary have made gains, they’re not the majority. And while there are any parties brave enough to offer real, positive alternatives, we don’t think they ever will be.
We know this country is full of people who want change for the better. People born in this country and people who’ve made it their home later in life, who are proud to be part of diverse, multicultural communities, who we see every day working tirelessly to welcome newcomers.
So to all feeling worried today: we see you. We know it’s especially hard for everyone whose identity is targeted by the far right, not just refugees but also all racialised people; queer and trans people; disabled people.
We share these worries – and we refuse to feel hopeless.
The rise of anti-migrant electoral forces is not an inevitability. All they have to offer is division – and the whole of the UK deserves better than that.
Always remember; in every part of our country there are thousands of people volunteering their time to help people seeking asylum, a whole army of wonderful souls who want to vote in line with their values, our shared commitment to fairness, respect and kindness
We’ll keep fighting for better – and we know millions of people across this country will too.
