Articles

Migrant tattooists make their mark

Tattooists are not high on the list of migrants to the UK, but several have made their mark here. “It opened many doors for me,” says Dean Gunther, a 36-year-old Manchester-based tattoo artist from Cape Town, South Africa, about his decision to move to the UK in 2017. A self-taught artist, Gunther has been tattooing for more than 16 years. Since coming to the UK he has developed his style, using realistic elements in vivid colours, gaining international recognition. In June 2024 he applied for British citizenship, which he describes…

Tattooists are not high on the list of migrants to the UK, but several have made their mark here. “It opened many doors for me,” says Dean Gunther, a 36-year-old…

Another 15 years of hostility - or will Labour change the tune?

Only two months before the Conservative government was swept aside in 2024, it passed the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, paving the way for the deportation to Rwanda of those seeking asylum in the UK. Within days of taking power Labour scrapped the Rwanda policy, and also announced that it would stop the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge as accommodation for asylum seekers. Labour supporters welcomed the two swift actions — which it had demanded when in Opposition — as a step forward towards a more humane asylum and immigration system. Subsequently, however, Labour…

Only two months before the Conservative government was swept aside in 2024, it passed the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, paving the way for the deportation to Rwanda of…

Helping build Britain, brick by brick

If you want an example of how migrants are helping build Britain today, look no further than Abdulrahman Ali. He is helping build Britain, brick by brick, wall by wall, roof by roof. That he has building skills is not surprising, given that his father was a successful builder, and every school holiday young Abdul would help his dad and learn more skills. That he is in Britain is more surprising because in the 1980s the family lived in Iraq with good prospects for the future. A British businessman took…

If you want an example of how migrants are helping build Britain today, look no further than Abdulrahman Ali. He is helping build Britain, brick by brick, wall by wall,…

Music to British ears

Dance music from Kurdistan and the Middle East, Kora and Balafon from Gambia, guitar and song from D R Congo and Sacred Funk from Nigeria: Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham has brought music from all over the world to Britain’s second-largest city. Temitoya Olofinlua talks to three of the 1,500 musicians who have been helped by the organisation and who have set tens of thousands of feet tapping. Karolina Wegrzyn As a child in a Polish village, Karolina Wegrzyn was surrounded by music. Every celebration was accompanied by folk songs and…

Dance music from Kurdistan and the Middle East, Kora and Balafon from Gambia, guitar and song from D R Congo and Sacred Funk from Nigeria: Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham has brought…

Mind your own business - and help the country

Rafael dos Santos, an award-winning entrepreneur and senior university lecturer, looks at what it takes to be a migrant entrepreneur. He describes himself as “Brazilian by birth, British by choice”. “Ask your God to help you, but if you stay on the sofa, he will not.” Brazilian entrepreneur Rafael dos Santos has a way with words, even in English — a language he didn’t speak when he arrived here 23 years ago. He learned quickly. It’s the first thing to do as a migrant entrepreneur, he says: “Once you master…

Rafael dos Santos, an award-winning entrepreneur and senior university lecturer, looks at what it takes to be a migrant entrepreneur. He describes himself as “Brazilian by birth, British by choice”.…

Abuse towards health workers

We clapped for NHS staff during the Covid-19 epidemic and there is widespread understanding that “our NHS”, as politicians like to say, and our social care service are dependent on migrant workers. So it’s all the more shocking that so many migrant health and care workers face abuse and discrimination on a daily basis — both from administrators and clients. “As a caregiver, I was once called a Black bitch,” Benedicta told Migrant Voice. “Another time I was called a Black bastard by the person I was caring for, and though…

We clapped for NHS staff during the Covid-19 epidemic and there is widespread understanding that “our NHS”, as politicians like to say, and our social care service are dependent on…

Migration 'likely to be a hot topic for years'

Immigration in the UK has gone through seismic shifts in the last two decades, says Madeleine Sumption, director of the Oxford Migration Observatory, as she explains how Brexit and global trends have reshaped the country's immigration patterns. "For decades, non-EU migration was the main source of immigration to the UK," she says. "Things started changing around 2004 when the EU expanded. By the 2010s, EU migration had overtaken non-EU migration." The tide turned again after Brexit, with non-EU immigration surging back to prominence. As a result, Poland has been replaced…

Immigration in the UK has gone through seismic shifts in the last two decades, says Madeleine Sumption, director of the Oxford Migration Observatory, as she explains how Brexit and global…

Reframing the Migration Debate: Beyond the Politics of Illegality and Deservingness

The UK’s migration debate has long been dominated by a binary narrative of legality versus illegality, a framework reinforced through media coverage, political rhetoric, and civil society discourse. A new report written by Dr Stefano Piemontese examining how irregularity features in the in British public discourse on migration between 2019-2023 highlights how this dichotomy serves not only to justify restrictive policies but also to constrain possibilities for a more informed and humane discussion on migration governance. The report from the I-CLAIM research project on irregular migration in Europe underscores the…

The UK’s migration debate has long been dominated by a binary narrative of legality versus illegality, a framework reinforced through media coverage, political rhetoric, and civil society discourse. A new…

Working hard and still dreaming

“A hostile environment for migrants? “Generally people don’t tend to move and they don’t want a mansion. We all work hard. Migration paints stories of courage, love, and ambition – diverse journeys uniting us all." Dr Menaca Pothalingam knows what she is talking about. She was raised in a happy, successful family and had no thought of leaving Sri Lanka. She also worked hard: “I was one of those kids who, if I got nine out of ten, would cry.” Unfortunately, civil war erupted and she comes face-to-face with horror.…

“A hostile environment for migrants? “Generally people don’t tend to move and they don’t want a mansion. We all work hard. Migration paints stories of courage, love, and ambition –…

Flower-power brings Brummie smiles

A Pakistani migrant has used flower power to overcome loneliness - and to brighten up her Birmingham neighbourhood. “No flower grew in my area,” when Mah Jabeen Bano arrived in the city in 2003. Now, she’s winning horticultural and community awards. Her first years here were achingly lonely. She felt isolated because of her lack of confidence in speaking English. She was fearful of travelling alone, having never done so in Pakistan. But she enrolled in an English class, then in several arts groups and when her two children were…

A Pakistani migrant has used flower power to overcome loneliness - and to brighten up her Birmingham neighbourhood. “No flower grew in my area,” when Mah Jabeen Bano arrived in…

Articles

Articles

Migrant tattooists make their mark

Tattooists are not high on the list of migrants to the UK, but several have made their mark here. “It opened many doors for me,” says Dean Gunther, a 36-year-old…

Another 15 years of hostility - or will Labour change the tune?

Only two months before the Conservative government was swept aside in 2024, it passed the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act, paving the way for the deportation to Rwanda of…

Helping build Britain, brick by brick

If you want an example of how migrants are helping build Britain today, look no further than Abdulrahman Ali. He is helping build Britain, brick by brick, wall by wall,…

Music to British ears

Dance music from Kurdistan and the Middle East, Kora and Balafon from Gambia, guitar and song from D R Congo and Sacred Funk from Nigeria: Celebrating Sanctuary Birmingham has brought…

Mind your own business - and help the country

Rafael dos Santos, an award-winning entrepreneur and senior university lecturer, looks at what it takes to be a migrant entrepreneur. He describes himself as “Brazilian by birth, British by choice”.…

Abuse towards health workers

We clapped for NHS staff during the Covid-19 epidemic and there is widespread understanding that “our NHS”, as politicians like to say, and our social care service are dependent on…

Migration 'likely to be a hot topic for years'

Immigration in the UK has gone through seismic shifts in the last two decades, says Madeleine Sumption, director of the Oxford Migration Observatory, as she explains how Brexit and global…

Reframing the Migration Debate: Beyond the Politics of Illegality and Deservingness

The UK’s migration debate has long been dominated by a binary narrative of legality versus illegality, a framework reinforced through media coverage, political rhetoric, and civil society discourse. A new…

Working hard and still dreaming

“A hostile environment for migrants? “Generally people don’t tend to move and they don’t want a mansion. We all work hard. Migration paints stories of courage, love, and ambition –…

Flower-power brings Brummie smiles

A Pakistani migrant has used flower power to overcome loneliness - and to brighten up her Birmingham neighbourhood. “No flower grew in my area,” when Mah Jabeen Bano arrived in…

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