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
Safety, security and communications resources
- HOPE not Hate have published a ‘what we know so far’ briefing on the racist violence in Belfast, which you can find here.
- You can access a range of safety and security resources hosted on the HOPE not hate hub here, and you can contact the team for bespoke advice and support, or for community language translations of the ‘guidance on how to stay safe amidst far-right violence’ resources hosted there at [email protected]
- You can find safety guidelines produced by Right to Remain here, and free fact sheets on immigration detention and keeping safe produced by Right to Remain and These Walls Must Fall here
- You can find a practical guide to responding to racist weaponisation of violence against women and girls, produced by EVAW, Hibiscus, Imkaan, LAWRS, Southall Black Sisters, Women for Refugee Women and Asylum Matters here
- You can find City of Sanctuary UK’s guide to having courageous conversations about refugee rights here and their guide on the facts about asylum here
Refugee Week thunderclap and Simple Acts
At 12pm BST on Monday 15th June, thousands of people, organisations, artists, venues and community groups across the UK and around the world will share the same message at the same time – creating a visible wave of solidarity to launch Refugee Week together. Assets, resources and information on how to participate in the thunderclap can be found here. Simple Acts, meanwhile, are everyday actions we can all do to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities. Whether you build your own event or activity around a Simple Act, or simply take part during Refugee Week, you’ll be part of a movement of people everywhere taking small steps to create a big change. Find out more about how to use the Quentin Blake illustrations as part of Refugee Week here.
First people jailed for piloting Channel boats
A profound injustice took place in the courts yesterday, as two men who had fled war-torn Afghanistan and Sudan were jailed under new rules criminalising people for ‘endangering lives at sea’, despite the court hearing about the dangers they were fleeing from and the threats made towards them by people smugglers. Our head of campaigns, Nathan, was quoted in several news stories pointing out that it is Government policies and refusal to create safe routes putting lives at risk at sea, not “exploited individuals found with their hands on the tiller”.
- Take action: It’s more important than ever that the right people are held responsible for deaths at sea – sign the petition calling for a public inquiry into border violence now.
Call for UK Input: Global Refugee Work Rights Report
In 2022, the Center for Global Development (CGD), Refugees International (RI), and Asylum Access published the Global Refugee Work Rights Report. The report examined different dimensions of work rights in law and in practice across 51 countries hosting 87 percent of the world’s refugee population. They are currently in the research phase of the next iteration of this report, to be released in 2027 and promoted ahead of the Global Refugee Forum. They are currently undertaking a survey, reaching out to organisations globally to understand the refugee work rights situation in their country, and are hoping for more responses from UK organisations.
- Take action: register to fill out the survey here.
the3million Westminster mass lobby – 23rd June
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote on the 23rd June, the3million are organising a Westminster mass lobby where they will be raising with MPs the issues EU citizens continue to face. Find more information here.
Take action:
- Register to attend the mass lobby here
- Download the template letter and send it to your MP
- Register for the information session session about the lobby on 16th June here
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
High Court rules against Government on enforced room-sharing of torture survivors
A High Court ruling has found that the Government failed in its duties when it forced survivors of trafficking, torture and other serious forms of violence to share rooms with strangers. Ministers also failed to assess the impact of the changes on survivors of torture and trafficking despite the “longstanding, consistent evidence of the serious risks of harm”, according to Mr Justice Sweeting. The successful legal challenge was mounted by Freedom From Torture and the Helen Bamber Foundation. Coverage here.
Lone children held at UK-run detention centres in France
A damning new briefing from JRS UK and Humans for Rights Network, revealing that at least 141 age-disputed young people have been detained in UK-run detention centres in France on nearly 300 occasions last year, has been covered by The Guardian and The Tablet.
56-day move-on pilot evaluation report published
The Home Office has published the evaluation report on its 56-day move-on pilot. The Home Office commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and Fortia Insight (formerly Strategy, Economics and Policy at RSM UK) to evaluate its pilot scheme, focusing on implementation, early impacts and value for money (VfM). Recommendations from the evaluation report include extending the move-on period to alleviate pressure on local authorities and VCS providers and decrease the risk of homelessness, as well as improved communication and guidance from the Home Office, and the exploration of strategies to increase access to affordable housing for newly-recognised refugees, among others. You can read the report in full here.
3. Reports and research
House of Commons Library Briefing – Statistics on small boat Channel crossings
The House of Commons Library has produced a new research briefing titled “Statistics on small boat Channel crossings” which can be found here.
Home Affairs Committee oral evidence session on asylum accommodation
The Home Affairs Committee held a follow-up oral evidence session on asylum accommodation and posed questions to Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris MP as well as representatives from private accommodation providers on Tuesday 9th June. Proceedings can be watched back here.
Monitoring access to justice in immigration detention – BiD
A new report from BiD (Bail for Immigration Detainees) which shares the result of their latest Legal Advice Survey, has found the lowest levels of legal representation in immigration detention in BiD’s 15 year records – with only 27% of detained individuals surveyed represented.
Illegal working as a breach of asylum support conditions guidance
Following on from the Government revoking the duty to provide asylum support and replacing it with a power to do so, the Home Office has released this guidance on what caseworkers should do when a referral is submitted of someone suspected of illegal working while in receipt of asylum support. This is an area the Home Office wants to concentrate on (as evidenced by answers given at the recent Home Affairs Committee session highlighted above) which could result in an increase in referrals. These can be made by accommodation providers as well as Immigration Enforcement.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Refugee Week Film Festival
The 2026 free Refugee Week Film Festival is a curated programme of short and feature-length films exploring themes of displacement, migration, belonging, and community that organisations and individuals can screen for free during Refugee Week. Find out more here.
Refugee Week Lunch & Learn – René Cassin
Rene Cassing are hosting a Lunch & Learn event this Refugee Week 2026 exploring three interconnected stories at the heart of forced migration: courage, atrocities, and safe routes. Hear from speakers with lived experience of confronting mass atrocity, violence and persecution, from the Xinjiang Uyghur Region to Darfur, Sudan, and reflect on how courage shapes every stage of forced migration. It is taking place online on Tuesday 16 June, 12:30-2:00pm. Register here.
Green Tease: Exploring migrant and climate justice through art and culture
Join to explore the intersection of climate and migrant justice in the arts. The Zoom session will platform examples of intersectional justice in practice, hearing from cultural organisations which hold spaces of welcome, support and opportunity for forcibly displaced people. The event will also platform international artists and producers who centre lived experience of climate-linked migration and who challenge alarmist rhetoric. This online session will offer time and community, to reflect on how intersectional justice can be embedded within your own work and to forge new connections. It takes place on 17th June 12pm-1.30pm, register here.
‘Let’s Talk: evidence for the power of conversations to bring about social change’ – Larger Us
Larger Us are hosting an online event to launch and share the findings of their new report Let’s Talk on 30th June, 10am-11am. The report finds that ‘conversations, used skilfully, are an incredibly powerful campaign tool, and vitally important as we face big challenges that depend on us coming together’. At the launch you will hear from social scientist and report author, Luisa Melloh, and leading climate and policy researcher Prof Rebecca Willis. Book your place here.
Jobs
- Oasis (Cardiff) are recruiting for 3x roles: Programme Lead (Casework), Programme Lead (The Dreamers), and Programme Lead (Food). Find out more here. Deadline 9am 18th June.
- SEEAC are recruiting an Executive Director, deadline 19th June.
- Medical Justice are recruiting an Office Manager, deadline 2nd July.
- Rainbow Migration are recruiting a Policy & Public Affairs Manager, deadline 9.30am 26th June.
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to
- This powerful short video featuring Swansea Oxfam Bookshop which first received a Sanctuary Award in 2014
- This heartbreaking and detailed story of one man’s experience of deportation attempts which highlights the huge waste and cruelty at the heart of the immigration removal system.
- This positive story about a planned anti-racism rally planned to take place in Belfast this weekend.
