- 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
Response to far right protests
Sadly, we have seen a wave of far right ‘protests’, mainly outside of hotels housing people seeking asylum, across the country. It began in Epping and last weekend there were ‘protests’ all over the country, with one of the most violent being in Nuneaton.
In response, Together with Refugees organised a joint letter to all political leaders in Westminster condemning anti-migrant protests and telling them to take a strong and united stand. Over 200 organisations, including ourselves signed it. We have posted a video in defiance on social media, which you are welcome to share, on Bluesky and Facebook.
Communities not Camps
The Guardian reports that the Home Office is reneging on plans to shut the camp at Napier Barracks in September this year, leaving support services who were winding down in preparation for its closure unable to assist people there. Meanwhile, up to 50% more people are being sent to the unsuitable camp at Wethersfield, in what the Home Office say is a temporary measure, and in a move opposed by campaigners. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch MP has this week called for more ‘migrant camps’ to be built.
TAKE ACTION: use and share this tool to write to your MP and ask for Wethersfield and Napier to close immediately.
Lift the Ban
Over the summer the Lift the Ban coalition are hoping to get as many local authority leaders as possible to add their signatures to an open letter to Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner on the benefits to local councils of lifting the ban on work. Lift the Ban have also produced a public statement for policy researchers, think tanks, universities and academics to express their support for granting people seeking asylum full working rights after six months.
TAKE ACTION: email [email protected] if you’d like to join the Lift The Ban mailing list to find out how you can help get your local area involved
Solidarity not Strangers: ‘write to your MP’ action
At the end of May, over a thousand organisations and individuals across UK civil society came together to declare this an island of ‘solidarity, not strangers’, and pledge to stand up for those scapegoated and targeted by the politics of division. At a time when people seeking asylum, refugees, migrants, racialised people and all minoritised groups are under threat and attack by the far-right, and put in danger by the rhetoric of our political leaders, it’s never been more important for us to urge our politicians to unite us not divide us. That’s why we worked with Carla Denyer MP to create a version of the Solidarity not Strangers pledge for MPs to sign up to: EDM 1697 – Contribution of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
TAKE ACTION: use and share this tool to write to your MP and ask them to sign the EDM
The UK-France ‘one-in, one-out’ deal comes into force
The UK–France “one in, one out” pilot scheme came into force on 6 August. This deal continues an ongoing pattern of criminalising people who’ve exercised their legal right to seek asylum, including to travel irregularly to do so. It continues the escalation of deadly violence in our Channel, it ignores the Refugee Convention and it represents yet another failed opportunity to create real safe routes for those who need them. Read our full statement here. Learn the full details in the GMIAU One in one out agreement guide and Free Movement’s explainer. Also, Duncan Lewis Solicitors are taking referrals for people caught up in the scheme.
Stop Trump
With Donald Trump set to be back in the UK on 17-19 September, the Stop Trump Coalition has called a mass demonstration in London on Wednesday 17th. Organisers say it’s vital this demonstration is as big as the one during the last Trump presidency – which was attended by hundreds of thousands – now that the threat of the hateful far-right politics Trump espouses is now so much closer to home, so they’re calling out for people to sign up to attend or to support the demo in any way they can. Find out more here and sign the petition here.
Praxis Action Group Campaign Launch: Scrap the Barriers
Scrap the Barriers, a campaign demanding a fairer system: No one should wait more than 5 years to stay permanently. This campaign is co-produced with Praxis’ No Recourse to Public Funds Action Group, a group of migrants fighting for equality and justice. Sign the petition. Promote on Bluesky, Linkedin and Instagram.
Open letter to government not to abandon asylum-seeking survivors of SGBV
Women for Refugee Women coordinated an open letter from 52 influential women calling on the Government to include women seeking asylum in its commitments to tackle violence against women and girls. You can read more about it in The Guardian or share from WRW’s accounts Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
AI Age Assessments
The Home Office has announced plans to trial the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in age assessments through Facial Age Estimation (FAE). This technology is being proposed for use on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, who are young people seeking safety who arrive in the UK without any parent or guardian. Young people often do not have documents to prove their age, so the government conducts an ‘age assessment’ to decide whether they should be treated as a child or an adult. Read Right to Remain’s related legal update
Public inquiry: PAC Ministry of Justice follow-up
The Public Accounts Committee have an open call for evidence following up on last year’s NAO report on value for money on legal aid. The deadline is August 21.
3. Reports and research
JRS UK’s new report
The report Accessing legal advice in detention: becoming an impossibility | JRS UK
highlights that it is extraordinarily difficult to access legal advice in immigration detention, with many people not even securing a one-off 30 minute telephone conversation via the Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS) that is supposed to ensure it, despite trying many times.
RAMFEL Survey on impact of 10 year route
RAMFEL is conducting a short survey to understand the impact of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) fees and the lack of a fee waiver on individuals on the 10-year route to settlement. Find out more here.
‘Road to Nowhere: The impact of insecure immigration status on survivors of trafficking’
The Helen Bamber Foundation, ATLEU and ECPAT UK have today published a new report: ‘Road to Nowhere: The impact of insecure immigration status on survivors of trafficking’. The report includes new data showing that while 4,240 non-British nationals were confirmed to be victims of trafficking in 2024, only 176 victims were granted permission to stay in the UK (‘leave to remain’) via the National Referral Mechanism – just 4%. 4,064 adults were refused a grant of leave, despite many needing to stay in the country for their recovery and to assist with the prosecution of their traffickers. Almost half (over 40%) of those who were granted leave were given less than 12 months, denying them much-needed security and stability to recover from trauma. In the same year, there were 699 confirmed child victims who needed immigration leave, but fewer than five received temporary permission to stay as victims.
‘Designed into the system’ asylum poverty report by Daughters of Charity Services
This new report by The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Services reveals the harrowing extent to which the UK asylum system inflicts poverty and destitution among people seeking safety, identifying the ban on work and support rates and accommodation as key drivers amongst its findings. Coverage here and here.
Building Leadership from experience Report
This report from Together with Refugee and One Strong Voice, is an analysis of the lived experience leadership landscape in the UK Refugee Rights sector
Medical Justice Annual Review: the State of Healthcare and Harm in UK immigration detention in 2024
This review draws on a detailed statistical analysis of clinical and other evidence, reveals failures in implementation of available safeguarding mechanisms in detention, and highlights the inappropriate use of segregation and of force on vulnerable detained people.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Praxis A Migrant’s Guide
A Migrant’s Guide is now available to order in English, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Spanish, Farsi and Pashto – from just £3 per copy. Created by migrants, for migrants, this interactive guide connects people to essential services, offers practical advice, and helps them to take care of themselves before and after securing immigration status. For bulk orders please use our form here and for orders of less than 50 copies please email [email protected]. You can watch their short video for more information: A Migrant’s Guide – an interactive guide for migrants, by migrants. Read about how the Guide came about: A Migrant’s Guide: What’s in it and why it matters — Praxis
Jobs:
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Just Fair are recruiting Strategic Communications Consultant (Freelance) Deadline 10th September
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Good Chance Stage Door Programme in Bradford are running a paid work placement for an Assistant Producer, aimed at early career creatives with a forced displacement background – details here, deadline 17 August
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RAMFEL are looking for a new trustee. Deadline 25th August
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AFRIL in Lewisham are recruiting a Community Activities Coordinator, deadline 25th August
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Our Second Home are recruiting Trusts & Foundations Specialist (part time). Deadline 26th August
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Boaz Trust in Manchester are looking for a Support Worker, deadline 1 September.
- Darwen Asylum Refugee Enterprise are recruiting an Operations Manager, deadline 15 September
- What we’re reading, watching and listening to
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This call from Nabil for understanding and fairness in the face of harmful stereotypes
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The Migration Observatory’s overview of the facts and figures relating to people crossing the English Channel in small boats.
- This is an interesting read by Giles Peaker, looking at how AI has contributed to the spread of inaccurate information about housing for people in the asylum system.
