Migrant Voice is looking for a volunteer/s to support our work in the West Midlands from our Birmingham office.

Our Birmingham office is one of the hubs of our national UK Migrant Voices for Change network. Through the network hubs we bring communities together and engage in activities to ensure migrants have the skills, confidence, tools and platforms to speak out in the media, campaign or advocate for migrants’ rights. The aim is always to create positive change for migrants, bringing about social justice and campaigning against discrimination, xenophobia, racism and unjust policies.

We would like to offer volunteering opportunities for highly committed individuals with a good understanding of migrant and refugee issues and the debate on migration. Excellent written, communication and people skills are important for this role. We welcome university students, those from media background or those interested in developing this area of work.

The volunteers will work closely with the staff and other volunteers. As part of a team, the volunteer/s will be involved in the following:

• Support with organisational and administrative work;
• Support the planning and facilitation of meetings and training;
• Write migration-related articles and create other content for our website and social media;
• Liaise with our network members, local communities, and civil society organisations to facilitate their participation in our activities;
• Help set up and run a new members’ group (e.g. women’s group, students’ group, etc.)

What we are looking for:

• Knowledge of the key issues that affect migrants and refugees
• Experience working as part of a team
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent people skills
• Good computer skills
• Good administrative and organisational skills and good time management

What can you gain from volunteering with Migrant Voice?

• Working within a passionate team
• Being part of a national organisation working to make real change for migrants and their families across the UK
• Learning from experienced communications experts, campaigners and activists from within the migrants’ rights sector and the wider migrant community
• Gain skills in producing articles and social media content
• Gain skills in planning and organising events and training
• Benefit from our training, including in speaking to the media
• Make new friends and use your existing skills and experience to benefit the community

Location: this post is based at our office centrally in Birmingham. Some hours can be remote.

Volunteering hours: flexible hours, 1-2 days per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)

Duration: We are looking for volunteer/s who can join us for a minimum of 3 months

How to apply: If you are interested, please apply by April 20, 2023. Please send your CV and a short cover letter explaining why you are interested in this volunteer position. Send to: info@migrantvoice.org 

For further information please email anne@migrantvoice.org. If shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an informal interview.

WEDNESDAY, 22 MARCH 2023

Nearly a decade after tens of thousands of international students were unjustly stripped of their right to study, work and live in the UK by the Home Office many are still fighting to get justice. Together with Migrant Voice some of those still affected petitioned the Prime Minister on Tuesday, March 21st 2023, to take action to clear their names.

In 2014 a BBC Panorama programme revealed cases of cheating at two English language testing centres in London. In response to the allegations the Home Office unilaterally revoked the visas of more than 30,000 university students, and left a further 22,000 waiting in limbo after being told that their results were “questionable”. The impact of this has been catastrophic on their mental and physical health, with many being disowned by their families until they can clear their names.

Noman Basher said: “We were wrongly accused of cheating on our English test. We would like to clear our name and we would like to come out from this limbo.”

During the last nine years, five Prime Ministers and six Home Secretaries, the students have continued fighting to be given the chance to prove their innocence and retake the tests. In their ongoing campaign to achieve this, a group of affected students handed a petition to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on Tuesday, calling on him to reopen the issue and help them to start living their lives again.

Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, said: “This is one of the biggest scandals in contemporary British history. The initial Government reaction was unjust and has been allowed to drag on for years. It could have been resolved by a simple solution, such as allowing the tests to be retaken. 

“The students came here to get a world-class education and the best student experience in the world, but instead their lives have been wrecked. It is time for the Government to step in and end this nightmare. All it takes to bring this to an end is leadership.” 

At the time the cases gained attention, but as time has moved on the students have been left fearing that there is no hope for them and that their dreams of gaining a world class education in British universities have been dashed forever. Many of the students come from India so, now, with the Prime Minister’s much heralded UK/India trade deal, they are calling for renewed focus. With more students expected to be able to study in the UK under the deal, those whose lives have been destroyed by the unfounded allegations want to ensure that they are ignored no more.

Speaking at the handover of the letter to the Prime Minister, Abdul Qadir Mohammed stressed how long this has been affecting him: “It has been years that we have been fighting this case to clear our names from this allegation, and still we keep getting refused on hideous grounds.”

Highlighting how the evidence used against them has repeatedly been found to be unsubstantiated, by judges as well as independent watchdogs and other experts, along with the number of cases which have been resolved, those students still left waiting for solutions fear that if action is not taken now then they may never be able to return to their families, or rebuild their lives.

Using education and sporting role models, Show Racism the Red Card will work alongside IMIX and Migrant Voice on an innovative new campaign to challenge the narrative of migration.

18 months of funding will see IMIX, our charity partner who support the refugee and migrant sector lead a coalition that includes us; Show Racism the Red Card and Migrant Voice. Our collective aim is to challenge and address the common misconception amongst the general public of ‘illegality’ when describing all refugees and asylum seekers. This is a term which is rarely challenged when used in the media and feeds the “good versus bad” migrant narrative. We know that this term is often used in an arbitrary manner, dehumanising refugees and asylum seekers.

Sport is well known as an area that transcends barriers, builds friendship and trust, positively impacting people’s opinions and perceptions of migrants and asylum seekers.

The now infamous personal testimony of Sir Mo Farah being trafficked to the UK as a child has had a huge impact with a 20% increase in calls to the national trafficking helpline, sparking debate and conversations around the trafficking of unaccompanied children and the very real risk of losing citizenship under current Government policy.

As a coalition we will develop and deliver a campaign that takes learning from our current education programme, IMIX’s sector expertise in narrative change and Migrant Voice providing the lived experience safeguarding contributors and delivering media training.

Ged Grebby states:

“Show Racism the Red Card have worked with Migrant Voice for many years now and we have always been impressed with their work and the structure of their organisation.   We were therefore delighted to be part of this important new project to use the high profile of sporting personalities to reset the narrative on immigration.  Far from being a negative issue, immigration is something that has made Britain GREAT and at Show Racism the Red Card we celebrate the impact migrants have made to our society.

Gary Lineker is a longstanding patron of Show Racism the Red Card and we could not be prouder of him for standing up to the UK Government attacks on migrants.  We look forward to working with IMIX and Migrant Voice a project we hope can have a long lasting impact on the UK”

Director Nazek Ramadan on behalf of Migrant Voice said:

“We’re proud to be partnering with Show Racism the Red Card and IMIX on this new project. This new ‘illegal migration bill’ and the toxic, incendiary and fear-mongering narrative that surrounds it shows why this project is so needed now. Both the policy and its language will have far-reaching impact on the lives of thousands but also attempts to foster a more divisive society. Our project will work to challenge such unhelpful, inflammatory narratives and present the amazing true-life reality of our communities.”

So it’s come to this: the illegal immigration bill - a name  with a double meaning that itself encapsulates the mess we are in. Extraordinarily, the Government is proposing legislation that carries an admission that it might be against the law.

The UK has arrived at this remarkable juncture after years of deliberate cultivation of a hostile environment, disregard of evidence, use of obfuscatory and inflammatory language, and political grandstanding. 

In 2002 there were more than 103,000 claims for asylum. Last year the number was less than 75,000. So there is no justification for talk of an ”invasion” or even of crisis, and even less justification for talking about people arriving illegally: it is not illegal to flee danger and come to this country, in a small boat or by any other form of transport, to apply for asylum. 

As we have seen in other areas of life, such language is dangerous because some members of the public interpret it as sanction to commit acts of violence against those they see as enemies. In the UK, the far right are using such language to stoke fears and justify violent protests and attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers. 

Now the rhetoric is getting worse. Announcing the proposed legislation in Parliament, the Home Secretary raised the spectre of 100 million people who could qualify for protection on our shores in coming years: “Let’s be clear - they are coming here,” she said. This is scaremongering. Worldwide, the vast majority of refugees live in countries next to their own.
The following day, in a newspaper article, she raised the stakes by referring to “billions” of potentially fleeing people.

The tawdry parliamentary debate that followed Braverman’s statement about the Government’s plans degenerated further still, dominated by point-scoring and blame in place of analysis and understanding. This abhorrent initiative and the rhetoric surrounding it are clearly part of a potent election culture war strategy.

Migrant Voice will stand up to the actions proposed - from the failure to speed up creation of safe routes to the undermining of efforts to protect victims of modern slavery, from the stripping of people’s rights to seek asylum and judicial review of asylum decisions to the forced detention of asylum seekers. The new legislation would lead to tens of thousands of asylum seekers being in an indefinite limbo with no rights and nowhere to go. It would also end the UK's upholding of the United Nation convention for the protection of refugees and to breaking international law.

In the meantime, it is essential that all who participate in the continuing controversy over the bill use facts rather than exaggerations to buttress their case, and stop using inflammatory language. Failure to do so endangers political life in general and thus our democracy.

Sadly, and dangerously, the row over what the Government tags the “small boats bill” (a slogan taken directly from an Australian election victory a decade ago) has become a key election issue, with accusations and counter-accusations of motives being hurled across the divide in the House of Commons. These over-heated words inevitably find their way into public discourse, generating heat rather than light. The people who stand to suffer are asylum seekers, migrants, and indeed all of us.

You want to settle in the UK? The government website, Check if you can get indefinite leave to remain, makes the process look clear and straightforward. But anyone having tried to navigate the visa application and settlement process can tell you otherwise. They know that you risk drowning in a maze-like, expensive, time-consuming bureaucracy.

It is such an unreasonable, malignant, costly procedure that at a recent Migrant Voice conference, ‘A better deal for migrants’, a senior union official, Wilf Sullivan, the Race Equality Officer at the Trades Union Congress, called for “a proper conversation about the settlement route process… We can’t have a state system, which is built on exploiting people that come to this country.”

Others echoed his call, in turn echoing a Migrant Voice report, Destroying hopes, dreams and lives: How the UK visa costs and process impact migrants' lives, in which we called for:

• A reduction in visa fees for adults to administrative costs only (down from the current cost of 7-10 times the cost of the actual visa), and abolition of fees for children
• Abolition of the Immigration Health Surcharge (which amounts to double taxation since, like everyone else in the country, migrants pay their share of the NHS through taxation)
• A cap on routes to settlement at five years, so no one should have to go through the ten-year settlement route
• The speeding up and improvement of Home Office decision-making and communication with visa applicants
• Introduction of a quicker, simpler, less stressful visa application process

The inequities and iniquities of the system often push applicants into debt, poverty, mental and physical ill-health and threaten family relationships. They eat away at the whole fabric of society.

The facts have been so thoroughly documented that there can be no reason, except inertia, for failure to implement reforms. The anger and frustration experienced by those painfully struggling to walk the five- and ten-year routes to settlement were palpable at our recent conference.

Shocking stories of maladministration and the crippling weight of unfair rules and regulations were shared. One apparently small example amidst the human toll illuminated all the wrongs: a tiny mistake made filling out a Home Office form results in the applicant being told to start the whole process again, with no reimbursement of the fee. People who can’t make thousands of pounds of payment again end up falling out of status.

Why does the Home Office inflict this punishment when in most other countries the authorities simply phone the applicant to point out that a small error has been made and needs to be corrected?

The government has said it is acting to restore competence to administration, and we believe that bringing fairness and common sense to our visa system would be a game-changing statement of national aspiration. Similarly, the Labour Party is currently drawing up a new election manifesto, in which immigration reform should be an essential policy.

As Wilf Sullivan told our conference, our “horrendously complicated” system is “highly exploitative” and indeed traumatic.

"How much of an exploitative society do we want to become?" he asked.

How Britain answers that question is key to the country’s future well-being.

Migrants with lived experience, campaigners, organisers and policymakers were brought together on 9 February at our conference, “A Better Deal for Migrants”, where an enthusiastic crowd with participants from all across London and around the UK discussed how to campaign together for a fairer visa and settlement system.

Anne Stoltenberg, Project Development Manager for Migrant Voice, introduced the conference and our campaign which calls for shorter settlement routes and an end to extortionate visa fees.

She explained that the conference was organised to bring together individuals - many with experience of the visa and settlement process - and organisations campaigning on these issues. We wanted people to come together to share, connect and generate ideas for stronger campaigning for a fairer immigration system.

The day proceeded with a panel discussion chaired by Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, with panellists Madeleine Sumption, Director of Migration Observatory, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Streatham, Keziah Gitonga, a visa fees campaign steering group member with lived experience of the visa system, and Wilf Sullivan, Race Equality Officer at TUC.

The panel tackled the current visa fees system from a series of different perspectives.

Participants heard a first-hand retelling of the ordeal Keziah Gitonga and her family had been going through the UK settlement process, even after she completed her own: it “showed me that love has a cost,” she said, referring to the thousands of pounds spent so her partner could remain in the country with her - after she herself had earlier completed the settlement process.

An individual on the five-year route to settlement can now be expected to spend over £5,000 before they are eligible for settlement; this doubles when someone is on the longer ten-year route. But costs are often higher, with appointment bookings, document scans, solicitor fees and more quickly adding up.

The system is not efficient either, with poor communication from the Home Office, an intricate application process, unclear instructions and wait times often exceeding a year: all this has a detrimental effect on many aspects of people’s lives, including mental health. “It’s the constant fear, the constant enigma of not having answers” that is difficult to manage for months, said Keziah.

Speeches by Madeleine Sumption, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Wilf Sullivan made it clear that not only is the current system not efficient, it is also harmful to those going through it.

“People on the 10-year route have increased dramatically in the past few years,” said Madeleine Sumption. “The length has several consequences, such as the increased costs: visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

“Many people being on the 10-year route also leads to a larger number of applications, which causes longer waiting times for everyone.”

The current system, said Wilf Sullivan, with its length, complexity and cost, was created to make people more vulnerable. The ‘outsourcing’ of immigration checks to wider society, doctors, DVLA, banks, landlords, employers, leads to a highly exploitative system.

Wilf said that “the debate around migration has always been a racist debate in this country. This is about appealing to people's prejudices. That's the first thing. Secondly, migration isn't a problem, working class people moving is a problem.”

“One of our challenges is to change the narrative around the issue. We need to be more unapologetic and make the point that all human beings need to be treated with dignity and respect,” he concluded.

For Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, extortionate visa fees are a consequence of the hostile environment: “It makes more sense for us as a country to reduce visa fees, so people don’t have to live in poverty,” she said; instead, the government makes it as hard as possible for people to continue living here legally and settling in the country.

The panel all emphasised the need to fight for change. Keziah said: “It's important to put yourself in the ring. I've been fighting about visa fees for a long time… you have to stand and shout.”

The discussion was followed by three workshops which focused on the impact of visa fees on work, families, and other aspects of people's lives, facilitated by a range of organisations currently campaigning to reform the UK visa and settlement process. These included Ramfel, WeBelong, Praxis, JCWI, Reunite Families UK and the TUC. Participants in each workshop learnt about the different campaigns, and discussed ways to create change together.

The day continued with a wellbeing in campaigning session and a “creative tactics” workshop. In the latter, people brainstormed new ideas for campaigning and raising awareness about the issues. Participants discussed how to best use grassroots campaigning, public actions, advertising and other tactics to make the most impact and reach more people.

We are delighted to have brought together individuals and organisations for this inspiring day, and we are hopeful that our coordinated work will bring about change and a system that works for all.

Migrant Voice is looking for an enthusiastic Glasgow Network Project Assistant to join our team in Glasgow (3 days per week) from April.

The Glasgow Network Project Assistant will be working with the Glasgow network coordinator to ensure the smooth running of our activities in Scotland and will assist with administration of projects, including monitoring and evaluation.

This is an amazing opportunity for someone who would like to engage with and support activities that positively impact the lives and highlight the experiences and contributions of migrants in Scotland. You will be joining a small passionate and friendly team.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 3 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form. All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 9.00am on Monday 20 February, 2023.

Please find attached the job description and an equal opportunities monitoring form. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org.

Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place on Tuesday 28 February, 2023.

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.

Summary of Job description

The Glasgow Network Project Assistant will:

• Work with the Glasgow network coordinator to plan and deliver activities, which include:
• Organise network meetings to explore the issues of the day and how they are affecting migrants
• Support migrant individuals and communities in engaging in our activities and media work
• Undertake administrative duties related to the projects including collecting data and keeping records, etc.

 Also see the full job description.

Last year ended on a distressing note, with the grotesque plan to despatch several hundred people seeking asylum in Britain to a small, poor country in Central Africa still to be decided by the courts (though the High Court ruled that the Government’s selection of  the first consignment of people to be airfreighted out of UK had been conducted improperly).

Looking ahead, even darker clouds are gathering as political upheavals around the world - not least in Ukraine - threaten further large-scale movements of people fleeing conflict and persecution. Beyond that lies the rapidly rising impact of global heating, which is already causing migration within countries and will inevitably spread across borders and seas.

It would be easy to despair in the face of such negative attitudes, and of politicians whose only response is to attempt to hide from reality by whipping up fear and indignation against people from other countries. But our anxieties are not the issue: to despair would be to betray those seeking our help and protection and those seeking better lives and building a better, fairer, more humane world.

Thousands of people in this country are taking action in this cause, and Migrant Voice is proud to be part of that movement. No single solution or activity can deal with all the problems facing migrants in this country but we will continue our efforts on a variety of fronts with a common ingredient: a focus on the media in order to spread our impact.

For example, our forthcoming conference, “A better deal for migrants: Campaigning for a fairer visa and settlement process”, will bring together migrants, campaigners and policymakers to look at how we can build a visa system that works for migrants. The meeting is part of our campaign against extortionate, life-wrecking visa fees.

Learning that stays on the shelves won’t change lives. So in another of our programmes this year we will share with leaders of migrant communities the knowledge and experience we have gained through working closely with the media for more than a decade. The aim is to establish a closer connection between journalists and migrant communities, and thus better representation of migrants.

In 2023 we will continue our programme of workshops, campaigns and other sessions for migrants and carry on our work with the Status Now Network, which presses for legal status for all migrants. We will continue supporting the international students wrongly accused of cheating their English tests as many continue to win their cases and clear their names. And for the first time we are linking up with Show Racism the Red Card, IMIX and the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM).

Areas such as sport are rarely seen as “migration issues” but migration affects every aspect of life. Sports and the arts can influence public opinion - a key element in changing attitudes and policies: in Glasgow we will launch an exhibition of migrant portraits and stories at the Kelvingrove Museum as part of our Putting Ourselves in the Picture project.

These and other activities require funding, planning and implementation. Sometimes, however, we have to respond rapidly to urgent crises, adapting quickly as new circumstances come to light.

That’s why we are working with asylum seekers currently housed in hotels, with the aim of publicising their often appalling conditions (our research has uncovered children going without shoes and asults sharing a room with ten others, with no access to classes, activties or advice), improving their desperate circumstances, and giving them a voice with which they can advocate for their rights.

A report on the conditions in which asylum seekers are accommodated will be published later this year. The word “hotel” conjures images of comfort and warmth: the reality is starker and is another example of the way particular words and language in general are used to mislead public sentiment and demonise migrants.

Migrant Voice member Livia Barreira recently summed up our work and the years ahead when she talked about her experience of campaigning for justice: “I won’t be silenced, I will keep speaking up, and I hope more people will do the same after me.”

We celebrate Livia and all our members who refuse to be silenced, and invite everyone to join us in our work for a fairer world.

We are looking for a full-time Communications Coordinator to lead the communications work of the organisation and our small communications team. The post holder will strengthen and transform our communications and enhance how we communicate the organisation’s role, vision, priorities and activities and ensure positive and balanced coverage in the media.

The Communications Coordinator will lead the work to bring migrants’ authentic voices into the media and migration debates and strengthen the communications capacity of the organisation and our members in London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

The ideal candidate will have experience of implementing ambitious and creative communications strategies for small organisations that want to have a big impact. You will have an active interest in current affairs and the issues surrounding migration to the UK, knowledge of channels and a collaborative approach that puts migrants, refugees and asylum seekers at the core of our communications.

This is a hands-on role with both strategic work and operational communications delivery. You should be a self-starter, able to work effectively within a small team and to tight deadlines including producing high level written material and media copy including editorials and news releases.

The Communications Coordinator will join our team in full time from March/April and will be based in one of our three regions (London, Birmingham or Glasgow, with the possibility of some hybrid working).

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 4 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form. All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 9.00am on Thursday 2 February, 2023. Interviews with those short-listed will take place on Tuesday 7 February, 2023, in person.

You can download the job description and an equal opportunities monitoring form. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org.

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.

________

Summary of main duties and responsibilities

• Embed our new communications strategy into the working practices and systems of the organisation.
• Develop and optimise Migrant Voice’s key messages and identify opportunities to achieve our communications objectives.
• Manage the communications infrastructure for the organisation, including managing the small comms team ensuring a collaborative working environment.
• Raise the profile of migrants’ issues in the media and create opportunities for migrants’ voices to be heard.
• Build on our unique ‘Meet the Editors’ programme and together with the comms team continue to organise, publicise and facilitate events and meetings between migrants and journalists and editors.
• Produce high-level written material and media copy including editorials, promotional materials and news releases.

Also see the full job description.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

Wishing all our members a restful holiday season and peaceful and happy New Year.

Our offices are closed until January 3rd.

See you in 2023.

The government needs to clarify its position on the use of migrant workers, which is a mess.

Two aspects of policy need change, quickly: overall attitude and everyday practices.

Overall, immigration policy must explicitly recognise the individual and equal humanity of individuals who come to these shores. Migrants must not be labelled and treated as aliens. Migrants are human beings with lives, feelings, and families, and their presence benefits society as a whole.

Secondly, policy should be based on principles and need, not numbers. Setting a target number plucked out of the air to stave off anti-immigration media or political factions means that if a booming industry requires more migrants, workers for another vital area will be barred.

Nothing illustrates the absurdity of policy by numbers than the cabinet split over whether or not to cut the number of overseas students attending British universities. The suggestion is seen partly as a way of getting closer to government promises to curb immigration, even though education secretary Gillian Keegan has described international students as “a huge economic contributor” and university heads  have warned of the damage caused by talk of limiting overseas students.

Thirdly, the government needs to be honest, and inform and educate the public about the contribution and importance of migrant labour.

It’s already way behind the public on this issue. A recent YouGov poll showed 64 per cent majority in favour of employing overseas workers in the NHS, because TV pictures of foreign and ethnically diverse nurses, doctors and other health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic brought the message home with dramatic impact; there was near universal gratitude for the literally life-saving, overworked, underpaid and sometimes personally risky contribution of foreign workers.

Similarly, many of us know from personal experience that we are dependent on the kindness of strangers to look after our grandparents, parents and siblings in their homes and in residential social care.

But the poll also showed majorities in favour of more migrant workers in agriculture, hospitality and construction.

In terms of improving day-to-day practices, there are a host of improvements that could be made immediately, such as faster action and better coordination between ministries.

For example, in early December Tom Bradshaw, the vice-president of the National Farmers Union, said that 160 growers had written to the Immigration Minister for more seasonal labour visas, without which, the NFU warns, there will be fruit and vegetable shortages. He suggested there should be five-year rolling visa programmes. NFU director Minette Batters says that the country “wasted £60 million worth of fresh produce - fruit and veg -  that couldn’t be plucked in the first six months of this year”.

FLEX (Focus on Labour Exploutation) has also pointed out that tight immigration restrictions can push people into working undocumented or outside their visa conditions; and that immigration enforcement is prioritised over safeguarding of workers and enforcement of labour rights and standards, so workers experiencing exploitation are unable to seek help for fear of being reported to the authorities.

Another area of concern that Migrant Voice has consistently aired is the impact of bloated visa fees (over £2,600 per person, every 2.5 years). Our report, Destroying hopes, dreams and lives: How the UK visa costs and process impact migrants' lives, shows how migrants on temporary visas must pay dozens of thousands of pounds before they can apply to settle, and how this affects all other aspects of their lives, from mental health to career opportunities. Worst of all, the effects are intergenerational, with children of migrants still facing the consequences of the immigration system.

And, of course, a new, humane, positive immigration policy needs a reformed Home Office. No more tinkering and empty promises to do better. A succession of Home Office ministers have condemned it as not fit for purpose — as though it is independent of government, when it is in fact implementing the government’s instructions and policies — and its ingrained hostile environment is intruding into other areas of government - such as its treatment of modern slavery as an immigration matter. It must be broken up and re-purposed.

TOP IMAGE: Immigration Arrival Stamp in Passport, Karn Bulsuk (Flickr), CC BY-NC 2.0

MONDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2022

Our Saturday welcome event at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum was buzzing with energy as participants were making connections and sharing creative ideas on how migrants' cultures, experiences and contributions could be showcased through our project. Many thanks to Karen Gordon for capturing the atmosphere in her photographs.

Everyone who attended had a chance to learn about the project, help shape it and sign up for activities connected to our upcoming exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the wider project, which will include collective publications, pop-up and online exhibitions, and much more.

Sign up to take part in the project here: www.tinyurl.com/MigrantVoiceGlasgow

The Glasgow Museums team treated our guests to a migration-themed tour around the gallery and a range of engaging activities around curating the upcoming exhibition and mapping the original and new places that we each call home.

Marzanna Antoniak, who coordinates the project, invited everyone to participate in a multilingual quiz featured in our recently released zine, which is the first publication in our Putting Ourselves in the Picture series.

There is still a chance to contribute your ideas!

Join our upcoming CREATIVE CONSULTATION event to get involved with our publications and exchange ideas about what parts of our cultures and experiences of migration we’d like to share with the world, how we might do it, and what training would be useful so that we can do so in the best possible ways. Refreshments will be provided. 

Thursday, 8th of December, 6.15 - 8.45 pm

Garnethill Multicultural Centre, G3 6RE

Sign up here.

It’s International Migrants Day on 18 December and this year’s theme is “It takes a community”.

It’s a good chance for us all to think about the people who surround us, how they have supported us and how we may have supported them.

To mark International Migrants Day, we’re asking our members, friends and colleagues to share their thoughts on their community.

What does “being part of a community” mean to you? How has yours helped you or how have you helped others in it?

Send us a video of yourself or write us a message completing the sentence “It takes a community to…” and tell us why your community is important to you!

Silvia, our London communications worker, shares her message: "It takes a community to feel at home. Being away from my family, it is my partner, friends, loved ones and the people I see and interact with every day who make me feel like I belong to this place."

To submit your message or video, just send us an email or message us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We will share your thoughts on our social media.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop us an email!

THURSDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2022

Migrants’ rights campaigner, activist and Migrant Voice Ambassador Loraine Masiya Mponela will launch her first poetry book this Saturday in Coventry, at the Herbert Arts Gallery and Museum.

The collection, titled I Was Not Born A Sad Poet, features 21 poems about Loraine’s life and experience of going through the British asylum and immigration system.

Loraine recently spoke with Migrant Voice about her book and her fight to have her refugee status recognised. She said: “This book has been documenting my own experiences as an asylum seeker. But a lot of these are collective experiences too.”

She finally received her status in August this year, but she told Migrant Voice she will continue to advocate for a better system for all asylum seekers, “until the last person is free.”

Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, said: “Loraine is an inspiring poet, capturing the lives of people who are forced to flee their homes and who end up in a place they saw peace in, only to find out their journey has not ended there. But Loraine's book shows that amongst the struggle there is hope, solidarity and support."

Find more information about the launch event here.

You can purchase Loraine’s book here.

Last chance to complete our survey on the cost of living crisis and its impact on migrants!

Over the past few weeks, we have been running a survey to investigate the impact of the current cost of living crisis on migrants across the UK.

Click here to complete the survey.

We especially want to hear how the cost of living crisis is impacting those paying visa fees.You can complete the survey anonymously, or let us know if you are willing to speak to a member of the Migrant Voice team or the media about the impact that the current crisis is having on your life.

Government and policymakers have generally ignored migrants when talking about the cost of living crisis, Migrant Voice director Nazek Ramadan told a meeting the organisation convened last week. This includes those who must pay huge sums of money in visa costs on top of rising bills and prices.

The most dramatic examples of poverty and hardship come from individuals and organisations working with asylum seekers temporarily housed in hotels: “We saw children who walked barefoot because they had no shoes to wear,” Emad Ebadi of the Iraqi Welfare Association (IWA) told participants.

Another IWA worker, Zainab Ibrahim, highlighted how even food provided to asylum seekers - who must survive on £7 per week - is often inedible or unsuitable for babies and children. Many people had suffered from food poisoning, she said.

Other issues raised at the meeting in Migrant Voice’s London office included asylum seekers unable to access healthcare, children placed in schools 40 to 50 minutes from their accommodation (or losing school places when families were arbitrarily moved to different hotels), and people forced into unofficial or illicit work.

One of the asylum seekers who shared their own experiences at the meeting explained why he was forced to work illegally to support himself and his family, who are still abroad. He had been waiting for a decision for a number of years and had applied three times unsuccessfully for a permission to work.

The solution is simple, Emad and Zainab said: asylum seekers should be provided with a temporary permit to work, as the practice is in Germany, so they can earn enough to pay for their needs.

Some asylum seekers who have access to food banks still face challenges, Sophie Wickham of Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) pointed out, due to the hotels’ lack of cooking facilities, where they are kept for too long. She also suggested we advocate for free travel for asylum seekers in order for family members to see each other.

Christine Goodall of HEAR (Human Rights and Equalities) Network said her organisation has seen a significant rise in calls for help by asylum seekers. Many can’t afford to pay for phone calls so charities have been providing sim cards to people in need - assistance that could be expanded so more people can get access to a phone. Christine also highlighted the plight of asylum seekers with disabilities and gave the example of a person who got in touch with her organisation. He was on a wheelchair and unable to leave his inaccessible hotel room, and faced many challenges getting food delivered to him from a food bank.

Mebrahtu Russom, from Islington Refugee and Migrant Forum said organisations in Islington worked with the local authority to provide support to about 750 asylum seekers living in three hotels in the borough, and set up a wellbeing project for them. The project offers counselling, befriending and a number of activities. It was suggested this good practice could be shared and expanded to other London boroughs hosting asylum seekers in hotels.

Legal aid has also been squeezed and is incressingly inaccessible, and the number of legal aid lawyers is shrinking, said Yumna Kamel of Right To Remain, although more than 100,000 people are waiting for an asylum decision. Participants described the effect on their morale as severe, and it was suggested that efforts should be imade to boost a sense of community through arts, language courses, and meeting and befriending others, as well as centering migrants’ voices in the public debate.

While asylum seekers in hotels struggle to eat, private companies contracted to manage asylum accommodation have increased their profits, Maymuna Osman from Migrants Organise pointed out. She recommended extra pressure for improvement in housing conditions for asylum seekers in their community: “We can take care of each other.”

Although the pressing problems of refugees and asylum seekers obviously received much attention at the meeting, the hardship caused by rising prices and costs faced by migrants in general also generated comments and suggestions.

Steps should be taken to protect working migrants, said Jacobo Belilty of the Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK, as many are vulnerable to exploitation and poverty. Mariko Hayashi, of Southasian and East Asian Centre (SEEAC), added that many migrants whose visa is linked to their employer, such as domestic workers, are also vulnerable to exploitation. Giving migrant workers the right to change employers would give them better protection.

Women on spousal visas who are in abusive relationships are impacted by the cost of living crisis, as they can’t afford to move away from their abusive partner and support themselves and their children, another speaker pointed out. They also need to be supported.

A speaker from Status Now 4 All said “the cost of living crisis affects everyone, but especially the marginalised and those without a safety net. It oppresses the oppressed.

“We will continue to fight to change, we will continue to campaign to change this hostile immigration policies against migrants, and we will not be defeated. I hope you will join us in this fight,” she declared.

James Tullett of RAMFEL (Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London) shared the charity’s recent report on 3C leave – granted to people whose visa expired while they wait for its renewal. While 3C leave allows people to retain the rights from their previous visas (such as work and accessing benefits), it is little known and hard for people to prove they are not in the country illegally. As a result, many have lost their jobs or access to benefits, he said.

RAMFEL is campaigning for a system in which all migrants can easily prove their status, reduce the time before people can apply for 3C leave, increase time between renewals and reduce the length of the settlement route.

Thanking speakers at the meeting for their powerful words, London Assembly member Sakina Sheikh said she was attending in order to learn about possible actions and recommendations. 

“So much in our political system requires deep change: it’s important to build a new vision, a system that works for everyone,” she said.

She pointed to the Migrant Londoners Hub, a Mayor of London initiative that aims to provide resources and support for migrants in London, including those struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Mariko highlighted the need for an increased support for the infrastructure and resilience of organisations working with migrants to enable them to support their communities.

Other suggestions included regularisation of all undocumented migrants, free travel in London for all refugees and asylum seekers and a cut in visa fees migrants and their families must pay.

Don Flynn of Status Now 4 All concluded with a message of hope. “The migrant sector is doing well in polls. The public have learnt about the hostile environment and they are open to the idea that there needs to be fundamental change. We must be united in our work and campaigns. We need a rights-based approach to migration.”

The discussion meeting, ‘The impact of the cost-of-living-crisis on migrants’, was held at Migrant Voice’s head office, 200A Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP, on 1 November 2022. The aim was “to lead to a series of recommendations that we can take forward to policy makers and the public to call for change”.

As the merry-go-round of government continues, with prime ministers and home secretaries dropping in and out of office every few weeks, the migrants who are helping keep the country running continue to face steepling problems.

The main newspaper and broadcasting headlines are about those at the helm, while those in the engine room get less attention. For example, here is a random selection of stories affecting asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants, who arrive here in search of safety, work, education or a different way of life.

• Asylum seekers: Home Office accused of ‘catastrophic child protection failure’. "Over 220 unaccompanied children revealed as missing from hotels funded by the department."
• Vulnerable Migrants Cut Out of Cost of Living Support. "The ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition means migrant people who are destitute or on very low incomes will not be entitled to Government help."
• Removal of Albanians raises concerns over fast-track deportations. "Mishka Pillay, a campaigns consultant at Detention Action, said ‘this removal of 11 people to Albania is an indication that people in Manston [where the Home Office processes small boat arrivals] may be deprived of due process.We have had serious concerns about Manston. The most vulnerable people are being hidden away from vital support and access to justice."
• Migrant fishermen being ‘exploited due to loophole’. "An “invisible” underclass of up to 1,000 migrant fishermen are working on Scottish boats with some not even being paid due to a legal loophole."
• Asylum seekers’ phones were unlawfully seized, court rules. "More than 1,300 asylum seekers who arrived in the UK in small boats and had their phones unlawfully seized by officials can claim compensation, the high court has ruled.”
• Watchdog contradicts Braverman on migrants ‘gaming’ laws. “The head of Britain’s labour abuse watchdog says her organisation has not seen anyone ‘gaming’ the modern slavery system for immigration purposes. The comments directly contradict the home secretary, Suella Braverman, who said last week that trafficking claims from “people gaming the system” were “derailing the UK’s policy on illegal migration”.
• UK accused over Tamil boat refugees ‘escorted back to sea from Diego Garcia’. "Lawyers have accused the UK of facilitating dangerous onward boat journeys by Tamil refugees who had arrived in distress at the British-claimed territor of Diego Garcia."
• Firm rebuked by Ofsted given asylum contract. “A private prison firm  that was criticised over dangerous conditions at a youth jail is now providing security at an asylum seekers’ centre where Border Force staff have warned that overcrowding and assaults are creating a pressure-cooker situation."
• What it’s like to be an asylum seeker in the UK during the cost of living crisis. “Asylum seekers are feeling desperate as the cost of living crisis means the £40 per week they are given by the Government covers fewer and fewer of their essentials. Asylum seekers in self-catered accommodation get £40.85 per week per person to cover essentials like food, clothing, toiletries, non-prescription medication, travel and communications.”

There are scores of other incidents and issues. Then there are the problems facing migrant workers - not least the exorbitant cost of visa fees, which, as we have spotlighted in our report Destroying hopes, dreams and lives: How the UK visa costs and process impact migrants' lives - are splitting families, causing ill-health, deterring needed workers, blighting lives.

These and other problems have not disappeared because of the ruling party’s problems: many have become worse.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s parents migrated to Britain from East Africa in the 1960s. He is proud of his parents’ determination to work hard and make a new home Britain - which is exactly what most immigrant workers want.

He should make it a priority to removal barriers and prejudices against migrants.

As our new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has a chance to make a difference to the lives of every migrant in the UK. It is up to him, now, to set the country on a new course by framing migrants and migration as a powerful, positive force for good, as a crucial contributor not just to the health and care services, but to sport, hospitality, education, to overall economic and cultural vitality and growth.

The public debate on migration in the last few years has been exceedingly negative. The conversation has been shaped by ill-informed public fears, which have given way to a series of hostile policies towards migrants. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been affected, and migrants in the UK – including asylum seekers and refugees – live in a hostile environment.

The new Prime Minister can put an end to the negative language used to describe migrants, end the financial penalties forced upon migrants when renewing visas, and establish safe and legal routes for asylum seekers – the only way to put an end to the dangerous Channel crossings.

Mr Sunak should meet with migrant-led organisations and engage with them to create a fair and just migration system that benefits everyone in the UK and puts an end once and for all to the “hostile environment”.

Picture credits: Pippa Fowles / No 10 Downing Street

FRIDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2022

We're excited to announce that our drop-in sessions will be starting next week at our London office! You're welcome to pass by our office every Wednesday between 2-5pm, to say hello, get to know more about our work and learn how we can support you.

At our drop-in sessions you will:

• Find a safe space to share your experience, socialise and meet other migrants
• Share your issues and get support from us, or be referred to others who can help
• Learn more about our London team, our activities and our work
• Have a cuppa and chat with us!

Find us at 200A Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP.

You don't need to register before you arrive, but if you want to let us know you're coming, email ismail@migrantvoice.org or call 0207 832 5824.

We hope to see you soon!

This month, Migrant Voice kicked off our first event as part of this year's West Midlands Migrant Ambassadors programme.

Attended by migrants from different backgrounds and immigration statuses, the team delivered an engaging session on media training at the Birmingham Midland Institute.

Participants learnt about the inner workings of journalism, how to source stories and how to format a pitching email to editors.

The programme aims to equip ambassadors with journalistic skills, whilst also building their confidence in voicing their experiences as migrants in the media.

Editor Daniel Nelson helped support the delivery of the programme and offered advice to trainees.

Migrant Ambassadors in training were also able to share their experiences of migration, the UK’s complex immigration system and their constant dehumanisation in the media with one another. One attendee, Bwalya, said: “This session helped me to understand myself and others.”

Another participant, Smollet, added: “The training was well organised and there were detailed explanations about each step of pitching. It was my first time on this programme, but because of the information given to us I knew how to achieve my goal.

“I have a passion to help people, even before attending this session I have helped people with their immigration problems. The only way to get justice is to be the voice of the people. I know when I finish this training, I will have the right knowledge to do this.”

This year’s West Midlands programme will invite guest journalists to speak to members too. At the first session, Birmingham Live reporter Aida Fofana joined the session to share her views on what news journalists look for in a story. Aida will also be joining subsequent sessions.

The previous Migrant Ambassador programme was held online via Zoom due to lockdown measures, so excitement is high for direct in-person events, being held at Migrant Voice’s new West Midlands office at the Zellig building in Digbeth.

Migrant Voice media facilitator Adam Ali said: “The programme aims to create conversations around media representation for migrant communities in the West Midlands and to highlight areas where more needs to be done.

“It’s not just about journalists writing about migrants to tick off a ‘diversity’ box, it’s about ensuring migrants are part of that representation, that their voices are included, their ideas and critiques are taken on board, that stories essentially about them don’t get published without them.

“What we do is empower migrants by helping them understand the inner workings of news media, by meeting journalists and editors and by pitching and following up stories about their communities. These are both stories about their journeys and struggles but also positive stories about issues important to their neighbourhoods.”

The sessions are set to continue in Birmingham throughout the remainder of the year, to help develop the confidence of trainees and create the next cohort of Migrant Ambassadors, ending with a celebration and the presentation of certificates for those who complete the programme.

Upcoming sessions are due to take place online and in-person at the Migrant Voice Birmingham office on the following dates:

Saturday 22nd October - 12pm-2pm

Saturday 5th November - 12pm-2pm

Saturday 19th November - 12pm-2pm

Saturday 10th December - 12pm-5pm

Participants must join the next session in order to complete this year’s programme.
For more information or to sign up to the Migrant Ambassador programme, please email adam@migrantvoice.org.

On Saturday 8 October, we celebrated the launch of three Migrant Voice’s projects in Glasgow: Putting Ourselves in the Picture, Migrant Media Lab, and Women’s Group.  

The event was attended by over a hundred people representing around 20 ethnicities, including Albanian, Chinese, Dutch, Greek, Gypsy traveller, Kurdish, Pakistani, Persian, Polish, Scottish, Sudanese, and Ukrainian.

The launch event was a great opportunity to connect with others, enjoy food and dances from around the world, and to help Migrant Voice shape our Glasgow based activities.

Participants were welcomed by the Director, Nazek Ramadan, and Marzanna Antoniak, the Glasgow Network Coordinator, who introduced the projects:

Our upcoming project Putting Ourselves in the Picture

The project, funded by Heritage Fund, is a collaboration with Glasgow Museums and aims to empower migrants to tell their stories, filling their missing place in Scottish heritage and promoting integration through art, history and culture. It will include an exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery which will feature photographs taken within two projects delivered by Migrant Voice in Scotland: Engaging Pictures (2013) and Changing Lenses (2018).

Relaunch of our Migrant Media Labs

We are relaunching our popular training sessions with journalists, film-makers, photographers, and media experts from Glasgow University and other partners. 

Our new Women’s Group

Our new women’s group launched on the same day. We want it to become a platform where women from different migrant backgrounds can meet together to explore creative solutions to their needs, share interests and skills, and make their voices heard.

We danced to music from Scotland, Armenia, Ukraine, Iran, Kurdistan, Greece and Romania. Dances were called by Colin MacLennan and some of the participants who were keen to share their culture with others.

We were busy dancing but some participants did find the time to share their ideas for activities that Migrant Voice could run in Glasgow, including a community dance club, theatre, multicultural events, a skills bank, a radio programme, and more. Several people signed up to volunteer with us.

We have also received some good feedback about the event with one participant saying: “This was an amazing evening!!! Thank you for having us here and for unforgettable dancing!” and another calling us “A new hope in Glasgow!”

We would like to thank everyone who came a long and helped us make this such a fabulous celebration! We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our projects and activities at our new Garnethill Multicultural Centre based office!

Our West Midlands hub is back with another Migrant Ambassadors programme starting next week, following the success of the previous programmes!

Are you active in your community, feel passionate about changing the debate on migration, and concerned about the lack of migrant voices in the media?

If so, this is for you. Migrant Voice is looking for proactive migrants who are keen to develop their skills and knowledge in getting the voices and issues of their communities into the media.

You’ll become one of our migrant ambassadors. We’ll share with you our years of experience and train you in identifying stories in your community and pitching them to the media – and you’ll get plenty of follow-up mentoring and support from us too.

The first training will be the only whole day session and will take place in person on Friday 7 October, 10.30am - 4.30pm at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, 9 Margaret St, Birmingham B3 3BS.

The following sessions will be two hours. Dates for the follow-up sessions will be agreed with participants at the first session.

Find out more about the programme here and email adam@migrantvoice.org for more information or to sign up.

This is what a previous participant has said of the programme:

“Before, I used to hesitate telling my story because I thought it would increase my being a victim. But in the last year I’ve learned that telling your story actually makes you less of a victim. My community now, they see me differently. Some of the stories that have been in the newspapers, they’ve seen them. They’ve come to my door and said, ‘is that really you? But you’re just our neighbour.’ These articles will change perspectives on people’s lives. So I’m very appreciative of the help that I’ve got here, because it did boost my confidence to speak. I think a lot of us actually have these stories and you want to speak, but you keep thinking, ‘will that backfire on me or not?’ But with support as we have got here, you do find that it’s worth it. And this year, I’m also hoping I’ll be able to instil some confidence in other people in the community.”

DATE HERE DATE HERE, September 2022

Borders may be the cause of all the problems we are facing in British and European governments’ policies on immigration.

That comment set the ball rolling on a lively three-and-a-half discussion organised by Migrant Voice in partnership with the University of Westminster last week.

The topic was “The Externalisation of Borders” — how some countries shift some of their border controls to nearby countries (for example, wealthier European Union countries pressing and paying poorer European countries to take responsibility for controlling the borders of the EU) or to countries further afield (such as Britain paying Rwanda £120 million to process and accommodate some asylum applicants).

More powerful, wealthier countries use both manooeuvres to prevent unwanted migrants, including people fleeing for their lives, from reaching their borders. 

The questions for two panels and an audience of academics and activists were: How have borders developed in the last decade in Europe? What has been the impact on migrants? What are some solutions employed, and what role can we play?

Panellists included speakers from Amnesty UK, Right to Remain, Regularise, Migrants Organise, the Legal Clinic for Human Rights, United Against Inhumanity and the Migration Observatory, as well as the University of Tunis El Manar and the University of Granada. 

“Borders and controlling borders cause harm,” one speaker said, including deaths, stress, family division and financial costs. But they are intimately tied to ideas of sovereignty and the nation state (“Borders are existential for how national states see themselves”). So there is little support for their abolition.

In any case, governments like the idea of transferring border controls elsewhere because any human rights abuses that take place outside a country’s territory are harder to scrutinise, and it is difficult to hold governments accountable for abuses and bad policies. 

It’s about “invisibility”, said one participant, because it enables governments to avoid embarrassment at turning away desperate people.

“Governments have a lot to gain by externalising borders”, so it’s not surprising that the practice is growing. Panellists cited UK checks on asylum-seekers in northern France, Italy financing Libyan coastguards — in reality, militias — to stop small boats carrying migrants across the Mediterranean, and Australia seizing asylum seekers on the open sea and incarcerating them in Papua New Guinea. (The meeting was held under the ‘Chatham House rule’, meaning statements cannot be attributed to speakers.)

Throughout the discussion it was pointed out that governments in the global north generally treat migration as an emergency, “but migration is not an emergency. It is a phenomenon that has been around since the beginning of civilisation”.

One participant said that the tactic of placing part of your border in another country began, insidiously, with loaded language: politicians speak of “addressing the root causes of migration” — which immediately defines migration as a problem, “and once you define it as a problem it’s ok for governments to spend money on it by externalising borders”.

Another speaker pointed to a parallel phenomenon: the internalisation of borders, by which members of the public are required to take on some of the responsibilities of border controls. They gave the example of the UK, where doctors, landlords and employers must check the immigration status of clients and patients. As well as a number of other effects, this fosters discrimination against ethnic and linguistic minorities, whether migrants or natives, and indeed against anyone deemed not to “fit in”.

Governments cannot be solely blamed for the current human rights abuses and harms that occur at externalised borders, one speaker insisted: there needs to be a global change in attitudes to migration and everyone has a role in contributing to create this change — which one participant said should include “fighting for mobility to be a human right, whatever a person’s financial position”.

There was recognition that it’s difficult for members of the public to influence governments, “largely because power has become so centralised in a few, sometimes one person’s, hands.

“Migration policymaking has become less democratic, but the [UK] government has put on quite a good show of consulting others — the illusion of a properly democratic process.”

Academics, it was suggested, should provide impartial and objective research; NGOs should base their campaigns on this data and coordinate their advocacy, “speaking as one, with as broad a base as possible”; individuals can exercise their right to vote, join organisations and networks and, perhaps most importantly, speak to other members of their community.

In the words of one speaker: “The main challenge is how we talk to people on the street and make them understand that the struggles they are themselves facing is linked to the struggle migrants and asylum seekers face in the ‘hostile environment’.”

Panellists:

• Lul Seyoum, Co-Chair, United Against Inhumanity (UAI) & Director, International Centre for Eritrean Refugees and Asylum Seekers (ICERAS)
• Steve Valdez-Symonds, Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme Director, Amnesty International UK
• Eiri Ohtani, Director, Right to Remain
• Rim Triki, University of Tunis El Manar
• Alice Argento, Legal Clinic for Human Rights (CLEDU)
• Donia Smaali Bouhlila, University of Tunis El Manar
• Nieves Ortega Perez, University of Granada
• Peter Walsh, the Migration Observatory
• Brian Dikoff, Migrants Organise
• A representative from Regularise

The event was organised in partnership with the University of Westminster as part of its Summer School programme.

Photo credits: Délmagyarország/Schmidt Andrea, Wikimedia Commons

As our new Prime Minister, Liz Truss has a chance to make a difference to the lives of every migrant in the UK. It is up to her, now, to set the country on a new course by framing migrants and migration as a powerful, positive force for good, as a crucial contributor not just to the health and care services, but to sport, hospitality, education, to overall economic and cultural vitality and growth.

The public debate on migration in the last few years has been exceedingly negative. The conversation has been shaped by ill-informed public fears, which have given way to a series of hostile policies towards migrants. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been affected, and migrants in the UK – including asylum seekers and refugees – live in a hostile environment.

The new Prime Minister can put an end to the negative language used to describe migrants, end the financial penalties forced upon migrants when renewing visas, and establish safe and legal routes for asylum seekers – the only way to put an end to the dangerous Channel crossings.

Ms Truss should meet with migrant-led organisations and engage with them to create a fair and just migration system that benefits everyone in the UK and puts an end once and for all to the “hostile environment”.

Picture credits: Tim Hammond / No 10 Downing Street

Dear Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss,

We are very concerned that throughout the Conservative Party leadership election hustings, including in media interviews and briefings, migration has been almost entirely absent. Equally regrettably, the few occasions migration has been mentioned have been with the use of negative language.

Both of you have expressed support for the plan to send some asylum-seekers to Rwanda, and Ms. Truss even wants to extend the scheme to other countries, even though the legality of the scheme has not yet been decided and packing people off to a poor country with few resources is an abdication of Britain’s responsibilities. Mr Sunak wants to redefine the term “asylum” - as though a change of language will reduce the number of people fleeing for their lives from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and other hot-spots.

It is fair enough that you both like to talk about “British values”, and about the importance of Britain’s role in the world, yet instead of an open, welcoming, humane attitude you both adopt a defensive, inward-looking tone, and show concern only about excluding people rather than proposing policies that will improve their lives - such as facilitating family reunions, offering protection, or cutting the exorbitant, sometimes crippling cost of visa fees.

Sadly, while you both make the case for your leadership skills, as of yet there are no signs of leadership on matters of migration. Instead of continuing to pander to ill-informed public fears, comments and criticisms, the next leader of your party and the government could - and should - set the country on a new course by framing migrants and migration as a powerful, positive force for good, as a crucial contributor not just to the health and care services, but to sport, hospitality, education, to overall economic and cultural vitality and growth.

Migrant Voice and partner organisations would be happy to meet whoever is the new leader to put the case to the Government for a fair and just migration system, which benefits everyone in the UK and puts an end once and for all to the “hostile environment”.

On the 17 July, the IKON gallery hosted their annual Soap Boxes event, where at the gallery a number of local migrant activists spoke for five minutes each with ten quick-fire soapbox presentations and a Q&A from individuals and groups supporting migrants in the Midlands.

This event is part of The Migrant Festival 2022 and Ikon’s Arrivals programme for Summer 2022.

What was different about this event is that the main speakers were migrants, not only with lived experiences, but who have campaigned for both themselves and others.

We heard how it felt like to be in the middle of the war in Ukraine thinking it was your last day, and also how people got fed up with delays and the injustice of immigration rules who then went on to go public with their cases, embarrassing the Home Office into positive action.

A concurrent theme of the event was the strength of people refusing to give up.

One of the comments really stuck out when one of the speakers was asked what drives them not to give up hope. She responded with both power and humour: “Faith and lipstick.”

Britain is in flux and so is Europe: another new prime minister in the UK -  the third in three years, an election 30 months away at most, the effects of Brexit still impacting politically and economically, a major war in Europe with more national boundaries threatened and millions of people already displaced. 

Times are changing faster than governments can handle and certainly faster than the prime ministerial hopefuls appear to have realised. There’s rarely been greater need for tolerance, cohesion, stability and inclusive leadership. Yet the country continues to be saddled with a “hostile environment policy” on immigration with grievous effects on many of the estimated 6 million migrants who are contributing so richly to our social fabric and economy. Scrapping the policy should be one of the new prime minister’s top priorities.

The hostile environment reached a nadir with the so far wholly unsuccessful plan to send some of those seeking asylum to Rwanda. It has been described as “appalling”, “immoral” and “barbaric”. It may even be illegal, though a court ruling has been postponed until September.

But trying to bribe our way out of our international obligations by paying one of the world’s poorest countries to do our job of processing and looking after asylum seekers, and the callous and scandalous mistreatment of the Windrush generation as well as the subsequent and continuing failure to provide fair, swift compensation - are only two graphic examples of a raft of egregious results of the hostile environment.

Hostility created by the policy runs deep and affects all key areas of life. The illegality of many Home Office decisions, driven by the policy, is weakening our most precious quality: the rule of law. Compensation for breaches of rights and laws is costing millions of pounds. Making landlords responsible for checking the status of tenants is fostering suspicion and intolerance, not only of migrants but of Britons perceived as looking or speaking “like a migrant”.

The ever-rising cost of already extortionate visa fees for hundreds of thousands of people we have invited to work here causes resentment, poverty and ill-health and alienates a vital part of the nation.

Regulations split families; people who have done no wrong except flee for their safety are held behind locked doors and further traumatised.

We could continue the list of harms and hurts but as we wrote this editorial (12 July) came a report that symbolises the mess: a British resident with indefinite leave to remain was told her 15-month-old baby couldn’t come to Britain because the child’s life could continue in Jamaica with financial support from his mother in the UK. After the story broke, the Home Office have since made a u-turn and granted the baby leave to come to the UK. 

The hostile environment policy is expensive, divisive, destructive and counter-productive. For example, the Home Office’s now entrenched culture of distrust and obstruction is getting in the way of the government’s own policy of admitting a number of refugees from Ukraine. Similarly, it is operating a special visa scheme for people wanting to leave Hong Kong, but Hong Kong Chinese will not feel at home if they fear their children will be bullied at school because some members of the public see the hostile environment as giving an official green light to abusing migrants. Hostility does not create confidence, at home or abroad. It makes a mockery of any notion of a “Global Britain”. 

A new prime minister and a government trying to reset itself in the midst of an alarming cost-of-living crisis needs to set an example by dismantling the hostile environment and taking the right approach that unites everyone living, working and studying here which benefits the whole society in the long term - not an approach for short term political gain through pandering to the far right.

Photo credit: UK Government  Free to use under license: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

.

The grounding of the first deportation flight to Rwanda at the 11th hour was a win for justice. No one was deported: the asylum seekers are still in the UK, where they should be.

Still, it was a very precarious win and we can’t let our guard down, as the government has announced that it will challenge the decision, determined to push through no matter what.

Let’s be clear about what the Rwanda plan really is.

A variety of public figures have called it “appalling.” 25 bishops and archbishops described it as “an immoral policy that shames Britain” in a letter condemning the plan.

The government’s justification of ‘fighting smugglers’ is a fake argument, employed in pursuit of building support for electoral gain.

This week the Home Office staff who are rebelling against what they see as “doing real harm” called out the Rwanda plan as “barbaric”, and having nothing to do with its stated aim: “The laughably absurd idea that it has anything to do with preventing people smugglers is repeated with a straight face.”

The Home Office staff talk of the racism inherent in recent policies, while the plan is also the legacy of long-term racist immigration laws which directly target black and brown people, as a leaked report showed recently. The fact that the Home Office tried to prevent its publication speaks volumes.

Despite everything, the argument that the plan is for stopping smugglers continues to be employed by the government as justification. We don’t believe the argument, and actually, nor does the Home Office itself.

The problem of smugglers is created by the government itself – through the lack of safe, legal routes to the UK for people seeking asylum.

The government can create more safe routes - as it has done with the visa scheme for Ukrainians - and it could expand instead of shutting down or limiting family reunification routes, its Afghan schemes, etc.

86% of the world’s refugees are in neighbouring countries, and the few that do seek the UK have links here. But to reach safety in the UK, people have to make their own way here, putting their lives at risk. Many end up paying smugglers to cross borders.

While more safe and legal routes are necessary, it is important to uphold that there is no legal basis in international law for deeming a person’s need for protection invalid because of their method of entry.

Once they are in the UK, refugees are granted asylum at very high rates, with 75% of applications reaching a positive decision in the year ending March 2022. They do qualify for protection, and the government itself recognises this, by granting it.

The deal with Rwanda is the outsourcing of the asylum system to another country. The government isn’t trying to deter smugglers. It’s trying to deter people from coming here at all. It’s telling them: ‘If you dare seek asylum in this country, we will punish you.’ Rwandans are rightly offended at the negative publicity this has generated for their country. But what this misses is that the UK government has created this image through their plan to use the sending of people to Rwanda as a punishment.

The government must drop the Rwanda deal now, and work to create safe and legal routes for anyone in need of protection in the UK.

Photo credit: by Matt Brown, licensed for use under CC BY-SA 2.0

This week is a national week of action against the Hostile Environment. People are gathering all over the country to stand up to the it and call for its end.

Over a decade, the Hostile Environment has ruined too many people’s lives and changed the fabric of our society. It’s been too long.

Injustice can take many forms; so can resistance.

Some actions we can take are:

+ Read, learn and gain knowledge

+ Speak out and spread the message

+ Amplify other people's voices

+ Write a letter to your MP, councillors, local newspaper

+ Attend events

+ Organise with your community

+ Support or become active with groups working to end the Hostile Environment

To find more tips and resources, check our complete toolkit.

Any step you take to stand up to the Hostile Environment is a step that moves us forward. Let’s keep working together. #EndtheHostileEnvironment

THURSDAY, 9 JUNE

Migrant Voice held another successful Media Lab for their Glasgow-based members and Media Ambassadors, this time at Glasgow City Chambers, one of the city’s most prominent venues.

The multi-cultural event took place on 7 June and was hosted by Councillor Graham Campbell and chaired by Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice. Simon Israel, of Channel 4, led the Media Lab training.

Glasgow-based Migrant Voice Media Ambassadors were awarded certificates profiling their work, presented by councillor Graham Campbell.

This was a great networking opportunity for Glasgow members, some of whom did not have the chance to meet since the start of the pandemic. This was also an opportunity to work together on stories, with the full support and mentoring of Simon Israel, former Senior Home Affairs Correspondent, and a notable friend of the charity.

Simon shared advice from his long-standing career and experience and gave attendees the confidence to pursue their aspirations, to always fight for justice and their beliefs, and always approach journalists, who can get their stories across to a very broad audience, which can translate in finding the right support. The attendees were also taught to be resilient and to persevere and not to give up on making their voices heard.

While anyone can approach a journalist, it is good to be armed with facts beforehand and justify why the migration story we are pitching would be worthwhile. Although this was a general discussion, each participant was given the chance to get tailored mentoring for their ideas.

The current main issues of migrants’ concern were discussed across the board, and Nazek emphasized the need for urgent action and joining forces in the light of pressing events such as the government’s draconian Rwanda plan.

The event was informal, with snacks and refreshments provided, and everyone in attendance also got the opportunity to learn more about the history of the location and go on a private tour of the Glasgow City Chambers in the honourable company of Councillor Graham Campbell.

More events are yet to be announced, so keep a close eye on Migrant Voice’s social media pages for more exciting opportunities.

Andreea Nedelea is a Migrant Voice member.

In May 2012 the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, ushered in the “really Hostile Environment”, aimed at making life impossible for undocumented migrants. In the ensuing decade it has been spread like a cancer, contaminating everything and everyone it touches -  including everyone in this country together with our laws, politics, media, culture and values. 

Indeed, perhaps no other policy in living memory has left such a malign mark, a stain like an oil slick. By design or consequence, it is racist, xenophobic, immoral, illegal, unfair, punishing, divisive, mean-spirite and discriminatory.

Menacingly,  immigration controls were outsourced to ordinary citizens -  turning them into unwilling border agents. It required  landlords, doctors, teachers, employers to perform checks on their patients, students and so on, and report their status to the Home Office. Someone’s name sounds unusual? Don’t offer them a room, a job, a service - they might be undocumented.  

Vans started roaming the streets of some London boroughs displaying the ominous message: “In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest.” Migrants, and people perceived as looking or sounding like migrants, started to be treated as unwelcome objects of suspicion. Mistrust and fear spread in communities, as anyone could report on their own friends and neighbours.

The Hostile Environment encourages dangerous intolerance, scapegoats individuals and groups, promotes ill-health, splits families, endangers children. It kills - ask the families of harried Windrush victims.

Elevating hostility into a national policy and encouraging its spread throughout society is a disturbingly negative and destructive ambition. This is part of a global trend of borders no longer at the edge of the country, but externalised to other countries as well as embedded inside society among ordinary citizens and through greater digitisation of border controls. Borders are now fluid, but they are around/among us.

As Migrant Action writes: “The hostile environment marked a defining shift in the architecture of immigration control whereby  state sanctioned ‘hostility’ became the centre-piece of immigration policy in a general sense. This extension of the hostile environment is exemplified by but not limited to ‘astronomically high and increasing immigration application fees… the Byzantine complexity of the rules, the enforced separation of some families, the infamous “Go Home” vans and more. Acting together, these hostile environment policies designed as deterrents to constitute a form of state ‘harm’ on migrants”  

In the face of all this, resistance has been strong. Many, like ourselves, have been campaigning against the Hostile Environment since its inception. 

But the effects have been crushing.

- People have been made homeless, unable to find a place to rent.

- People have died because they were too afraid to seek health care.

- Families have been torn apart by deportations and detentions.

- Communities have been destroyed by the fear that you just can’t really be sure you can trust anyone.

And new policies continue to be implemented. The new Nationality and Borders Act punishes asylum seekers who have made their own way to the UK, and it creates a second class of British citizens who can easily be stripped of their citizenship.

Then there is the plan to send some of those seeking refuge in the UK all the way to Rwanda to seek asylum there instead, despite concerns about human rights violations in the country. 

The Hostile Environment has spread through the whole UK immigration system. A key policy of which is keeping visa fees high “Profiteering inherent within immigration fees is umbilically connected to the Hostile Environment, with fees … leaving people vulnerable to immigration enforcement”, as Jon Burnett lecturer at Swansea University writes in our new report ‘Destroying hopes, dreams and lives: How the UK visa costs and process impact migrants’ lives.’

The report shares migrants’ experiences of this aspect of the Hostile Environment. We found that extortionate visa costs are propelling people into foregoing meals, going into debt, working long hours or taking extra jobs, curtailing social life, falling ill, missing out on life chances. Many feel crippling anxiety about their next renewal. 

It is not just the risk and fear that if you can’t afford the extortionate amounts you may become undocumented, it is that living with paying visa fees through successive visa renewals, you are living in a hostile limbo, made worse the longer you have to pay.

We, and many others, continue in our resistance. We urge everyone who believes in a fairer society to call for a true end to the hostile environment, which is destroying hopes, dreams and lives.

TUESDAY, 17 MAY

Migrant Voice members organised and attended a guided tour of Blacklash: Racism and the Struggle for Self-Defence.

From the mid-80s and over a period of two decades and across some of the UK's major inner-cities, Mukhtar Dar, co-curator of the exhibition, documented the struggles of Asian and African Caribbean communities against the pernicious and pervasive tidal wave of street and state racism.

Above: an attentive group follows the exhibition tour.

As a founding member of the Sheffield Asian Youth Movement and later joining the Birmingham Asian Youth Movement, Dar became the unofficial artist of the largest grassroots movement in the history of the UK’s South Asian communities.

Members who have been part of the visa fees campaign listened and discussed old and new campaigns for justice.

Above: exhibition co-curators Mukhtar Dar and Raj Pal (first and third from left) with Migrant Voice's Salman Mirza and MV member Takesh Hibbert.

"It was a real joy and privilege for Mukhtar Dar and I as co-curators of this exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (UK), to host a group visit by Migrant Voice," said Raj Pal, the exhibition co-curator. "The visit started with about 16 people and kept evolving throughout our guided tour, as late comers and general visitors also joined in out of curiosity. By the end, we had about 40 people tagging along. But that wasn't even the best thing about the visit."

He went on: "The group by the end was a visible reflection of multicultural Birmingham. People asked questions and many shared their own reflections and experiences. At a time when narrow identity politics can often box us in ways that we fail to see the bigger picture, those on the tour could clearly see how the toxic nature of racism cuts across narrow boundaries and distinctions."

Above: Migrant Voice members Takesh Hibbert and Tamara Harris

"You have to support the causes you believe in, that's why I attended this exhibition talk," said Migrant Voice member, Tamara Francis, who is campaigning for a more just route to settle in the UK. Tamara has been living in the UK since she was a child and is still going through the process.

The exhibition is on until the 30th October at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
 

Photos by Salman Mirza.

The government’s admission that it will send people seeking safety in the UK all the way to Rwanda, even those who might be persecuted there – such as LGBTQI+ asylum seekers – shows just how vicious is the thinking behind the plan. The government is willing to send a message of deterrence at any cost, whether human or financial.

Almost all cultures around the world respond to people in distress by offering a helping hand. It’s what you would expect if you were fleeing conflict or dangerous prejudice, if you or your family were facing life-threatening crises.

The plans to seize people at risk and ship them like cargo to a country thousands of miles away – a country that is itself still trying to recover from a cataclysmic genocide perpetrated by one section of the population against another – is the very opposite of the universally humane response.

Domestically, the government’s policy is akin to the Victorian-era idea of sending the poor and vulnerable to the workhouse, which is also in sync with European attempts to keep people deemed ‘undesirable’ outside the borders of Europe - again at any cost. Internationally, it signals the end of Britain offering protection to people who need it and rips apart the principles of the United Nations Convention on Refugees.

As well as being bad in principle, the deal with Rwanda is bad in practice.

It will not deter people who are desperate to reach safety and have good reasons to come to the UK, such as family links. We fear that to avoid deportation to Rwanda people will go underground, thus becoming even more vulnerable to exploitation and suffering.

Because the threat of deportation to Rwanda may be applied to some asylum-seekers already here, we are already seeing people going into hiding.

With the Rwanda plan the UK continues its work to outsource its border control and its obligations to provide sanctuary. The UK’s GDP is more than 50 times that of Rwanda’s which is among the 25 poorest countries in the world. Kenan Malik points out the hypocrisy in the Guardian, and asks us to wonder “why it is assumed that Britain cannot cope with any more asylum seekers but Rwanda, which already hosts five times as many refugees per capita as the UK, and with a population density almost twice as great, can do so.”

The anti-refugee, anti-migrant Nationality and Borders Act, which makes possible such deportations is now reality. And like many in the sector we will not stand by. We must continue to challenge it, to insist that this is the wrong way forward and to speak for another way to respond to people in need of our protection. Protection should not be by invitation only.
 

Photo credit: Botho - cropped for our website. Licenced https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

text text

Migrant Voice is looking for a full-time Communications Officer to lead the communications work of the organisation. The post holder will be creating and embedding a new communications strategy to strengthen and transform our communications and enhance how we communicate the organisation’s role, vision, priorities and activities and ensure positive and balanced coverage in the media.

The Communications Officer will lead the work to bring migrants’ authentic voices into the media and migration debates and strengthen the communications capacity of the organisation and our members in London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

The ideal candidate will have experience of developing and implementing ambitious and creative communications strategies for small organisations that want to have a big impact. You will have an active interest in current affairs and the issues surrounding migration to the UK, knowledge of channels and a collaborative approach that puts migrants, refugees and asylum seekers at the core of our communications.

The Communications Officer will join our team in London full time from July.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 4 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form. They should also send a filled equal opportunities monitoring form (no additional attachments please).

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 9.00am on Monday 6 June, 2022. Interviews with those short-listed will take place on Tuesday 14 June, 2022, in person at our London office.

You can access the job description here and an equal opportunities monitoring form here. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.
 
________
Summary of main duties and responsibilities

• Create an ambitious communications strategy compatible with our new strategic plan and Theory of Change and embed the new communications strategy into the working practices and systems of the organisation.
• Develop and optimise Migrant Voice’s key messages and identify opportunities to achieve our communications objectives.
• Lead our communications work ensuring that what and how we communicate is leading to the change we want to see in line with our strategy.
• Manage the communications infrastructure for the organisation, including our website and social media channels and their content and style.
• Raise the profile of migrants’ issues in the media and create opportunities for migrants’ voices to be heard.
• Build on our ‘Meet the Editors’ programme and continue to organise, publicise and facilitate events and meetings between migrants and journalists and editors.
• Produce high-level written material and media copy including editorials, promotional materials and news releases.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

This year, during Mental Health Awareness Week, we are asking everyone to write to their Member of Parliament about how the UK Visa and Immigration system has a drastic effect on migrants' mental health.

This comes as part of our wider visa fees campaign and the recent launch of our report into the impact the visa renewal process has on applicants.

There is a draft letter below that you can send to your MP. Just add your MP's name, your address, and sign off with your name. You can also edit the letter to add in your own lived experience where you feel it is relevant.

The more personal you make the letter, the bigger the impact it is likely to have on your MP. Don’t feel pressured to share more than you are comfortable, however.

You can find your MP by inputting your postcode to this website; it will also give you their email address so you can send them the letter.

Let us know if you write to your MP, who they are, and if you get a reply by emailing campaigns@migrantvoice.org.

For Mental Health Awareness Week and the UN Day of Families, which falls on Sunday, Migrant Voice is partnering with Reunite Families UK and Praxis to raise awareness on how the UK immigration system affects migrants, their families and their mental health.

The extortionate costs of visas very clearly impact on many migrants’ finances, with people expected to pay at least £2,593 every 2.5 years until they get permanent residence. But the cost to people’s mental health and wellbeing is just as serious, if not worse.

Our latest report shows this clearly. Almost all migrants (95%) who took part in our research told us they experienced negative feelings when thinking about their situation in relation to the visa costs. Many mentioned feeling depressed, “hopeless”, “scared for the future”, “anxious”, while some said that themselves or a family member has had suicidal thoughts caused by their situation.

Many participants told us they felt lonely and isolated: some could not afford to meet friends and loved ones – or to have a meal out with them – as they had to save as much as possible before the next visa renewal. In some cases, shame and unpaid debts prevent migrants from getting in touch with their support group, leading to increased isolation.

Others said they could not travel to their home countries to see their families of origins. This was either due to the high costs of travel tickets, or to their pending application for a visa renewal.

But it is not only the high visa costs that cause distress and psychological issues. The UK visa and immigration system, as a whole, can have severe mental health impacts on people that must go through it.

The visa application and renewal process is lengthy and intricate; a small mistake, such as a typo, can lead to a refusal (and to thousands of pounds lost); months pass between an application and a decision without little to no communication from the Home Office. The risk of becoming undocumented can hang over people’s heads as a realistic threat.

For those on the 10-year route to settlement, this incredibly long period of time exacerbates the risks and prolongs the instability people face and its negative effects.

Too often, families are kept apart by immigration policies such as the minimum income requirement, which Reunite Families UK is campaigning to abolish, and which forces British citizens to prove they earn a certain amount of money before their foreign partner is allowed to move to the country. Many children are growing up away from one of their parents because of these rules; the mental health consequences can be serious and lifelong.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We are campaigning to reduce the extortionate visa costs that too many migrants are enduring and put a cap on routes to settlement at five years: make your voice heard and join us.

We are running a Twitter campaign with Reunite Families UK and Praxis: follow our social media and use the hashtag #WhatsTheRealCost.

Share our report and spread the word about extortionate visa costs.

It’s time to act.

Migrant Voice is looking for Project Coordinator (4 days per week) to set up and run our new exciting project in Glasgow from June.

‘The Putting Ourselves in the Picture’ project will empower migrants to tell their stories, filling their missing place in Scottish heritage and promote integration through art, history and culture. This will ensure that migrants’ heritage (as part of Scotland’s heritage) is recognised, documented and shared with the rest of the community and for future generations.

The project builds on MV's planned 2023 exhibition at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. The exhibition will feature photographic portraits and accompanying text of migrants telling the stories of their lives in Scotland.

The Project Coordinator will develop the 'Putting ourselves in the picture' project for Migrant Voice. The project will run meetings, discussions and training sessions to empower migrants to use creative tools to tell their stories. In coordination with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum the project Coordinator will be responsible for organising training, exhibitions and related events and for engaging Migrant Voice’s network members and new community members in the activities.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 3 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 10.00am on Monday 30 May, 2022. Interviews with those short-listed will take place on Tuesday 7 June, 2022.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

You can access the job description here and an equal opportunities monitoring form here. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.

________

Summary of project activities

The Project Coordinator will:

• Set up and run the ‘Putting Ourselves in the Picture’ project and coordinate the day-to-day running of the project according to the project plan, including delivery of targets and milestones.
• Recruit participants for the project from migrant communities in Glasgow and engage existing Glasgow network members.
• Facilitate the appointment of external providers, including trainers and evaluators, and coordinate their activity within the project plan.
• Coordinate and facilitate the delivery of training workshops and mentoring sessions.
• Liaise with project partners, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, on exhibitions and related activities.

Also see the full job description attached.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2022

A full room of migrants, organisations and politicians welcomed the launch of our newest report, “Destroying hopes, dreams and lives: How the UK visa costs and process impact migrants’ lives” in the Houses of Parliament yesterday.

The report investigates the struggles people face for the right to live in this country. Being forced to pay exorbitant visa fees and thousands of pounds in additional costs, many experience destitution, exploitation at work, poor mental health and, in many cases, debt.

The report kickstarts the next stage of our campaign to reduce visa costs for migrants and make the visa application quicker and simpler.

Migrant Voice presented the report’s findings, followed by migrants’ experiences of immigration and paying for visa fees and by experts’ insights on the current UK immigration system and its issues. Migrants, organisers, and activists were in the audience, as well as six Members of Parliament who came to support our cause.

Migrants speaking on the panel included Tamara Francis, who has lived in the UK since she came here as a 9-year-old in 1999, and who is still paying visa fees. She told the audience about losing her job because her visa was approaching its expiration date. “My manager came to me and said, ‘I’m sorry … If it happened to me, it would break me, I am sorry.’”

Mariko Hayashi said she had lived in the UK for seven years before she was forced to leave because her partner did not meet the income requirements to sponsor her visa. After six more years in Japan, her home country, she was able to move back to the UK. But she has had to restart her settlement route from scratch. “These high visa fees affect many people's fundamental human rights,” she said.

Takesh Hibbert, from Birmingham, talked about her 30-year battle to be recognised as British. “I remember being pregnant with my youngest child and not being able to find a pushchair,” she said.

Academic Aba Kristilolu spoke of being “effectively a prisoner” in the UK when the Home Office retained his passport almost continuously between 2007 and 2013. “I could not travel for work. I could not travel when my father-in-law died,” he said.

Bell Ribeiro Addy, MP for Streatham, chaired the event. She said the issue of visa costs has seemed to go unnoticed by the public – until now. “During the Covid-19 pandemic people protested against the Immigration Health Surcharge,” she said, mentioning the yearly £624 fee migrants must pay on top of their visas, which was scrapped for NHS workers in May 2020. “But do you know for how many years and how much people pay to stay in this country?”

Kate Osamor, MP for Edmonton, acknowledged the importance of our report, which provides data and research essential for campaigning to reduce visa costs. She added: “The Home Office is not here to help. The Home Office is here to inflict pain, and it is horrible to see.”

Dan Carden, MP for Liverpool Walton, said that he was “shocked” by the stories he had been listening to, and offered his support to our campaign.

Claudia Webbe, MP for Leicester East, talked about the “unacceptable” experiences of many of her constituents: “We have people who have lived in the constituency for more than 20 years and still have to face these unjust, inhumane charges.”

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, said she regularly met people who “have spent an absolute fortune just for the right to live in this country. It’s just unjustifiable and unjust.” She renewed her support for our cause and for her constituents.

Two speakers shared their expertise on the exorbitant visa costs and the intricate visa application system.

Swansea University lecturer Jon Burnett said that targets have been set to profit from immigration fees. “What we’re actually talking about is a tax on people and their existence,” he added. “This report makes it very clear: this is violent and it’s cruel.”

Zoe Bantleman, legal director at the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, said migrants are divided into “good” and “bad” depending on their visa or settlement route, with the “bad” ones being punished with longer, more expensive routes.

Fidelis Chebe, director of Migrant Action, commended Migrant Voice for “providing a voice … to men, women and children crying out for help ... The suffering has been going on for too long.”

Migrants and organisers from the floor also shared their experiences and engaged in the discussion. They included Mictin, a nurse campaigning to reduce the Indefinite Leave to Remain fee for NHS workers, and Reunite Families, who shared the plea of single mothers being separated from their partners due to visa costs.

We said this clearly last night and we will repeat it again: the fight for a fairer visa and immigration system goes on.

A “living hell”;  “difficult to survive”;  unable to lead a “normal” life;  “I can’t feed my kids”;  “terrible”; “hopeless”; “mental torture”, “ruined life”.

Through a Migrant Voice report on the impact of visa fees and the visa application process, migrants are saying what the rest of the country seems not to know: that visa fees are exorbitant, unfair, financially punitive and a threat to health and well-being.

The report shows that migrants are charged more than seven times the administrative cost of a visa and that two-thirds of migrants who took part in our research have been forced into debt to pay the charge - sometimes with calamitous personal and family effects.

We must listen to these voices - the voices of people helping build this country and who pay taxes and bills and contribute as we all do to economic activity, but on top of which are told to pay thousands more pounds for the document confirming their right to be here. The costs are pushing many towards poverty.

The voices in the report are giving us a chance to acknowledge and rectify one of this country’s dirty little secrets. The visa application costs are an insult  to people we need and should be welcoming, and a shame on those of us in whose name the government claims to be acting.

As the report points out, we all benefit from migration to the UK  but no one is benefiting from the current unfair, time-consuming, administratively insensitive and punishingly expensive visa and immigration system. 

Today, Wednesday 27 April, we are launching our report on the impact of visa costs and the visa application process on migrants’ lives.

Our research shows that extortionate visa fees are causing extreme hardship to hundreds of thousands of migrants in the UK, affecting almost every aspect of their lives: from hunger and health, with one respondent saying: “I can’t feed my kids due to the visa fees and borrowing money”, to vulnerability at work, from strained relationships to mental distress.

At the report launch this evening in the Houses of Parliament, we will describe the findings of our research, while legal and policy experts will talk about on how we can create a fairer visa and immigration system, and many migrants will share their first-hand experiences of the impact of having to pay these extortionate visa fees.

Two-thirds of those surveyed or interviewed said the costs had forced them into debt, with debts of £30,000 reported.

The report says “95% of respondents told us they had extremely negative feelings about their situation”, ‘Living hell’, ‘terrible’, ‘hopeless, ‘mental torture’ and ‘ruined life’ were among the words used.

Migrant Voice Director Nazek Ramadan said, “We welcome migrants to this country because we need their skills, services and enterprise. Then we impose extortionate fees - amounting to more than seven times the actual cost of a visa - that have a destructive impact on their lives. Now migrants themselves have talked about the realities of this impact - and it’s devastating. This must change.”

We are calling for:

• Reducing visa fees to administrative costs for adults, while abolishing them for children
• Abolishing the Immigration Health Surcharge
• Cutting the time needed for permanent settlement from 10 years to five
• Speeding up and improving the Home Office decision-making process and communication with visa applicants
• Introduce a quicker, simpler, less stressful visa application process

We are campaigning for a fairer immigration system by advocating for removing extortionate visa costs. Follow our social media to stay up to date with the launch this evening and with our campaign going forward. 

+ Read the full report here: 

This week sees two major Migrant Voice events affecting thousands of migrants:

* the parliamentary launch of a report that for the first time spotlights the health and financial distress inflicted by exorbitant visa fee charges, and
* a roundtable on voting rights, part of a series of Build Back Better roundtables

Publication of the report on the impact on migrants of visa fees and the visa application process on 27 April is a significant step-up in Migrant Voice’s campaign against an extortionate government policy.
 
The report shows that migrants are charged more than 7 times the administrative cost of a visa and that two-thirds of migrants who took part in our research have been forced into debt to pay the charge - sometimes with calamitous personal and family effects.

It sets out recommendations for a fairer visa and immigration system.

Ahead of  local elections in England and Wales on 5 May, the 26 April roundtable will look at the right to vote - which many migrants lack.

Residence-based voting rights, as in Scotland, will be among the solutions discussed .
 
Speakers will include Lara Parizotto from Our Home Our Vote and the Young Europeans Network and Savan Qadir from Refugees for Justice and the UN’s Scotland-based Refugee Integration Through Languages and the Arts.

+ 26 April:  ‘Build Back Better? Migrants, democratic rights and political participation’, 4-6pm on Zoom. Email anne@migrantvoice.org to sign up.
+ 27 April: Launch of report on the cost of visas and the visa application process, 5-7pm, Committee room 12, Houses of Parliament.  The event is now fully booked. Email anne@migrantvoice.org for the report or more information.

THURSDAY 24 MARCH 2022

We are delighted to partner with Ikon Gallery and the University of Birmingham to launch the A Gift to Birmingham exhibition, which features seventeen portraits of our members captured by the world-renowned photographer Vanley Burke.

Our colleagues and members attended the event, which was attended by media representatives and saw speeches given by those who featured in the showcase.

The exhibition runs from 23 March to 3 April. We encourage our members and friends to go along - it is free and there is no need to book.

The showcase is in the Events Room on the second floor of Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells St, Birmingham, B1 2HS. The gallery is open 11am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday.

Find out more by clicking here

You can watch BBC Midlands Today's coverage of the exhibition by clicking here

Read I Am Birmingham's coverage of the exhibition by clicking here

Image credit: Lensi Photography / Denise Maxwell

THURSDAY 10 MARCH, 2022

In February, we organised two training sessions on how to write a letter to your MP about the impact of extortionate visa fees. 

As part of our campaign to end extortionate visa fees, we are asking you to join us in writing to your MP about why the high fees are wrong.

For those of you who have not been directly affected, but are concerned about this issue, we would also like to see you write to your MP telling them just why you think we need to dramatically reduce the cost of visas in the UK.

At Migrant Voice, we have seen the devastating impact these fees have had on many of our migrant members and their families. 

The costs to migrants aren't just financial - many families suffer mental and physical health problems, with some families sacrificing food, heating and electricity to make sure they can make their payments to the Home Office when the time comes.

All the information you need to find out who your MP is and how to contact them is here:  https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

Below is a template for you to use and adapt if you wish to. However, we want these letters to be as personal as possible. You do not need to write too much, just a few paragraphs can go a long way to influence an MP. Let us know if you have any questions or would like us to look over your draft letters.

Please do let us know when you write to your MP, and who your MP is so we can keep track of who knows about our campaign. Please also let us know what kind of response you get from them.

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Dear (full name of MP),

I am a constituent of yours living at (enter your address here) and I am writing to you today to talk about the impact that the extortionate cost of renewing visas has had on my life/is having on migrants lives across the UK.

(Add a few paragraphs here about the impact it has had on your life, and/or the reasons why visa costs should be reduced. For example, people paying visas are often forced to work multiple jobs, prioritise visa payments over food or rent, and are often dealing with huge amounts of stress. We need MPs to tell the Home Office to reduce visas costs and stop profiting from Migrants.)

I am supporting Migrant Voice’s campaign against the extortionate cost of visas. Migrant Voice are calling for Visa fees to be reduced down to the administrative costs only, and for the fee to be waived for Children. They are also campaigning to abandon the 10 year route to settlement, and for all individuals on this route to immediately be placed on the 5 year route to settlement. You can find out more about their campaign here. They will soon be launching a report in Parliament into the impact that visa fees have had on migrants across the UK.

Yours sincerely,

NAME

CONTACT DETAILS (EMAIL, POSTAL ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER)

Words heal, explain, inform, enlighten. They can also hurt, muddle, mislead, misinform. And as reactions to the 2 million - and still rising - Ukrainian refugees show, they can reveal.

Many responses have been heartwarming and helpful: scores of Germans holding placards offering rooms in their homes to people they’ve never met; Poland taking in 1.2 million refugees by 8 March backed up by small cash payments for each newcomer from a specially created £1.3 billion fund. 

Others have been slow, confused, and ill-considered. Sadly, the British Government has been among the laggards, displaying a mindset shaped by years of “hostile environment” policies - though the public has already donated £100 million. 

A few responses around the world have been outright disgusting: like the leaked messages from a Brazilian MP on a humanitarian visit who made grossly inappropriate remarks about Ukrainian women. 

Outright misogyny, racism and hate need to be challenged and condemned, of course. But we also need to call out subtler expressions of prejudice.

It is striking, for example, how many White commentators, pundits, journalists and politicians have made a point of viewing - and treating - fleeing Ukrainians as worthy of help because they are “like us”.

In the words of the Bulgarian Prime Minister: "These people are Europeans. ... These people are intelligent, they are educated people. ... This is not the refugee wave we have been used to…”

Similarly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to see the difference between "masses arriving from Muslim regions in hope of a better life in Europe" and helping Ukrainian refugees who have come to Hungary because of the war.

Such comments reveal more about the speaker than the people spoken about. They set the parameters and tone for debate about refugees and migrants, they prepare the ground for actions and policies based not on shared humanity but on perceived (and absurd) differences between intelligent, educated White people and ignorant, blinkered Others.

In Britain, there’s another “gap”, between acceptable West Europeans and less acceptable East Europeans. Praising Home Secretary Priti Patel for refusing to offer asylum to all Ukrainians fleeing war, an MP told Parliament that his constituents had already “done our bit in terms of migration from eastern Europe”.

As commentator Kenan Malik pointed out in The Guardian, a Conservative Party Lord had found the Ukraine conflict shocking because “they seem so like us”, living in “a European country” where “people watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts … Civilisation itself is under attack in Ukraine”.  Malik questions why is seen as different from the destruction of Syria or Afghanistan.

Another journalist, Arwa Damon of the television news service CNN, spelled it out even more directly. On hearing rhetoric about how Ukrainians are a "prosperous middle-class people," "the family next door," "civilised", she wrote: “As if what is defined as a human worth saving is identified by the color of their skin, the language they speak, the religion they practice or where they were born.”

Clearest of all about the colour line dividing worthy and unworthy was Ukraine's former deputy general prosecutor, who said, "It's very emotional for me because I see European people with blonde hair and blue eyes being killed every day."

These examples are why we urge all politicians and journalists to think carefully about the words they choose. International law demands protection for people seeking safety outside their country because they are human, not because they are blonde or look like us or share a religion or watch the same TV programmes. 

Words matter. Even more so when human lives are at risk.

Migrant Voice director Nazek Ramadan is preparing to push ahead with our #MyFutureBack campaign after the discovery of new evidence and parliamentary questions about the Government’s precipitate action against tens of thousands of overseas students.

“The BBC Newsnight programme [on 9 February 2022],” has given a huge boost to the campaign we have been running with a group of students who first came to us for help four years ago,” she said.

The programme’s investigation spotlighted the flawed evidence used in the allegations of cheating and subsequent mass expulsions, and interviewed students who had managed to raise thousands of pounds in legal fees to win judgements that cleared their names – but who have not been compensated for their wrecked lives.

One of those who won their case, Shakil Rathore from Pakistan, told the programme, “If its wrong in my case, which I have proven, it might be wrong in every case.” The case cost him more than £50,000. Despite winning, “I have lost the years that I can never get back.”

The programme not only questioned the reliability of the data supplied by ETS, the company administering the English-language test centres where cheating was alleged, but also pointed to “worrying questions about what the Home Office knew about the reliability of the organisation itself."

Newsnight Correspondent Richard Watson reported that lawyers were considering bringing a “class action” – where a group of people are represented collectively by a member of the group – and that the Home Office had told the programme “that if the scandal happened today students suspected of fraud would get the chance to prove their innocence."

Further criticism of the expulsions and the Home Office’s subsequent failures to respond to criticisms of its actions came in Parliament on 9 February, when 10 MPs put questions to Immigration Minister Kevin Foster. They shared our campaign’s calls for justice and our demands to implement a simple, clear process for the students to get justice.

Several MPs asked what action the government planned to take to right this wrong? Stephen Kinnock MP said that “the Home Secretary must now take full responsibility for this shocking miscarriage of justice,” and asked if the Immigration Minister would “commit now, from the Dispatch Box, to a mechanism that will allow innocent students to clear their names?”

Labour MP Stephen Timms described the matter to Newsnight as “an utter disgrace” and commented: "Basic British rules of justice were almost entirely overlooked.”

In an interview on the Newsnight programme, Nazek Ramadan said, “They [the students] came here for the best education in the world. They were “treated like criminals, to be handcuffed and put in detention.”

Now she says Migrant Voice will work with the students to try to ensure that the Newsnight investigation is not shrugged off but leads to action: “This has been a terrible injustice, but we hope that, spurred by this new evidence, the Government will do the right thing and help get these lost lives back on track.”

The BBC Newsnight investigation broadcast on 9 February into the expulsion of tens of thousands of overseas students is a decisive moment in the #MyFutureBack campaign to clear the students’ names.

The investigation cast serious doubts on key parts of the evidence used by the government to justify its mass expulsions in the wake of a 2014 BBC Panorama programme report of allegations of cheating in two privately run test centres for English-language skills.

That alone is sufficient to collapse the Home Office’s refusal to confront one of the biggest scandals in recent decades.

But the new evidence also shows that the Government has continued its clampdown on allegedly offending students even though it knew of serious concerns about flaws in the evidence and in its own conduct.

It also puts the spotlight on the extraordinary way that the US company responsible for the centres was given the job of assessing allegations of cheating – essentially marking its own homework.

For years, wronged students were not given the right to appeal. Initially they were unable to see the evidence on which they were condemned. When it finally became available, most had been deported or were living in Britain (in penury because they felt they could not go home until they had cleared their name), barred from renting accommodation, working, studying or access to health services.  They were also faced with the barrier of legal fees often amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.

All this is unjust and shocking. It is also unBritish. In the words of Raja Noman Hussain (Nomi), one of the students whose life has been wrecked by this protracted denial of justice: “I have never expected such treatment and injustice from the United Kingdom. We were treated like criminals without even giving us a chance to prove our innocence.”

“Basic British rules of justice were almost entirely overlooked,” was the judgement of Stephen Timms, a Labour MP, who, like Migrant Voice, was quick to see that the government’s obfuscation – probably influenced by its own ‘hostile environment’ policy towards migrants – obscured an egregious wrong.

Mr Timms asked an urgent question in the House of Commons in response to the Newsnight programme. Ten MPs spoke out about the issue and shared our calls for justice and our demands to implement a simple, clear process for the students to get justice.  

The campaign by the students and by Migrant Voice has already achieved much. Through demonstrations and helping and encouraging media coverage, we have put the campaign in the public eye, taken it into Parliament, seen the establishment of an All Party Parliamentary group, involved lawyers, contributed to high-level official investigations and reports.

But there is a toll on the individual students. The pressures have led to emotional stress, relationship breakdowns (how can we ever forget the student who told us that his father could not believe Britain could have behaved dishonourably so it was up to the son to stay until he had cleared his name) and mental illness.

For all these reasons, the Newsnight programme must be a turning point. The Government must grasp its legal and moral obligations, and its sense of equity, and establish a fair, low-cost way out of this miserable morass.

"A BBC investigation has raised fresh doubts about the evidence used to throw thousands of people out of the UK for allegedly cheating in an English language test.

Whistleblower testimony and official documents obtained by Newsnight reveal the Home Office has continued to try to remove people based on the claims of the international testing organisation ETS - despite knowing of serious concerns about its conduct and flaws in its data.” – BBC website, 9 February 2022

We reacted with shock, disbelief and indignation when a group of overseas students visited our office in 2017 to tell us that the Home Office had accused them and thousands of others of cheating in an English language test and revoked their visas with immediate effect.

The controversy originated with a BBC TV Panorama programme in 2014 that had revealed cases of cheating in an exam at two outsourced London test centres by a small number of international students. The Home Office reacted by issuing a blanket accusation against 56,000 students without presenting the evidence against them and without giving them the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegation. 

Many of the affected students returned home – even though they knew they were innocent –- because, overnight, their presence in the country was declared illegal: they had no chance to contest the allegation, their universities ejected them from their courses, they were not allowed to work or rent accommodation in Britain, they were penniless and in debt. Some were detained, more than 2,400 were deported. Others returned home in disgrace with the fraud allegation hanging over them, which meant their future study, work and travel was affected.  

At a stroke, tens of thousands of young lives were destroyed. Families were broken.

Those who stayed to fight the accusation – in some cases because their parents told them not to return until they had cleared the family name – lived with friends, or got help from churches and mosques. Sometimes they slept on park benches or in the backrooms of sympathetic shopkeepers.

The government washed its hands of them.  Evidence needed by the students to contest their cases was extremely difficult to obtain. The media and politicians didn’t want to know. Fighting their cases in courts took years and was available only to those who could afford fees amounting to thousands of pounds. Overall, the students came up against an impenetrable wall of disbelief: ‘Injustice on this scale couldn’t happen in Britain’/ ‘No smoke without fire’/ ‘If you’re innocent, go to court’.

And anyway, who cares about foreign students?

Feeling they were getting nowhere with their struggle for justice, a handful of desperate students asked Migrant Voice for help.

The more we listened to their stories, the more convinced we became that an egregious miscarriage of justice had occurred.

We told them we were not an organisation offering legal advice but we could help them organise a campaign. Since then the #MyFutureBack campaign has organised demonstrations in Parliament Square, scores of newspaper and magazine articles, meetings in the Palace of Westminster, questions in Parliament, provoked and contributed to reports by the National Audit Office, the Public Accounts Committee, and an All-Party Parliamentary Group. One Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, admitted that the Government has a “duty” to do more to help those students who were innocent, but was subsequently reshuffled.

It was back to square one.

Nevertheless, the students persevered, though by this time stress was taking its toll and several developed mental illnesses.  Migrant Voice has continued with the campaign. 

This week marks eight years of this injustice. Eight years is shamefully long for the government to continue ignoring its responsibility for creating and refusing to right this wrong. The BBC investigation provides a welcome boost to the campaign. The Government must listen. We call on it to act now to put an end to this injustice and give the students their future back.

The BBC investigation provides a welcome boost to the campaign.

Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice denied is unforgivable.

+ #MyFutureBack campaign information

+ New evidence boosts students' campaign for justice 

A BBC investigation aired on news bulletins and on Newsnight today turns a spotlight back onto one of the most scarring miscarriages of justice in modern British history.

A report on the BBC website says its investigation ”has raised fresh doubts about the evidence used to throw thousands of people out of the UK for allegedly cheating in an English language test”.

It says its findings are based on “whistleblower testimony and official documents obtained by Newsnight that reveal the Home Office has continued to try to remove people based on the claims of the international testing organisation ETS - despite knowing of serious concerns about its conduct and flaws in its data.”

Migrant Voice has been campaigning for years with some of the students who decided to stay in the UK – despite being barred from working, studying, renting accommodation or accessing health services. Many became destitute and suffered severe mental health problems.

Welcoming BBC coverage “of this egregious injustice”, Migrant Voice Director Nazek Ramadan said: “Though some students have managed to stay in the country, trying desperately to fight the issue in the courts, this has proved an insufficient remedy.  It is available only to those very few affected students able to endure living with no rights and legal status for many years while trying to raise tens of thousands of pounds to fight complicated legal battles. 

“Even when the students win, they find that they cannot get their place at university back, nor all the money they spent on fees and lawyers, but they have lost what should have been the best years of their lives”. 

She said eight years is a shamefully long time for the government to continue ignoring its responsibility for creating this injustice and refusing to right the wrong, and added: “It must put an end to this injustice and create a simple, clear process to enable the students to clear their names and get their futures back.

“I hope the programme will reinforce the MyFutureBack campaign and perhaps be a turning point.”

February 2022

Migrant Voice’s #MyFutureBack campaign has helped many international students clear their names from Home Office accusations of cheating in an English-language test.

The students have been fighting for justice for eight years and Migrant Voice has campaigned with a group of them since 2017. 

The issue/Background

In 2014 a BBC Panorama programme revealed cheating on an English language test known as TOEIC at two London test centres by some international students. The UK government placed Educational Testing Service (ETS), the company that ran the test at 96 test centres, under criminal investigation, while also asking the company to investigate the allegation.

As a result of the investigation by ETS, the Home Office suddenly terminated the visas of over 34,000 overseas students, making their presence here illegal overnight. A further 22,000 were told that their test results were “questionable”. More than 2,400 students have been deported.  

Stripped of their right to work, study, rent a house or access healthcare, many became destitute and suffered severe mental health problems. 

Most had no right of appeal in the UK so no way to defend themselves. But those who were able to do so have been fighting expensive, uphill legal battles in a desperate bid to clear their names. 

The court cases have shown that the evidence the Home Office relied on to make the accusations is largely absent – and where it does exist it’s deeply flawed. Students have been accused of cheating in one test centre, though they have proof that they sat the test in another. Others were accused having never sat the test at all.

Many students have now won their cases, but too many others are still in limbo.

Those who have returned home are unable to get good jobs or a place on another course, or a visa to travel due to the mark of “fraud” against their name. Many have been disowned by their families, who simply can’t believe the UK government would treat an innocent person this way.

Migrant Voice has been working with a group of students since 2017. During this time we have worked with them to lobby MPs, initiate newspaper and TV coverage, and hold public demonstrations. We have been working to achieve a political solution that can free the students from labyrinthine, expensive legal processes. 

Our #MyFutureBack campaign has led to huge progress. The campaign has pushed the issue onto the Home Office agenda, contributed significantly to shifting the Government’s position on the issue, influenced countless legal cases in favour of the innocent students, and made millions of people in the UK aware of this injustice through substantial media coverage. Through the campaign we have shown the injustice of this blanket criminalisation and the government’s mishandling of this issue. 

Our campaign asks:

• Simpler process for appeals - introduce a simple, free, and publicly available mechanism for students to apply for a decision on their case or reconsideration;

• The immigration record of every student who is cleared of cheating must be wiped clean; and universities, employment checking services, and others informed.

• Facilitate students’ return to study, or support those on work or entrepreneur visas to find new jobs or restart their businesses - by removing barriers created by the allegation 

Some key campaign moments:

• Acted as the secretariat to the  All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on TOEIC. We played an instrumental role in producing a report that, as acknowledged by the former Home Secretary, has had a direct impact on the Home Office’s understanding of the TOEIC scandal and possible resolutions. The report has been used in many successful appeals by the students.

• Raising the profile of the issue has led to investigations by the National Audit Office (NAO) into the mishandling of the TOEIC scandal, and subsequently the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).  We worked to get 70+ students to submit their own evidence to the latter. The Public Accounts Committee report accused the Government of “shameful” action in not providing a means for innocent students to clear their names. 

• Launched the film ‘Inquisition’ (produced for us by award-winning filmmaker Tim Langford) in parliament. The launch was attended by over 100 people including legal and education experts, NGOs and journalists, and 10 MPs.

• Received substantial press coverage across all forms of media, including an in-depth series of articles in The Guardian, an appearance on BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show, a slot on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, and on one day having our quotes appear on over 40 media platforms, including national, local and international newspapers and radio and TV stations.

• The campaign led to the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid shifting his Department’s position on the matter (after five years of resistance), and issuing new guidance for particular circumstances, creating the mechanism for a genuine solution.

• Supported two students to attend a meeting with the then Immigration Minister Seema Kennedy and Stephen Timms MP, the first time any affected students were able to speak directly with a government minister on this issue. 

• Indirectly influenced countless tribunal hearings, where the NAO, APPG and PAC reports are now regularly submitted as evidence by students’ lawyers and where our campaign and media coverage are also frequently brought as evidence – leading to dozens of judges now ruling in favour of the students. Several of these students have gone on to receive Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.

• Helped to heal broken relationships between the students and their families back home, many of whom found it hard to believe that the British Government could be guilty of such a travesty of justice. Students have told us that the campaign has helped those families to see that their children did nothing wrong and are instead the victims of a huge injustice. “I got my mum’s trust back because of this campaign,” one student said. “Because the campaign exists, she now believes that this was really happening to me and I wasn’t lying to her.”

• Contributed to a significant and positive shift in Home Office policy regarding the amount of leave given to students winning their appeals. When students first started winning their cases they were given a 60-day period in which to apply for a visa - not enough time to find a new University sponsor. The Home Office has now agreed to change its policy and no longer issue anything less than 2.5 years Leave to Remain to students who win their appeals, following a case by Bindmans law firm. 

• A letter signed by over 200 of the students was delivered to the Prime Minister and received widespread media coverage (in over 100 local, national and international media). The letter called for a transparent free scheme to be established independent of the Home Office, and for guidance to be issued to all higher education institutions on how to treat TOEIC students. Our letter received a response from the Minister for Future Borders and immigration, Kevin Foster MP, that confirmed that the issue was still being monitored by the Home Office. 

• We collaborated with Bindmans to launch the ‘TOEIC Justice project’ which will support students to make a joint compensation claim through Bindmans 

• We have taken the step to intervene in a TOEIC case (RK & DK vs SSHD).The Home Office aimed to use the case to have the 2019 APPG report ruled legally inadmissible to stop it being used in this case and in future cases. While the court ruling has yet to be made,  a provisional ruling states that the transcript from the APPG will continue to be admissible in court so the students can continue to use it to help win their cases.

We continue to support the students so they are better informed about the legal processes and opportunities by hosting advice sessions with leading barristers working on TOEIC cases. 

Together with the steering group we continue to evolve the campaign and undertaken ongoing training of students in making their voices heard on this issue.
 

We are deeply concerned about Clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders Bill (the Bill) which would turn millions of us in this country into second-class citizens.

Clause 9 of the Bill currently going through parliament would enable the Secretary of State to deprive a person of their British citizenship without notice.

This clause generates fear. It makes hundreds of thousands of British people feel unsafe. It betrays millions of us. It devalues the British passport. It is racist, because those most affected, and most likely to be affected in the future, by possible withdrawal of citizenship – which the Bill reinforces – have been Muslim or Black.

Our sense of safety, security and belonging has been shaken by the prospect of the Bill with Clause 9 becoming law. There are millions of us in this country who became British citizens by way of naturalisation or have ancestral links to a country outside the UK.

The Clause would also affect the ability of a person to appeal the decision taken against them. It is unconstitutional and should be removed from the Bill. It breaches the common law, international legal standards, and human rights law.

The Home Secretary can give assurances that the withdrawal of citizenship will be used only in “exceptional circumstances”. But who decides which circumstances are exceptional?

And no Government promise today can bind a government tomorrow, perhaps operating in even more hostile, xenophobic times.

That is why we, together with an alliance representing organisations and communities across the UK from all backgrounds, religions and political affiliations, have written to the Prime Minister.

However, we want to go further than removing Clause 9 as the problem goes deeper than the issue of lack of notice. The powers of deprivation of British citizenship should be scrapped altogether, because of their discriminatory nature and incompatibility with democratic values.

The existing powers to deprive an individual of their citizenship, contained in section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981, and later amendments, are constructed in ways that greatly and disproportionately affect Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic citizens, who are far more likely to be dual nationals or be eligible for another nationality, and groups that are already marginalised.

We believe that citizenship is a right, not a privilege, and should not be subject to arbitrary deprivation. We are concerned about the increasing use and expansion of deprivation powers over the years and through changing governments. 

The UK Government currently has greater powers to deprive individuals of their citizenship than any other G20 country. Since 2011, the power to deprive citizenship has been used to strip at least 441 people of their citizenship, with 104 cases in 2017 alone.

The power to strip people of their British citizenship is a draconian measure with a disproportionate impact that is an affront to justice and to any sense of citizenship as a unifying status of all who possess it.

As a result of this ill-considered, discriminatory measure families all over the country are suddenly thinking about the security of their futures: our commitment to this country is not the issue: the issue is the Government’s commitment to us, we who have proudly committed ourselves to this country.

Photo: By Chris Fleming CC BY-SA 2.0

TUESDAY 18 JANUARY, 2022

Migrant voice member and ambassador Loraine Mponela recently spoke out at a #KilltheBill protest in Coventry on Saturday (15 January). Loraine is also chair of CARAG, a migrant-led community organisation.

The government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is currently going through parliament. In the latest development, peers in the House of Lords voted against several measures in the Bill, a win for human rights groups which have criticised the proposals for curbing people’s right to peaceful protest. 

You can watch Loraine’s full speech on YouTube by clicking here

You can read excerpts from Loraine’s speech below:

I am Loraine from CARAG. CARAG is a collective of people seeking asylum, refugees, undocumented migrants and the wider migrants community based in Coventry and surrounding places.

All human progress has been achieved by protest.

From votes to housing, to education to science.

All change faces a barrier from the existing order.

That's why we protest.

It is not an option, it is a duty.

We have a world on fire with a global catastrophe looming. We have a government that wants to drown refugees. The very refugees they created.

Criminalising protest is already a reality for us, as our existence is resistance. Our refusal to ‘go back’ costs us imprisonment and we are sent into detention centres.

One of my friends has to sleep rough rather than sleep in a house, why? Because the space that he has in that house is so small that he has to fold his legs throughout the night. By morning he cannot walk.

Does that remind us of something? For me it reminds me of my ancestors under the deck in slave ships.

We ended slavery by protest. We will end the hostile environment by protest.

In this country we have two types of people:

The people who defy the hostile environment, either the migrants who refuse to play their racist games and the people who show us their solidarity with us, protesting and providing practical support.

Then we have the second group which is the government who are the government attempting to introduce this Bill.

There are way more of us. We are powerful and united.

But they are also better organised and so we are fighting an uphill battle.

But we have won in the past and we can win. The very fact that I'm here speaking is an act of defiance.

The hostile system needs to change. It needs to be built on dignity and not hate.

Quoting the words of Zora [Neale] Hurston, she said: "If you are silent about your pain they will kill you and say you enjoyed it."

Here's the news, we are not going to be silent. We will kill the Bill. And we will enjoy doing it. Solidarity.

THURSDAY 23 DECEMBER, 2021

End of year message from Migrant Voice director Nazek Ramadan

What a year! Globally, there were political upheavals from Afghanistan to Myanmar, from Yemen to Ethiopia, and “silent” crises in regions such as the Sahel — all forcing millions of people to flee for their lives. Nationally, there were drownings in the Channel, massive changes in Britain’s migrant population as the impacts of Brexit began to be fully felt, and continuing ramifications of the inhumane, unjust and often unlawful “hostile environment”, not least in the new Nationality and Borders Bill.

And then there was Covid-19.

In a year when Migrant Voice was repeatedly required to give attention to a series of migration controversies, we managed to maintain and even expand our activities, with staff and members working from home, often in difficult, isolated conditions.

The Covid spirit was captured in our Cup‘a’Tea online get-togethers. These meetings transmuted the world of NGO jargon — projects, deliverables, objectives, evaluation — into flesh and blood: people connecting, supporting each other, checking that everyone was ok, showing that no-one was alone. Creating community.

Resilience was the name of the game in the Building Resilience partnership, which provided more than 500 migrants with limited or insecure immigration status with a safe space in which to meet and connect, to share their fears and concerns and know they were not alone.

Community and caring featured in two activities that were completed in 2021: Volunteering for Change in Scotland, which built confidence and skills and provided work experience; and MiFriendly Cities, in which we worked with three local authorities in the West Midlands, a university, non-government organisations and private companies, in order to create a model in the UK and in Europe in which migrants can prosper, alongside the whole community.

Even the campaigns we led for individuals fighting for their rights in Birmingham and other places addressed wider systemic issues and mobilised hundreds of thousands of people, turning individual stories into communities’ collective demands for change.

The benefits of close cooperation with fellow organisations was further demonstrated by our work formulating and delivering policy recommendations to Government and in bringing together European organisations to agree a letter to European governments and international institutions on policies towards Afghans fleeing after the Taliban takeover.

This is not intended to be a catalogue of all Migrant Voice’s work during an extraordinary year: the aim is simply to give a flavour. But specific achievements included helping to pressure the Government to remove the health surcharge imposed on migrant health workers; publication of an impressive glossy magazine, Beyond; and the acceleration of our campaign against extortionate visa fees (on which we hope to publish a report next year. And a ray of light in a dark and difficult year came with successes in the My Future Back campaign: the relief and triumph of starting to see many students wrongly accused of cheating in English-language exams for UK universities finally winning cases, proving their innocence and rebuilding their lives.

In the midst of responding to unexpected events, running campaigns, formulating policy, lobbying for change, organising mutual support, raising funds, administering our three regional offices and a score of other activities, we continued to work with the print and electronic media, with reporters and, increasingly and crucially, with editors. Our Media Labs and other training projects enabled members to pitch stories and be interviewed about their experiences and views. Our aim is not just to read, see and hear more migrant voices in the media, but to influence newspaper, magazine, TV and radio attitudes to migrants and migration.

Organisationally, important developments included becoming a registered charity in Scotland, which opens the door to a plethora of new activities, and embarking on a review of two key NGO requirements. These are a theory of change, which sets out how what we do will bring about the social change we want to see, and a review of our strategies.

We are not complacent. We wish we could have done more with our limited resources. We know that next year even more needs to be done.

Below, we explore the highlights of our work in the West Midlands in the past year

“You have brought me to tears. We have won already. The way I see it, he has fought the fight because he had the best fighting for him. They have been called out … because of his situation, because of you. He will always be remembered as the one who got the public talking, whether they supported him or not. The fact of the matter is immigration behaves like an undiagnosed Cancer, now they are being exposed, the right treatment can be administered. They have been getting way with inhumane treatment of others for too long. Now the world knows the truth. And that's all done to you. We have won, just need a stamp in his passport for him to live his life in peace.”

That's a quote from a supporter of Migrant Voice’s Lewin Williams must stay campaign. Lewin is an elderly Jamaican man with cancer who was refused stay in the UK and is fighting to stay here. 

One of the highlights this year has been our work leading on high-profile campaigns involving our members, where one of those we supported has recently obtained his status.

“I submitted all of the campaign stuff and it was granted very quickly,” said Aliya Khan of Hope projects

These ‘individual’ campaigns address wider systemic issues, turning individual stories into communities’ collective demands for change.

The numbers:

• Three change.org petitions set up for our members
• Video views: 1.3 million
• 59,000 shares on social media
• 178,000 signatures

Gurmit Kaur is an elderly Sikh woman who had been refused leave in the UK and whose new application to stay in the UK was refused recently. She has strong support from her local community and the wider public. It was heartening to find out at one of the biggest Sikh festivals in the UK a lot of people knew about the Gurmit Kaur campaign

Throughout the year, we have supported a large number of our members to successfully get their stories out in the media, both local and national, for example, with The Mirror covering Lewin’s campaign. Recently, we worked with another member to get their story out. After the story was published, the Home Office granted entry clearance within 48 hours to our member who had been waiting months.

Earlier this year, we were approached by Stop Asian Hate UK, who wanted to organise an event in the Midlands. We assisted in this, including with press coverage, videos, co-ordinating speakers at their awareness raising rally, which local councillors also attended.

We have also been working with one of the biggest galleries outside of London, the IKON gallery in Birmingham, helping set up a photography exhibition with the world famous Vanley Burke to be showcased in the new year.

Throughout the year, we have organised virtual network meetings to facilitate our members’ speaking out on issues like visa fees and the ten-year route to settlement, and having a say on new government proposals such as the new Nationality and Borders Bill.

We responded to the crisis in Afghanistan and brought people together from across the UK, including many Afghan individuals and organisations. With the help of legal professionals we drafted an email to MPs as there was - and still is - little or no guidance about Afghan nationals getting their family members to the UK.

Fun activities were also organised to develop people’s skills in speaking out such as drama workshops.

Many of our members took centre stage and spoke publicly, such as at the Birmingham COP26 rally in front of a 2,000 strong crowd. And the response was great. “So powerful amid all the injustice, I’m inspired by your urging that we can win if we work together,” said one person present.

To celebrate Black History Month, a group or participants from our Media Lab in the West Midlands created a new version of their own magazine, Beyond, both in electronic and hard copies.

Penning the opening message in the magazine, co-editor Althia wrote: "Some of us, like myself, had no previous media experience and struggled with even the most basic technology, yet here I am writing a welcome message in an online magazine!”

This year we have all been working in difficult circumstances - the Borders Bill, the wholesale changes to the Human Rights Act, not to mention the impact of Covid-19.

The lessons learnt have been that speaking out is in your best interest, staying silent is not. We have won people’s right to stay and opened up an alternative narrative against the hostile environment.

“So glad things are changing; they may not be big changes, but I believe we can make some big ones soon,” said a member speaking at our Zoom event challenging unfair immigration rules.

Migrant Voice marked this year’s International Migrants Day with a panel discussion, ‘Raising our game? Challenges and opportunities for migrants to speak out in the media’ on 14 December 2021.

With an expert panel made up of Migrant Voice Ambassadors and a group of journalists with a track record of bringing migrant voices at the centre of their reporting, our members had a robust and, at times, challenging discussion on migrants’ engagement with the media to this date and where to go from here.

The journalists on the panel were unanimous in their commitment to enabling migrants’ real voices to be heard and giving much-needed visibility to people who have been failed by the system. Fiona Walker, former Reporter at BBC Scotland said, "People need to have a voice, they need to speak for themselves", and this determination was echoed by all the journalists on the panel.

There is, at the same time, undeniable weariness among some migrants when the idea of speaking to the media is mooted. Mariko Hayashi, Migrant Voice Ambassador, pointed out that "The angle of stories (in which our voice is used) is very important for us, especially when we are advocating for our rights as migrants."

Mariko explained that often we have little control over the way our voice is framed in the final piece. There is also a perception that some journalists have already decided how to frame their piece even before contacting migrants for their input: they are simply looking for case studies of or quotes from migrants which will give their framing legitimacy, instead of co-producing the narrative with migrants as equal partners.

Simon Israel, former Senior Home Affairs Correspondent at Channel4 News, also observed this tension. He has recently taken up the role of Media Advisor at Migrant Voice, and through his interaction with our members, he noticed that "there is an awful lot of talent that surrounds Migrant Voice in terms of people and the stories they have.” but he added, "There is also an overriding concern of safety, security and individuals’ own welfare. Part of my role is to try and bridge that concern."

Simon and other journalists reiterated throughout that they write so that the migrants whose stories are featured get positive outcomes in their lives. At the same time, we heard that the journalists also need to fight, sometimes very hard, for the type of stories they want to write to be commissioned by their editors.

The discussion also revealed the inevitable tension that exists between journalists’ need to adhere to professional standards and deal with increasing pressure to meet tighter deadlines, and migrants’ desire to tell their side of the story to further their cause.

Robert Wright, Social Policy Correspondent for the Financial Times explained why, in his role as a journalist, he "needs to ask people difficult questions" to migrants when speaking to them, for example, to establish accuracy of the information offered and really understand what has happened. He said, "We want to help migrants," but added that his "primary responsibility is to readers." He needs to engage with how they view the world - their paradigm - which might not align with that of migrants’ or migration NGOs.

A key discussion was around the importance of a human angle to a story. While anonymity might offer more reliable protection, some of the journalists present explained that their request for migrants' personal details is driven by their motivation to humanise people, that having photos and names help to demonstrate that migrants are real people. In one panellist’s words: "For a story to hit home, it needs to have an emotional impact." From some migrants’ point of view, however, there is a question mark over where humanising ends and commodification of migrant ‘case studies’ starts. Where ‘case studies’ are simply portrayed as sensational, individualised, stories which fail to address the structural causes of systemic exploitation, scapegoating and violence against migrants. The big question is how do we tell stories that address the needed structural changes?

A question that prompted a particularly lively exchange was ‘What makes a story?’ Sometimes migrants are left feeling that the issues that matter greatly to them are not picked up by the media early enough, and that by the time it finally hits the news, it has already caused untold damage to our communities. Fluidity and the unpredictability of news cycles was highlighted as one of the factors in this. Another big factor was whether from the editors’ (and not the journalists’) point of view, these stories matter to their readers and are worth commissioning.

Finally, an additional factor could be whether a shared, compelling narrative - of what is happening, why and what is its impact - already exists among the migrants themselves and is ready to be told. 

Looking ahead, Anisah Vasta, a journalist at Birmingham Live highlighted the vital importance of local media that is embedded in a local context and whose stories have the potential to go national. As an example of community reporting, Anisha shared her work covering Migrant Voice member Lewin Williams' campaign which has so far gathered over 78,000 signatures of support. Lewin is battling cancer and will not be able to afford treatment if deported. Anisha said “He is up against a system that is set up to play against him." This story was later picked up by The Voice and The Mirror, among others. Anisah also reminded everyone of the importance of having a diversity of stories covering migrants and migration. She said, "A migrant having a success story is just as interesting as someone going through hardship."

Miro Cuba, a Migrant Voice Ambassador based in Glasgow, pointed out that the media’s attention to the fate of EU citizens has waned since Brexit, but they continue to face many challenges. Miro highlighted some of the concerns, including that a situation “like the Windrush scandal, that can also happen to the EU settlement scheme, so out of the blue we can lose our Indefinite Leave to Remain and work permit in the UK.”

Miro suggested that more stories were needed on the issues faced by EU nationals but fundamentally, he said, we need more stories about the common ground. “We should be fighting for workers’ rights from any country…Find commonalities between different migrants and also between migrants and non-migrants. Because at the end of the day the issues we’re fighting here are shared rights. It’s working rights that’s the problem, not just for migrants, it’s a problem of government policies. So I see this kind of angle [as] potential ground for getting better public opinion about migration when they see that they actually share something with the migrants.”

Cryton Chikoko, Migrant Voice Ambassador, who has recently joined the MV staff team in Glasgow, said that he absolutely thinks it’s worth speaking to the media. “Your voice, our voice is important, and must be heard…The media gives us opportunities not only to showcase who we are as migrants but also to have a go at oppressive laws.  I strongly believe that our voices as migrants have the power to bring change.”

Cryton said that it is a good thing about the UK that you can speak up and explained that he recently supported a former care home manager to tell her story in the media. Afterwards she felt so relieved for having spoken out, even though her circumstances didn’t change.  Cryton ended by saying “I believe we all have stories to tell. There are many people here and at Migrant Voice who can support us telling our stories. An asylum seeker whom I spoke to last week said: ‘He who feels it, knows it best.’ So, we need to tell our stories.”

Migrant Voice is marking this year’s International Migrants Day with a panel discussion, “Raising our game? Challenges and opportunities for migrants to speak out in the media”. The event will take place on 14 December from 5pm to 7pm on Zoom. All are welcome, especially Migrant Voice members, supporters, our friends in the media and sector colleagues.

This is a topic that is very close to our hearts. Over the last 12 years, Migrant Voice has dedicated itself to challenging the toxic debate on migrants and migration by bringing real voices of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers into the media. We are proud to have facilitated, brokered and created hundreds of stories that centre our members’ experiences in the newspapers, TV and radio and on social media. 

The pandemic has left many migrants fighting for our survival and in a protracted state of limbo and precarity. The world is now in a state of flux, pulled in opposite directions by those who insist on the “return to the normal” and those who desire a significantly different world under the banner of “build back better”. In this post-Brexit reality, how can migrant voices better influence the media’s approaches and narrative about migrants and migration? What are the opportunities and barriers?

The panellists include: 

• Anisah Vasta, community journalist at Birmingham Live 
• Fiona Walker, former reporter at BBC Scotland  
• Robert Wright, social policy correspondent at The Financial Times 

Migrant Voice Ambassadors from London, Birmingham and Glasgow will also be sharing their experience of working with the media. 

If you would like to attend, please email eiri@migrantvoice.org to confirm attendance, by sending your name and the name of your organisation (if any) and we will send you a Zoom link.

We look forward to welcoming you to our event.

THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER, 2021

“Shocking”, one of our members said. “I can't believe it's happened. I still have hope that this will be reversed. The system is already too hostile as it is.”

The Government’s controversial Nationality and Borders Bill was voted through the House of Commons 298 to 231 on 8th December.

Another member said: “This is an extremely dangerous power-grabbing Bill, that would make people think that they do not actually belong to this country. This Bill will cause immense human suffering to some of the most vulnerable people in our society who passionately loves this country. The sooner this Bill is scrapped, the better.”

The Bill would give the government powers to turn migrants away from the UK while at sea. It would also make it a criminal offence to knowingly arriving in the UK without permission – an action that makes a mockery of the internationally agreed concept of asylum.

It would allow for the government to strip citizenship without warning from people born outside of the UK. According to one report, "two in every five people from non-white ethnic minorities (41%) are likely to be eligible for deprivation of citizenship".

The Bill was doomed from the outset by a repeat of the Windrush failure, which involved inadequate consultation with people who have real experience of migration and asylum.

That failure was compounded by a decision to pander to the headlines instead of thinking through the more complex task of seriously making, in the Home Office’s own words, “the most significant overhaul of our asylum system in over two decades”.

So much is wrong with this legislation, and almost all the faults stem from a mind-set that emphasises detention, criminalisation, penalisation over humanity and rights.

The Bill now progresses to the House of Lord. The chamber has a historic opportunity to fulfil its role and make the government see why this Bill should be scrapped.

For all of us migrants and organisations working for change what matters now is how we go forward. The only way we can resist this extension of the Hostile Environment, is through continuing to build solidarity. Build on the moments where humans stand up for other humans.

We need to continue organising ourselves to speak out against this Bill and others that may follow them. Ensure we are heard on legislation that affects us directly. We need to continue to show this government that this Bill is not safe and that they do not act for us.

Fundamentally we need  to restore the idea that all human life is intrinsically valuable, yours and mine, so we value saving people, not pushing them back.

Such a great event with @MigrantVoiceUK in Glasgow, hearing about thought-provoking and heart breaking stories from Migrant stories living in Scotland. @ESAScotland https://t.co/SLfGzfibfQ

— ???? (@__xteynteyn) November 23, 2021

Filipino healthcare workers compelled to work covid wards  

The effect of Brexit on EU citizens

Asylum seekers isolated, harassed and attacked

The East and Southeast Asians and the Vietnamese community

Migrants’ rights in Scotland

Other speakers and socials 

Glasgow Migrant Hub and other activities in Glasgow 

Migrant Voice members attended a rally in support of refugees on Saturday (27 November), following the recent tragedy in the Channel which claimed the lives of at least 27 people as they attempted to reach the UK.

Hundreds gathered in Birmingham city centre expressing their support for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution and war. They called for safe and legal routes, and for the UK government to welcome people seeking asylum

Children carried handmade signs. "We are all human beings," read one placard. The rally was co-organised by Stand Up To Racism Birmingham.

Hope Ryan, a young activist from Birmingham, told us that the UK government must introduce safe and legal routes to prevent further deaths.

“Words can’t describe how frightening the places they must’ve come to ever get on that dinghy, and what we have to make absolutely clear is the reasons why ordinary people, like you and me, have to get on those boats and put themselves at risk is not because of the smugglers," said Ryan.

“The smugglers are growing because the Tory government and other governments, the French government and so on, are not giving refugees their international human rights to claim asylum.”

Migrant Voice members attended a rally in support of refugees on Saturday (27 November), following the recent tragedy in the Channel which claimed the lives of at least 27 people as they attempted to reach the UK.

Hundreds gathered in Birmingham city centre expressing their support for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution and war. They called for safe and legal routes, and for the UK government to welcome people seeking asylum

Children carried handmade signs. "We are all human beings," read one placard. The rally was co-organised by Stand Up To Racism Birmingham.

Hope Ryan, a young activist from Birmingham, told us that the UK government must introduce safe and legal routes to prevent further deaths.

“Words can’t describe how frightening the places they must’ve come to ever get on that dinghy, and what we have to make absolutely clear is the reasons why ordinary people, like you and me, have to get on those boats and put themselves at risk is not because of the smugglers," said Ryan.

“The smugglers are growing because the Tory government and other governments, the French government and so on, are not giving refugees their international human rights to claim asylum.”

It's about time we talked about people. These are human beings.

We are sad and heartbroken about the deaths in the Channel. But above all we are angry.

Angry because the deaths were unnecessary and avoidable: they are the latest dreadful tragedy in a chain of events that stem from politicians’ preference for posturing over practical policy and humanity.

Angry because all the focus of the government is on securitisation, militarisation, violence, fences, walls, barbed wire and very little focus on the people at the centre of this.

The government(s) should stop denying that they are directly responsible for ensuring there is no alternative route. Their policies are pushing people onto the boats.

We are angry, above all, because wherever the blame is put - on smugglers, the French, “the immigration industry” - the focus of this uproar is entirely misplaced. The focus should be on people: the men, women and children like us in every respect, except right now their lives are in danger and they are seeking sanctuary.

A man from Yemen (where 80 per cent of the population is in need of protection and aid, and where British weapons are in action every day) told Migrant Voice Executive Director Nazek Ramadan that he stepped into a Channel dinghy three times and three times clambered out. He was terrified. But he summoned up every last ounce of will and boarded again.

People are desperate. Our shared humanity says we must help.

We need to place fellow humans at the top of our priorities.

Put humanity in place of hostility.

Welcome people needing help.

Uphold our international obligations rather than proposing legislation (the proposed Borders Bill) that undermines international law.

Provide safe routes to sanctuary. It's the government's responsibility.

At present asylum-seekers need to be in the UK to make their claim for safety. So they cross the Channel. Government talks about safe routes but settlement schemes exist mostly on paper. Even the resettlement scheme for Afghans (for whom we have a special historical and political responsibility) has still not opened. 

“Are you mad?”, Nazek Ramadan asked a mother about to risk her life and that of her baby by trying to climb a high fence on her way to Britain. “I have no other option,” the woman replied. “My husband is in UK, and I’ve been in a refugee camp for a long time. I can’t survive without him. I need to join him.”

Image credit: James Loesch/Flickr, resized and licensed for use under CC BY-SA 2.0  

THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER, 2021

Migrant Voice has submitted to a call for evidence by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on the Home Office’s processing of applications for indefinite leave to remain in the UK as a partner of a person or parent of a child already settled in the UK.

Over the past few years, we have had an increasing number of migrants sharing with us their experiences of struggling with the effect of paying high visa fees for an extended period of time. Migrants on the ten-year route to settlement are particularly struggling and they see the process as unjust and unfair, creating unnecessary stress and hardship and setting them up to fail. 

We need a drastic reduction of visa fees, more in line with the actual admin cost, so they are more affordable. We also need a reduction of the ten-year route to settlement to five years as the length of time of uncertainty, paying high fees every 2.5 years and being in limbo cause unnecessary hardship for those who will eventually settle permanently in the UK, and adds cost to the Local Authority and the government

You can read our full submission by clicking here

Miep Gies secretly provided food for Anne Frank and her family while they were hiding from the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands during World War Two.

Defending Jews during Germany’s antisemitic purge was unpopular and risky, yet she decided to help hide the Franks and others from 6 July 1942 to 4 August 1944.

What she would have said or done during the current crisis at the Polish-Belarus border is a matter for speculation, but when you read a quote from her about why she hid Anne Frank you get the feeling she would be much in favour of assisting refugees today:

“We did our duty as human beings: helping people in need.”

Fast forward to today and her words reflects the words of Kamil Syller, a Polish lawyer who has started a movement to welcome the thousands of people, mainly from Iraq and Syria, who are trying to get past the barbed wire on the border:

"We must remain human." 

Polish soldiers and police are blocking their entry with water cannons and teargas, leaving them unsupported in freezing temperatures.

Syller is appealing to locals living near the border to light a green lamp to signal that they will provide migrants with food and shelter. It’s working. Within a week, more than 1,700 Facebook followers  https://www.facebook.com/matkinagranice/ have backed the movement, offering food and support despite the general hostility to the people on the move.

This hostile environment is not exclusive to that border and this moment in time. We see it here in the UK: when the government talks in negative terms about refugees and asylum seekers, social media news feeds are full of hate and lack basic humanity.

However, like the Green Light movement in Poland, many individuals and organisations in UK are creating an alternative narrative and community in both a political and practical way.

They include organisations like NACCOM, a national network of over 140 frontline organisations and charities across the UK that are working together to end destitution amongst people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants who aren’t able to access to public funds because of their immigration status. https://naccom.org.uk/

"#iamhere UK", a Facebook group with over 3,000 members, publishes a daily “fire extinguisher" highlighting stories for people to jump in and comment on: https://www.facebook.com/groups/233032860478604

Thousands of other individuals and organisations have felt compelled to organise a proper welcome for refugees, as we have seen in the unprecedented support for newly arrived Afghan and other refugees.

Here’s an example:

“I have just seen a picture of a little child in Dunkirk at the moment.  I really don't know what to say. I genuinely don't know what to say.  Presumably Priti Patel and all her supporters would like to push her back on a boat. Not in my name.  I suppose actions speak louder than words - my union [National Education Union] is organising delegations of people to volunteer in Calais and Dunkirk with Care4Calais in January.  DM me if you think you may be interested.  If you want to volunteer, but January doesn't work for you, do contact Care4Calais directly.” Simon O'Hara, Facebook

About 80 years ago Miep Gies was on the side of justice and humanity and her actions have inspired new generations of people to help others and has been quoted in successful campaigns to end child detention in the UK. So let’s leave the last words to her:

“But even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room.”

THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER, 2021

Human Rights Consortium Scotland has published a new report calling for migrants’ rights to be protected under the new Scottish Human Rights Bill. 

Migrant Voice is one of the partners of Human Rights Consortium Scotland and has been working to protect migrants’ rights alongside PKAVS, Scottish Refugee Council, Forth Valley Migrant Support Network, JustRight Scotland, Amnesty Scotland, Citizens Rights Project and BEMIS.

The report contains nine key recommendations, including stating that government provisions relating to economic and social rights should be available to all regardless of immigration status. This includes benefits, further education, and homelessness support. 

The publication also calls for a wide diversity of migrant rights-holders and migrant-related civil society organisations to be directly involved in the development of the Bill and its recommendations.

Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, said: “We call on the Scottish Government to adhere to the recommendations in this new report as it develops the new Scottish Human Rights Bill.

“It is vital to ensure migrants’ rights are enshrined under this legislation, and that the protections in this Bill apply to everyone in Scotland, regardless of immigration status.”

Click here to read the report (published October 2021)

Click here to read the summary 

A five-year route to settlement would provide a faster and fairer route to settlement for tens of thousands of people living in the UK.

We welcome recent news from the Home Office that some young people brought up or born in the UK without immigration status will now be able to apply for settlement after five years instead of ten.

But there are more than 170,000 migrants in the UK whose pathway to settlement is ten-years or more. This change in rules will only benefit a small number of these individuals. We need this to be applied to everyone, so that there is no longer a ten-year route to settlement. 

Most other routes to settlement in the UK are five years. This extended period of time spent living in limbo forces migrants into years of insecurity, with many pushed into poverty.

At our November National Network Meeting attended by more than 60 people, we listened to migrants’ experiences of the ten-year route to settlement, from falling into debt to being unable to pay rent or bills.

On top of this, most visa fees have risen exponentially in the last decade, while the NHS surcharge and the extortionate cost of appointments and other associated costs add hundreds of pounds to each application.

A family of four on the 10-year route to settlement can expect to pay in excess of £50,000.

The costs to migrants aren't just financial - many families suffer mental and physical health problems, with some families sacrificing food, heating and electricity to pay for their visa fees.

“It’s stressful and challenging, thinking you have to constantly do this every two and a half years,” said one migrant at our meeting, who is a single parent supporting three children.

“It’s disturbing and alarming. The [Home Office’s] aim is to frustrate us and make sure we don’t even exist.”

Another migrant at our meeting described how she is struggling to pay the visa fees she needs to stay in the UK.

“The 10-year route has done so much damage in my life, I don’t know where to start and don’t know where to finish,” she said. “I work, pay my bills, and I’m left with nothing.”

“The financial cost is huge,” one of our members previously told us of their experience. “The social and mental toll is even higher. I have ended up with high blood pressure, heart troubles, stress and depression.”

This latest concession from the Home Office is welcome news. And it shows that change can happen. But this change needs to be extended to people of all ages.

If you want to see this change, join our Visa Fees campaign.

Read the new government guidance for the rule changes here

Migrant Voice are supporting London Challenge Poverty week. We are asking our members and supporters to email or write a letter to their MP asking them to stand up against poverty, and to put an end to the policies that have been implemented over the past years which cost migrants tens of thousands of pounds, Pushing many into poverty.

While this is a campaign week focused on London, we encourage you to write to your MP no matter where you live, you may just need to delete some of the text below that relates specifically to London.

Make sure to include your MP’s name at the top of the letter, Your name and address (or just Postcode) at the bottom of the letter – and let us know if you send an email or letter and which MP you send it to! It would be great to know if you get a response too!

You can find out who your MP is here and also how to contact them - members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

------------

Dear [Insert name of MP here]

This week is London Challenge Poverty week, and I am writing to you today to support their call to end poverty now. With over one in four people in London living below the poverty line, the campaign calls on the government to act and improve the lives of millions in London and across the country.

One group that is being forced into poverty are the many migrants subjected to immigration policies that have been implemented by the government over the past decade.

I am writing to support Migrant Voice’s call to put an end these policies. Many migrants are forced to pay huge sums for their immigration and visa – which can reach in excess £10,000 every 2.5 years for a family of 4 – resulting in them living in poor accommodation, struggling to put food on the table, and having to work 3 or more jobs just to get by.

It cannot be that in a modern society people are pushed into poverty just so they can stay in the country. The fees that migrants pay have been rising for years, and over the past decade have increased exponentially. With the introduction of the health surcharge this has increased fees even more. These policies have left migrants forced between choosing whether to put food on the table or to save this money to pay for their visas.

This hostile treatment of migrants must end, and because of this I am supporting Migrant Voice’s calls to put an end to the extortionate cost of visas in the UK. I ask you, as my MP, to back the campaign and stand up for all of those who are currently paying or have paid for these extortionate visas.

Sincerely

[Your name]

[Address]

[Postcode]

Women from the Birmingham area came together to discuss their experiences of the Commonwealth for a podcast with Birmingham Live on Tuesday morning (5 October). 

In collaboration with Migrant Voice, Saathi House invited local women from Asian communities who live in the Aston area of Birmingham to chat and enjoy food and hot drinks.

Community reporter Anisah Vasta spoke at the event, which sought to make connections with migrant women ahead of a podcast the publication is launching to mark the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. 

“We are interested in talking to people within Birmingham about what the Commonwealth means to them, and if they even talk about it in their daily lives,” said Vasta.

“We want to talk about things that branch off the Commonwealth, like the British Empire, which some people may have strong opinions about. I want to pick up on these themes, like the racism experienced by those coming into the UK during the 60s.”

“But I also want to focus on the positives; the aspects that migrants from Asian countries have brought with them to make the UK their home, such as the cuisine and fashion.” 

Vasta explained how Birmingham Live is looking for stories that have “strong themes of identity, such as finding your feet in a culture so foreign to you”, alongside  “anything that connects you to your home country, no matter how weird or mundane”.

At the coffee morning, the women shared stories about the difficulties of travelling to the UK and the hardships they have faced. The women also described how they learnt to speak English, the struggles of getting their children into education, and adapting to the cultural differences.

Vasta added that her own interest in getting involved with the podcast stemmed from her dad being a second-generation migrant. 

“If you're from a different background, if you speak a different language, that migrant experience is important to tell,” she said. 

If you are interested in getting involved with this project and sharing your story, you can contact Anisah on Twitter at @AnisahVasta.

In Autumn 2021, Ikon is partnering with Migrant Voice and the School of Education, the University of Birmingham on a project with artist Vanley Burke.

Burke will photograph ten Birmingham residents and families in their social, professional and domestic settings. He has asked each individual and group to bring “a gift to Birmingham”; something that sums up their migratory experience. Participants will share aspects of their cultural heritage from a range of countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Poland and Pakistan.

This partnership forms part of an ESRC-funded research project (the ‘NICE-B’ project) led by Dr Reza Gholami, Reader in Sociology of Education at the University of Birmingham. The project brings together non-formal educators in Birmingham with the city’s diverse communities to explore ways of breaking down inter-communal barriers through innovative education.

Vanley Burke is often described as the ‘Godfather of Black British Photography’: an artist, photographer and curator whose archive, surveying the Black British experience, is held at the Library of Birmingham. His exhibition, At Home with Vanley Burke, took place at Ikon Gallery in 2015.

Migrant Voice is a migrant-led national charity established to develop the skills, capacity and confidence of members of migrant communities, including asylum seekers and refugees to speak out so that policymakers and the public hear our voices on the issues that affect us. Through training and campaigns we work to amplify migrant voices in the media and public life to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

Image caption: Linzi Stauvers from Ikon with photographer Vanley Burke and Salman Mirza from Migrant Voice

FRIDAY 24 SEPTEMBER, 2021 

Is this what protection looks like now? In the latest, tragic example of migrants dying at Europe’s borders, this week, four migrants died of hypothermia and exhaustion at the border between Poland and Belarus.

All they had sought was safety and protection - and they have lost their lives because of it. 

We recently signed a letter in solidarity with our colleagues in Lithuania, criticising the Lithuanian government for its treatment of migrants, which has violated their human rights.

Such is the concern for migrants at the Lithuanian border to Belarus, and that of nearby Latvia and Poland, that the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently called for “immediate access to those affected”. This is so that they can “provide lifesaving medical help, food, water and shelter, especially in light of the approaching winter”.

The inhumane treatment of migrants is happening right across Europe. According to the IOM, at least 449 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean from January to mid-September this year - with a further 654 missing. 

Between 1993 and June 2021, Dutch NGO UNITED for Intercultural Action has documented 44,764 deaths of refugees or migrants as a result of Europe’s restrictive policies. 

The UK is very much part of these fatal border policies. In August, one migrant died after a dinghy carrying 40 people got into difficulty while attempting to cross the Channel to Britain. His death was preventable, and the result of lack of legal routes.

It is shocking to see UK Border Force officials taking part in training to turn around boats carrying asylum seekers as they attempt to cross the Channel. Such pushbacks - already conducted by other European countries - are not only illegal under international law but will endanger the lives of those seeking protection and already in a vulnerable situation.

For too many asylum seekers who have made it to the UK, the suffering continues, with lengthy processes, poor support and degrading treatment, delays and fears of detention and deportation. Earlier this month, an inquest heard how one 19-year-old Afghan asylum seeker died by suicide in April for fear of being deported. 

The government’s proposed Nationality and Borders Bill would effectively further exacerbate the situation by criminalising asylum seekers who make it to the UK on their own, imprisoning them for up to four years.

Government resources should be invested in safe and legal routes for people seeking sanctuary. It should not be invested in border pushbacks that endanger lives.

We could do better - and we should do better. 

FRIDAY 24 SEPTEMBER, 2021

A petition campaigning against the deportation of an elderly cancer patient has received more than 76,000 signatures.

Lewin Williams, 74, has lived in Birmingham for almost 20 years and has been receiving hospital treatment for myeloma, a type of blood cancer, twice a week. 

If deported to his home country of Jamaica, Williams will not be able to afford his healthcare - nor will he have a network of family and friends to support him.

Migrant Voice is supporting Lewins’ campaign to remain in the UK, where he can continue receiving treatment for his cancer. 

In Birmingham, Williams has received support from the friends he has made over the last two decades. This has been especially important for him since he has been living in a homeless shelter. 

“It’s the compassionate and right thing to do,” wrote one person on Lewin’s petition. Another said they signed it “because I am a human being”. 

One person questioned the UK government's deportation policies. “The government seems to have no heart or no thought about how these individuals are and will be affected mentally when they push these actions of innocent people,” they said.

Migrant Voice Birmingham Network Worker Salman Mirza, who has been assisting Lewin, said: “The support for Lewin from all quarters has been unprecedented. The people have spoken, let him stay!”

Despite being given the opportunity to appeal his case, Williams lives in fear of being deported. 

“I would not like the Home Office to deport me because I know I will pass away because I can’t afford the treatment there”, he told The Voice earlier this year.

“It is very rough on me at the moment and sometimes I feel like I would rather take my own life than go back to Jamaica and suffer.”

We hope that the public support for Lewin will prompt the Home Office to reconsider its decision and instead allow him to stay at home in the UK.

To sign Lewin's petition calling on the Home Office to let him stay in the UK, click here

A strong sense of solidarity and a spirit of welcoming and compassion characterised our meeting on the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan on 1 September. 

The Emergency Network Meeting heard stories shared by many Afghan speakers and participants, including a medical student who had fled Afghanistan aged five and a journalist who was recently evacuated to the UK from Kabul.The meeting was attended by over 60 people from the UK and from Europe. 

Speakers from Afghanistan told of their desperation in watching events back in their home country: of how they are unable to help family members, whose lives are now at risk. 

One speaker spoke of their two cousins, both girls, who have now likely been robbed of their hopes and dreams - their futures ripped away so suddenly. 

Meanwhile, the journalist spoke of how her career had been taken from her as she was forced to flee the country, and her fears for the safety of her family who remain in Afghanistan. 

There was collective agreement that the UK government must step up and take in many more Afghans who need protection. Its resettlement scheme was also criticised for not providing enough details to the charities and NGOs supporting Afghan asylum seekers, who are ready and willing to support the resettlement efforts. 

One refugee-led group which supports Afghan families in the West Midlands  told of how Afghans have arrived into the UK with nothing. However, he said that the local community had fortunately stepped up to provide support and donations.

At the same time, a concern was also expressed that the exclusive focus on evacuation and resettlement neglects the desperate situation Afghan asylum seekers in the UK are faced with: the UK could and should be granting protection to those in the territory as a matter of priority so that they can join the efforts to offer welcome to new arrivals too and start family reunification process.  

Campaigners at the meeting called for European governments and countries neighbouring Afghanistan to keep their borders open to allow Afghans fleeing the country to seek sanctuary. 

This criticism was further levelled at governments across Europe, including in Norway, which only evacuated around 1,000 Afghans, and in Sweden. The speaker from Greece raised concern about the dangerous political narratives  of ’Europe is threatened by Afghan asylum seekers', which creates fear, when it is very clear Afghans need protection.The treatment of asylum seekers at European borders was discussed, too, with concerns around evidence of illegal pushbacks. 

Laura Padoan of the UNHCR also provided an update on the situation on the ground and for Afghans in neighbouring countries. The meeting was attended by a large number of members from the RISE Network, an alliance of migrant- and refugee-led non-governmental organisations in Europe, which Migrant Voice is part of and released a joint statement with last month. 

The meeting concluded with messages of support and offers of help, with a shared sense of solidarity around how to continue supporting Afghan people to get to safety.

The speakers were: 

• Fahim Zazai, Afghan Community and Welfare Centre, Walsall
• Omid Khyber, Brushstrokes Community Project, Birmingham
• Laura Padoan, External Relations Officer, UNHCR
• Nazek Ramadan, Migrant Voice, UK
• Spogmai Jabarkhil, Scandinavian Afghan Women's Organisation (Norway)
• Yonous Muhammadi, Greek Forum for Refugees (Greece)
• Yasamin Saidi, medical student at the University of Manchester
• Hala Akari,  Swedish Syrian Association (Sweden)
• A recently arrived Afghan journalist

Last weekend, a large rally was held in the heart of Birmingham to call upon the UK government to welcome Afghan refugees into the city.

Demonstrators congregated in Victoria Square and St Phillips Cathedral on Saturday (28 August) to share their support for those fleeing the current conflict in Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan has been plunged into a humanitarian crisis following the withdrawal of Western forces and the subsequent Taliban takeover. Many campaigners have called on overseas governments to take in those escaping the country.  

Anti-racism group Stand Up To Racism UK organised the rally in Birmingham, with the protests aiming to push the government to increase their support for refugees and stand in solidarity with those seeking refuge. 

The UK has agreed to take in 20,000 refugees over a five-year period under a resettlement scheme, with around 5,000 refugees being given shelter this year. This is in addition to its Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap), which seeks to offer relocation to former government employees in Afghanistan. 

Doug Morgan, of Stand Up To Racism UK, said: “It’s simply unimaginable what people are going through there [in Afghanistan]...We are saying to people if they want to get out, they will be welcomed.

“Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK has been built on waves of immigration and this has made all of our lives much richer. The refugees who come here will add to this too and the government should ensure that the refugees can work, access services and be part of communities just like anyone else.

“Whether people want to stay forever or for a short period, they should be treated as citizens and not unwanted house guests.”

Migrant Voice supported the rally along with a number of speakers from Afghan communities in the West Midlands, Stand Up To Racism Birmingham, and Birmingham Trades Union Council. 

Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, said: “We have seen a marked shift in public opinion in support for Afghan refugees, and the government must step up and do the right thing in the international efforts to give protection to all Afghans who desperately need to reach safety.”

It’s time to change course. The ill-thought-out strategy of trying to deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel, pursued by this and previous governments over the past many years, doesn’t work. 

The many restrictions introduced – measures to try to deter asylum seekers from reaching the UK at any cost – are fundamentally wrong and merely add further risk to already dangerous journeys.

The new Nationality and Borders Bill which sets out to indefinitely penalise those who make their own journey to the UK is a continuation of this misdirected strategy. The recent revelation of a website set up by the Home Office giving misleading information to asylum seekers is another evidence of their negligent approach to human lives.

The government needs to change course and stop patrolling the sea in an attempt to deter desperate people and instead set up facilities to help people apply for asylum and provide more legal routes.

It is time to adopt a policy that takes into consideration the events in our world today whether political repression or environmental disaster and the reality of the situations from which people are fleeing. 

UK and Europe are going about this the wrong way: we cannot go on building walls in the face of desperate people.

You don’t resolve any of these issues by building walls. If people in danger are at your door, you should treat them like the human beings they are and give them sanctuary. We can’t pretend any more that the countries we are deporting people back to are safe when they aren’t.

Throughout history people have moved from place to place in search of safety. This isn’t just happening in the UK or Europe - in fact it’s not happening very much in UK or Europe as most people flee to neighbouring countries and the vast majority are in the global south.

It’s time to change course and welcome those in need of safety.

Image credit: Tim Reckmann/Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

It’s time to change course. The ill-thought-out strategy of trying to deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel, pursued by this and previous governments over the past many years, doesn’t work. 

The many restrictions introduced – measures to try to deter asylum seekers from reaching the UK at any cost – are fundamentally wrong and merely add further risk to already dangerous journeys.

The new Nationality and Borders Bill which sets out to indefinitely penalise those who make their own journey to the UK is a continuation of this misdirected strategy. The recent revelation of a website set up by the Home Office giving misleading information to asylum seekers is another evidence of their negligent approach to human lives.

The government needs to change course and stop patrolling the sea in an attempt to deter desperate people and instead set up facilities to help people apply for asylum and provide more legal routes.

It is time to adopt a policy that takes into consideration the events in our world today whether political repression or environmental disaster and the reality of the situations from which people are fleeing. 

UK and Europe are going about this the wrong way: we cannot go on building walls in the face of desperate people.

You don’t resolve any of these issues by building walls. If people in danger are at your door, you should treat them like the human beings they are and give them sanctuary. We can’t pretend any more that the countries we are deporting people back to are safe when they aren’t.

Throughout history people have moved from place to place in search of safety. This isn’t just happening in the UK or Europe - in fact it’s not happening very much in UK or Europe as most people flee to neighbouring countries and the vast majority are in the global south.

It’s time to change course and welcome those in need of safety.

Migrant Voice is leading a campaign against extortionate immigration fees, which are having a devastating impact on many of our migrant members and their families. 

Most visa fees have risen exponentially in the last decade, while the NHS surcharge and the extortionate cost of appointments and other associated costs add hundreds of pounds to each application. For example a family of four on the 10 year route to settlement can expect to pay in excess of £40,000.  Our campaign wants to change this. We want to see all fees reduced to admin costs for adults, free for children. 

Over the last months we have been listening to affected migrants and their families and gathering information from other organisations working on related issues to help shape our campaign. Through focus groups, a survey, and ongoing meetings we are developing the campaign’s strategy and plan, its priority areas, activities and recommendations. We continue to gather evidence of the impact extortionate visa fees is having and how this has been exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stephanie, 48, from Nigeria is one of those who wants the campaign to succeed. She is working as a healthcare assistant and has two children. She estimates she has spent close to £15,000 in visa fees to date. Her visa must be renewed every 2.5 years and at each visa renewal she must pay around £2,500 in fees, plus the £1,560 NHS surcharge.

It doesn’t have to be this way. A decade ago, fees in this country were more affordable. We believe it’s wrong for the government to continue to make a profit from migrants paying to stay in the UK, with some fees charged up to ten times the actual cost.

The costs are so high that they have a direct impact on Stephanie’s family finances: she says, “When it is time for you to renew you are looking everywhere for money. You have no money to save, for school, rent, car insurance. My son is finishing college and I want him to go into further education but that is hard, financially.” Because her visa is still temporary, she has No Recourse to Public Funds.

The costs to migrants aren't just financial - many families suffer mental and physical health problems, with some families sacrificing food, heating and electricity to make sure they can make their payments to the Home Office when the time comes.

Stephanie works as much as she can to make ends meet, often giving up family time or sick leave. Still, she sometimes must borrow money from other people. “I work six days a week in order for me to pay for everything and it’s still not enough, I still have debt … I don’t have time with my kids because I have to work so much. There is no time to sit down with family or take them out.”

She says that her life is reduced to working in order to pay for her visa. “I don’t feel heard by the government; they don’t know what I am going through. We are human too. I want to be heard.”

Migrant Voice are currently running a survey online to collect information and experiences from people like Stephanie on their interaction with the UK Visas and immigration system and the impact it has had on them and their families. We would be grateful for anyone affected who could complete this survey, it should only take 15 minutes. Please also share it amongst your own networks to make sure we hear from those affected:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MV_Visa_Fees_Survey

Migrant Voice are also conducting interviews with migrants and their families who have been affected by the extortionate cost of Visas in the UK. If anyone would like to participate in these interviews, or would like to know more about the campaign please contact our Campaigns Organiser Cameron Ball: campaigns@migrantvoice.org

Please join us in raising awareness of these issues. You can get involved in several ways by sharing your experiences, taking part in shaping the campaign, take part in our network meetings, training, and lobby activities, share the link to our survey and spread awareness of our campaign with people who are affected, collaborate with us on this and inter-related issues.

Migrant Voice is a migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights. We have offices and networks in London, the West Midlands and Glasgow.

COVID-19 has placed a harsh spotlight on the pre-existing inequalities and discrimination faced by some of the UK’s most invisible communities and groups – including those which I belong to and represent: the East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) community and migrants.

It would be heartening to think that a positive outcome of the pandemic would be a greater commitment to supporting communities including my own which have been especially vulnerable. However, with most COVID-19 related restrictions now lifted and things ‘getting back to normal’, I fear that many marginalised communities will be forgotten again.

To make matters worse, while many continue to experience fatigue following exposure to COVID-19, marginalised communities are also feeling another form of exhaustion: the weariness that comes from having been engaged in multiple consultations which seem to have led to no discernible improvements in their lives – leaving many feeling even worse off than before.

‘COVID-19 is like an x-ray’

It is said that COVID-19 is like an x-ray, revealing the fractures and fragile parts of society. Along with other Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, LGBTQI+ people, women and girls, and people with disabilities, ESEA people including migrants and refugee communities have been highlighted as being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Furthermore, COVID-19 has highlighted the impact of systemic racism in the workplace and within the UK’s immigration system. Working at an organisation supporting migrant workers, I heard a number of testimonies of migrant essential workers who were unfairly pressured to perform tasks with higher risks of infection. They often felt unable to challenge these orders due to the fear of losing their jobs or income while living under a ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition. Some have even lost the immigration status that was tied to their work.

Yet in the early stages of this extraordinary public health crisis – when apparently ‘no one was safe until everyone was safe’ – people in positions of power, including policymakers, national and local authorities, think-tanks and donors, began to realise that they would have to engage with the most vulnerable in order to protect society as a whole.

And this is what happened: since the first national lockdown began, there have been numerous consultation meetings with community leaders, hosted by national and local authorities and other decision-makers. And so, representing a community organisation led by and for ESEA migrants, I sat in meetings with representatives of institutions such as the Cabinet Office, the National Police Chief Council, Public Health England, the NHS, the Mayor of London’s Office, the Greater London Authority and some London boroughs – all mostly hosted separately. On occasion, there were separate meetings held with different departments within some of these institutions.

‘I have never sat in so many roundtables in so short a time’

I have never sat in so many roundtables in so short a time, and many of my colleagues said the same thing. At the beginning, I was hopeful that voices from our community were finally being heard directly by policymakers and those who have considerable influence.

However, as we attended more consultation meetings, we grew increasingly frustrated. Many community representatives who have the most relevant and timely lived experiences are from user-led organisations with very little – or zero – funding, meaning they are often volunteers who have day-jobs elsewhere. However, all of these consultation meetings were held during office hours, based on the schedule of people who were consulting with us.

Because of this, many community representatives had to take time off work to attend these meetings; otherwise it was simply impossible for them to attend. Even for organisations with some financial resources, the limited funding they receive is all used providing direct support to those who have been affected by the crisis.

In hindsight, I think the time and resources we spent preparing, attending and following up these consultations could have been used to help vulnerable members of our community face the various challenges and deteriorating circumstances brought on by the pandemic.

‘These consultations required heavy emotional labour’

Additionally, these consultations have required heavy emotional labour. Being constantly asked to talk about the devastating impact of COVID-19 in our own communities – including deaths of undocumented people who could not seek medical care due to fear of immigration enforcement, destitution and homelessness; and experiences of physical and verbal racist attacks – takes a heavy toll. Despite the emotional and time-consuming contributions made for these consultations, there has, as far as I am aware, been no compensation for consulted community representatives or organisations.

We repeatedly talked with different departments about issues such as the lack of data on, and representation of, ESEA people even within assessments of the experiences of BAME people. We highlighted the deadly impacts of Hostile Environment policies on precarious migrants, the lack of culturally sensitive and accessible information and support, and the lack of funding for community organisations. Consultation fatigue and burnout continue, while there are not enough follow-ups and updates from the policymakers and experts who have consulted with us.

Despite the urge from our communities to improve data collection and representation throughout the year, the UK Government’s report on racial disparities misrepresented our community; there wasn’t a single East or Southeast Asian person sitting on the Commission on Race and Ethic Disparities.

We know very little about how the information we shared during our consultation meetings was considered, used and reflected in any policymaking and implementation. What we do know is that many members of our communities still continue to face similar challenges to the ones they faced this time last year.

‘A community-informed approach to COVID recovery’

Not all the attempts at outreach during the pandemic have gone to waste. Personally, I welcome and appreciate any efforts that are going towards a community-informed approach to recovery from COVID-19, as it is more culturally responsive and less likely to re-traumatise people. For example, the efforts of the Greater London Authority to continuously engage with local communities to support them as they lead their own initiatives and strengthen capacities – as outlined in the London Recovery Programme – are encouraging for me as a Londoner.

However, in order to come up with real community-informed and community-led solutions to the pandemic’s impact on existing inequalities – and to implement these solutions – our communities need to be included in more sustainable and meaningful engagement with other stakeholders.

Marginalised communities should never again be made to feel exploited for the sake of tick-box exercises. We want to make our work more sustainable, in order to empower our communities and enable meaningful participation that helps shape more inclusive policies and better long-term outcomes for those who have suffered so much.

To achieve this, we need equitable funding, opportunities and representation. Above all, we cannot afford to be forgotten again, once things ‘get back to normal’ for those who enjoy the privilege to feel that way.

Every Afghan whose life and rights are at risk must immediately be granted refugee protection by the UK government. The government has pledged to resettle 20,000 Afghans over the next five years, but you cannot put an arbitrary number on people’s lives. 

We also fear whether the government will even meet the target of its resettlement scheme, given its previous record. Of the 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children the government pledged to support in 2016, only 380 were helped.

The resettlement scheme needs to be vastly scaled up and accelerated. This protection must also be extended to include the wider family circles of these individuals.

But the government also needs to give sanctuary to Afghans regardless of how they enter the UK. We are deeply concerned by the Home Secretary’s suggestion that this protection would not be given if “irregular” routes are used. 

The government’s Nationality and Borders Bill proposes to imprison Afghans and any asylum seekers fleeing to the UK for up to 4 years if they make their own way, while also not giving them permanent protection. As the situation in Afghanistan unfolds before our eyes, we can see why such a policy would be wrong. 

The UK currently takes in fewer people seeking asylum than its nearest neighbours. In the year ending March 2021, the UK received just 26,903 asylum applications. To put this into context, in 2020, Germany received 122,015 and France 93,475. Some 90% of Afghan refugees are already in countries neighbouring Afghanistan.

At the same time, the situation for Afghans seeking asylum in the UK is dire. Over the past two decades, the government has gone to great lengths to deport thousands of Afghans who needed sanctuary. There has been a culture of disbelief in Home Office decision making resulting in unjust refusals, particularly for young Afghans who arrived as children.

One of our members, Bashir, is a victim of this. Bashir came to the UK aged 14, fleeing recruitment from the Taliban, only to be refused refugee status upon turning 18. He is now being threatened with deportation. Bashir and other Afghan asylum seekers in the UK must be given status now.

In a statement with the RISE Network, an alliance of migrant-and-refugee-led European NGOs, we have called on global leaders to provide immediate protection to all Afghans seeking asylum. The international community, including the UK, must listen to the voices of Afghan refugees and work with them to develop effective responses to the unfolding humanitarian situation. 

Afghans feel betrayed by the international community, and we cannot abandon them now.

We members of the RISE network, an alliance of migrant- and refugee-led non-governmental organisations representing tens of thousands of people across Europe, urge all world leaders to give protection to Afghans seeking refuge.

In response to the escalating humanitarian crisis, we urge global leaders and the United Nations to ensure that:

• Everyone whose life and rights are at risk in Afghanistan should be granted refugee protection and safe, legal routes to access protection
• The international community should support Afghans fleeing to neighbouring countries and offer them humanitarian assistance
• Every Afghan asylum seeker must be given immediate protection wherever they are in the world
• Resettlement schemes must be scaled up and accelerated
• Family reunification must be accelerated and expanded to cover a wider circle of family members
• All removals and deportations to Afghanistan must be permanently suspended
• The international community should listen to the voices of Afghan refugees and work with them to develop strategies and responses to the unfolding humanitarian situation

We specifically urge Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries to keep their borders open for people seeking refuge. However, 90% of Afghan refugees are already in neighbouring countries. Countries further afield must play their part.

Furthermore, we urge European governments and the European Union to ensure that all Afghans currently in Europe must immediately be given international protection.

We are deeply concerned about the dangerous rhetoric from some European leaders about closing their borders to "protect" Europe and continuing to deport Afghans to other territories. 

Therefore, we call on European politicians to show leadership and keep their borders open to Afghans.

European countries should step up and help address the humanitarian situation for Afghans, rather than political leaders presenting it as an “immigration crisis” for Europe.

We call on European media to avoid scaremongering or inflating the numbers of those arriving in Europe when 90% are in countries neighbouring Afghanistan.

Signatories:

Migrant Voice, UK

Greek Forum for Refugees, Greece

French Refugee Council, France

MOSAICO, Italy

Syrian Swedish Association, Sweden

European-Global Civil Society Organisation, Spain

African Solidarity Centre, Ireland

Female Fellows, Germany

Svea Konsultia, Sweden

Afghan Community and Welfare Centre, UK

European Network of People of African Descent (ENPAD) UK

Afghan Community M&R, Greece

União de Refugiados Em Portugal – UREP

For more information about the work of the Rise network and to speak to any of the members contact: Yonous Muhammadi on: director@refugees.gr

For UK enquiries email: press@migrantvoice.org

Photo credits: © European Union/ECHO/Mathias Eick, Presevo, Serbia, November 2015 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Migrant Voice is looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated and proactive Community Researcher to join our team part time. The Community Researcher will conduct a scoping exercise and produce an internal report outlining how Migrant Voice can continue to strengthen our base and core work in Glasgow.

The successful candidate will have strong experience working with migrants and refugees and experience of undertaking community research, consultation, data collection, data analysis and writing reports.

The Community Researcher will join our team 2 days per week from September for 6-7 months.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 2 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 6pm on Wednesday 18 August, 2021. Interviews with those short-listed will take place on Tuesday 24 August, 2021.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

Please find the job description by clicking here and an equal opportunities monitoring form by clicking here. For more information contact nazek@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.  Ideally the postholder will be based in Glasgow, but we can be flexible. The role can be largely homebased in the UK, with office space provided in Glasgow if required.

________

Summary of project activities

The Community Researcher will:

• Undertake a scoping exercise, collect and analyse the data in consultation with Migrant Voice staff team and produce an internal report on the issues affecting migrants in Scotland (including consulting with network members on their priorities)
• Organise community network meetings providing safe spaces for migrants to come together, discuss issues and policies affecting their lives and take part in scoping exercise
• Organise regular drop-in days for migrants to come and find out more about our work, raise issues of concern, connect to other migrants, and get information, support and signposting where needed
• Work closely with the MV staff team to organise a number of other core activities such as media training and campaigning
• Strengthen the development of the Glasgow Migrant Voices for Change Network
• Conduct outreach and build relationships with a number of migrant groups and organisations (at least ten)
• Increase our network membership as well as engage existing Glasgow network members in our work

Also, please find the job description by clicking here.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

One of Dipesh Pandya’s earliest memories is also his first experience as a migrant: at three years old, while migrating from his native Tanzania to England, he and his grandmother were held by immigration control authorities in Heathrow.  Speaking on Zoom from his home in Margate, southeast England, he describes how they “had to go through a process of proving” that they were allowed to be there.

Dipesh is an artist and activist whose work focuses on race and migration – a venture he was inspired to pursue as a result of his experiences as a migrant living in England and various other countries.

After first arriving in the UK in 1975, Dipesh settled in the Midlands, surrounded by a rich community of migrants from East Africa and South Asia. But life isn’t always easy “when you look like me, a Brown person," he says. “Growing up in England I always heard the words foreigners, immigrants, and far worse." Dipesh recalls the first time he was addressed with a racial slur, explaining: “I remember that feeling of being confrontational and being, ‘No, I’m not’, and getting into a fight.”

Dipesh’s identity as a migrant stayed with him when he moved to France after completing his studies at Central Saint Martins; it also followed him to India, where he lived between 2009 and 2016. But, he says, there are many types of migrants. We talk briefly about the difference between the words migrant and expat, where the latter implies more privilege than the former. “When I went to India I was thrown into a world of expats,” he says. “I considered myself an expat, but I also struggled with that. Actually, I considered myself an economic migrant when I moved there in 2009, right after the financial crisis.”

Dipesh worked in fashion and advertising for over two decades, but, in 2016, he decided to leave the industry. He felt it was too problematic. He could see imperial and white supremacist tropes and systems embedded in it. He moved back to the UK that same year, at a time when the narrative on migration – in mainstream media, in politics – had been shaped by the Brexit referendum, the Trump election, and the refugee crisis.

“Through the media, the TV, I was being fed messages saying, ‘You don’t belong here, we don’t want you here’,” he explains. Even as a British citizen, he felt “othered” by the bureaucracy of starting a new life in England. “I hold British nationality, but I really felt the hostile environment. I was questioned immediately about my identity and my rights to claim benefits or whatever,” he adds.

To make sense of what he was experiencing, Dipesh started writing, then shifted to other media – including in the realms of sound, installations and performance – joining Open School East, an art school and community space now based in Margate.

Dipesh’s art is a form of activism. One of his projects is called I.A.M. or I’m a Migrant, which focuses on reappropriating the words ‘migrant’ and ‘immigrant’. “The work is about combining the two words and flipping them and throwing them back at your face, and saying ‘Yes, I am a migrant’,” explains Dipesh. “These words have been weaponised by the government, the media, advertising, and racial capitalism.”

The words “I’m a migrant” and “I’m a majority” are printed on t-shirts, hoodies and even flip-flops for sale on Dipesh’s online “corner shop”, which are to be worn as a “statement of pride”. He adds: “When you’re made to feel like ‘the other’, you adapt and code switch to fit in. That creates a lot of problems, because you’re not allowing yourself to live in the world. And I.A.M. is, boom, this is who I am, this is me, this is our people, and we are the majority.”

This spring, for his Welcome to Migrate project, Dipesh printed his own versions of local road signs, with the word “Margate” changed to “Migrate”. As part of the project, he stood on a trafficked road with an aluminium road sign that said “Migrate B2021”. “The project is about provoking discussion,” he says. Although he saw positive feedback on social media, Dipesh did receive some negative remarks from members of the public. On one evening, he was approached by two police officers in a car. “From the car, they started asking all these questions, where are you going, what’s that sign, what does it say… It was really hurtful,” he says. The episode became part of the artwork.

For another project, titled There Goes the Neighbourhood, Dipesh recalls racist comments made in the US when people of colour moved into all-white areas. For the project, Dipesh collected voices from Cliftonville, Margate, and combined them into a mixtape: the result is a chorus of ages, ethnicities, and histories. Those involved in the mixtape ranged from six years old to 98, and from a plethora of countries including England, Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Italy, and Ghana. “I feel like a lot of these histories and stories are being erased by the dominant narrative,” he says. “What I’m concerned is what we’re leaving to future generations.”

Dipesh is aware that his work is part of a larger body of long-term, sustained efforts which aim to change mainstream attitudes towards migration and race. His work is closely tied to his interactions with individuals and groups of people; part of his practice involves “disseminating the work through memory creation” in his community. When he first moved back to England, he built relationships with migrants and shopkeepers in Margate, and particularly with a group of parents and their children, then aged between 7 and 11. Some of his art has been inspired by conversations he has had with the children, such as one called “Trigger Warning! Trigger Warning!”. “I would like to give the kids in my neighbourhood some sort of help, so that they can continue on their own,” says Dipesh. “I want to pass on my knowledge and skills, so that they can carry on the work.”

He compares the struggle against racism and xenophobia to the ones for civil and LGBTQ+ rights. “It’s a long process,” he says, “but I’m optimistic, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.”

Dipesh Pandya’s artwork can be found at hands.up.if.you.re.brown.

On Saturday 24th July, people gathered together in the heart of Birmingham to rally against the rise of hate crimes against Asians during the Covid-19 pandemic. Groups including Stop Asian Hate UK, Birmingham Asian Resource Centre, Migrant Voice and councillors from various political parties showed their support with a number of speeches. 

The rally aimed to bring together people from a variety of backgrounds to collectively fight against anti-Asian racism and hate crimes. Speaking at the rally, Salman Mirza, Birmingham Network Worker at Migrant Voice, stressed the importance of civic engagement in political movements. “It often starts small like today, but it has a big resonance around the world and around communities: that’s where we need to start going,” he said.

At the start of the pandemic,UK-based advocacy group End the Virus of Racism reported a 300% spike in hate crimes against East and Southeast Asian people. For example, in March last year, student Jonathan Mok, 23, was physically assaulted in a racist attack. “I don’t want your coronavirus in my country,” his attacker reportedly said. In the same month, a Chinese takeaway owner was also spat on by a teenager who demanded to know if he “had coronavirus”.

Throughout the rally, there was a feeling of shared solidarity and a strong desire to end racism.  “We will work cross-party with colleagues from all different parties with those that share those views [opposing racism],” said Liberal Democrats councillor Roger Harmer at the rally.

Yeow Poon, a spokesperson for the rally, highlighted a number of anti-Asian hate crimes across the country. Poon said that the event hoped to raise awareness to “prevent serious race crime incidents in Birmingham”.

Image credit: Migrant Voice

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has expressed pride in its work and reaffirmed its principle duty of rescuing anyone in trouble at sea, after receiving criticism for saving migrants in distress as they attempt to cross the Channel. 

Mark Dowie, Chief Executive of the RNLI, said this morning (28 July) : “I could not be prouder of our amazing volunteer lifeboat crews, who launch to the aid of anyone who is in trouble in or around the water and needs our help.”

Migrant Voice stands with the RNLI and supports its decision to speak out after receiving criticism. Migrants rescued by RNLI volunteers are often in overcrowded inflatable boats, suffering from sickness or dehydration, and are frequently in great distress.

Founded in 1824, the RNLI exists to save lives at sea. Despite being a well-respected British charity, it has recently received some criticism for carrying out its vital work, including from members of the public, the press, and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who described the RNLI as a “taxi service for illegal immigration”.

“We do not judge those we rescue – where we believe there is a risk to life at sea, we will always launch in response to a call from HM Coastguard,” said Dowie. 

“We want to be absolutely clear that we are incredibly proud of the work our volunteer lifeboat crews do to rescue vulnerable people in distress.”

Migrant Voice is proud to support and to stand with the RNLI and its mission to save anyone who needs assistance at sea.

 “A number of our members have been rescued by the RNLI while crossing the Channel,” said Migrant Voice director Nazek Ramadan. “We know how essential and life-saving the RNLI’s work is.

“Migrants will be forced to make these dangerous journeys in the absence of safe and legal routes.”

The RNLI has also released testimonies from its volunteer rescuers, who have described the dire situations in which they have found migrants in the Channel in need of rescue. 

“Most are desperate, the boats are overcrowded, women and children are often crying, some are seasick and not well,” said one volunteer.

Another volunteer said the current situation is a tragedy waiting to happen.

“If the worst happens and a boat overturns with 30-40 people on with children, we will struggle to save them all,” said the volunteer.

“The image and thought of that happening is enough to make your blood run cold. We need to find and help these people, sod the politics. No-one deserves to drown because of where they come from.”

Testimonies from Migrant Voice members

“Many of my friends lost their lives seeking safety across dangerous seas. People who rescue us at sea don't know how amazing they are, we thank you and please don't give up.” 

“Before my wife got into the boat she told me she loves me and if she couldn't make it to the other side wanted me know that she loves me a lot.” - tragically his wife drowned. 

Migrant Voice is looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated and proactive Community Researcher to join our team part time. The Community Researcher will conduct a scoping exercise and produce an internal report outlining how Migrant Voice can continue to strengthen our base and core work in Glasgow.

The successful candidate will have strong experience working with migrants and refugees and experience of undertaking community research, consultation, data collection, data analysis and writing reports.

The Community Researcher will join our team 2 days per week from September for 6-7 months.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 2 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 6pm on Wednesday 18 August, 2021. Interviews with those short-listed will take place on Tuesday 24 August, 2021.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

Please find the job description by clicking here and an equal opportunities monitoring form by clicking here. For more information contact nazek@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.  Ideally the postholder will be based in London, but we can be flexible. The role can be largely homebased in the UK, with office space provided in London if required.

________

Summary of project activities

The Community Researcher will:

• Undertake a scoping exercise, collect and analyse the data in consultation with Migrant Voice staff team and produce an internal report on the issues affecting migrants in Scotland (including consulting with network members on their priorities)
• Organise community network meetings providing safe spaces for migrants to come together, discuss issues and policies affecting their lives and take part in scoping exercise
• Organise regular drop-in days for migrants to come and find out more about our work, raise issues of concern, connect to other migrants, and get information, support and signposting where needed
• Work closely with the MV staff team to organise a number of other core activities such as media training and campaigning
• Strengthen the development of the Glasgow Migrant Voices for Change Network
• Conduct outreach and build relationships with a number of migrant groups and organisations (at least ten)
• Increase our network membership as well as engage existing Glasgow network members in our work

Also, please find the job description by clicking here.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

Migrant Voice and Amnesty International have released a joint briefing for MPs for the second reading of the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill on 19 July.

The vast majority of this Bill seems to have the purpose of shutting down the asylum system. We therefore strongly oppose most of this Bill, which will undermine the human rights of people affected by our immigration laws. The only element of the Bill we support is Part 1, which seeks to dismantle historical inequalities which have deprived some people of the British nationality that ought to be theirs.

If the Bill is passed in its present form, it will have a devastating impact on people seeking asylum. It will renege on this country’s international law commitments and significantly reduce the already modest contribution made by the UK to provide a place of safety to people forced to flee conflict and persecution.  

Its harmful impacts will go much further in at least 3 ways:                                                                                                

• By repudiating its international obligations the UK will provide license and encouragement for others to do the same.

• What is proposed will add complexity, delay, inequality, dysfunction and cost to the asylum system and to the wider immigration system.

• Far from truly tackling the scourge of human exploitation, including by organised crime, the Bill will further empower and enable abusers by rendering the women, men and children on whom they prey ever more vulnerable to that predation.

The second reading of the Bill comes as we prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Refugee Convention on 28 July. This Convention set out a shared responsibility for the nations who are party to it, including the UK, to ensure that the right to seek asylum is available to everyone fleeing conflict or persecution. 

This Bill completely undermines the UK’s obligations under the Convention in two interlinked ways.

Firstly, the Bill attempts to unilaterally redraw what are jointly agreed and universally applicable human rights standards affecting both whom the Convention applies to and how such a person is to be treated. This is wrong in principle. If enacted, it is an open invitation to other nations to set their own interpretations of not only this Convention but of international agreements more generally. 

Secondly, the Bill penalises refugees who exercise their right to seek asylum in the UK through travelling here on their own. This disadvantages some refugees from others by diminishing, delaying or denying them altogether certain of the rights and opportunities that are provided to others. 

The aim of this Bill is to end asylum as we know it. This is despite the UK already receiving relatively few people seeking asylum, and providing sanctuary to very few refugees, compared to its nearest neighbours - let alone several far poorer and less stable countries further afield. 

The impact of this legislation will be horrific. Many people will be forced to take significantly more dangerous journeys and fall victim to punishing uncertainty and extreme vulnerability to exploitation. This is to nobody’s advantage but that of those who will abuse, exploit and enslave women, men and children who are too afraid to claim asylum. 

Image credit: Paul Keller/Flickr, resized for use under Creative Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

We are alarmed that 62% of GPs across England, Scotland and Wales would not register a patient without proof of address, proof of ID or legal immigration status. This follows an investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Channel 4.

This goes against official NHS policy, which explicitly states that everybody should be able to register for a GP, regardless of documentation. It also contradicts the government’s official policy to give everybody access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

We are calling on the government to immediately instruct all GPs to register everybody who wishes to join a surgery, so that they are able to access healthcare, including the Covid-19 vaccine. 

As this investigation highlights, anyone not signed up to a GP faces “severe difficulties” in getting a Covid-19 vaccination - the news report includes stories of migrants being turned away from vaccination clinics because they do not have an NHS number. The investigation found that one in six surgeries said that a patient would not be eligible for the vaccine if they lacked either an NHS number or immigration status, despite this going against Public Health England policy.

The government’s hostile environment have co- opted GP practices (and others such as landlords) into policing migration, which has led to this confusion among the ‘unwilling gatekeepers’ and migrants being denied their rights. 

It is fundamental that everybody - including undocumented migrants - has access to the healthcare system, even more so in a pandemic. The government must act now to inform GP surgeries across the country of their duty to register everybody, so that they are able to access the Covid-19 vaccine and other healthcare.

Medical professionals agree. “Countries must be accountable for vaccinating those living within their borders, including both documented and undocumented migrants,” reads an editorial in The BMJ in June this year. 

Yet we hear time and time again of stories of people being unable to register due to not having various documents or immigration status. 

The government and NHS must deliver loud, clear messages on who is entitled to receive a vaccination.

Image credit: The Focal Project/Flickr, resized for non-commercial purposes and licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

We are alarmed that 62% of GPs across England, Scotland and Wales would not register a patient without proof of address, proof of ID or legal immigration status. This follows an investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Channel 4.

This goes against official NHS policy, which explicitly states that everybody should be able to register for a GP, regardless of documentation. It also contradicts the government’s official policy to give everybody access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

We are calling on the government to immediately instruct all GPs to register everybody who wishes to join a surgery, so that they are able to access healthcare, including the Covid-19 vaccine. 

As this investigation highlights, anyone not signed up to a GP faces “severe difficulties” in getting a Covid-19 vaccination - the news report includes stories of migrants being turned away from vaccination clinics because they do not have an NHS number. The investigation found that one in six surgeries said that a patient would not be eligible for the vaccine if they lacked either an NHS number or immigration status, despite this going against Public Health England policy.

The government’s hostile environment co- opted GP practices (and others such as landlords) into policing migration, which has led to this confusion among the ‘unwilling gatekeepers’ and migrants denied their rights. 

It is fundamental that everybody - including undocumented migrants - has access to the healthcare system, even more so in a pandemic.The government must act now to inform GP surgeries across the country of their duty to register everybody, so that they are able to access the Covid-19 vaccine and other healthcare.

 Medical professionals agree. “Countries must be accountable for vaccinating those living within their borders, including both documented and undocumented migrants,” reads an editorial in The BMJ in June this year. 

Yet we hear time and time again of stories of people being unable to register due to not having various documents or immigration status. 

The government and NHS must deliver loud, clear messages on who is entitled to receive a vaccination.

Image credit: The Focal Project/Flickr, resized for non-commercial purposes and licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

JULY 15: Ahead of the second reading of the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, Migrant Voice and Amnesty International have released a joint briefing for MPs.

We strongly oppose the most of what is to be found in this Bill, which will undermine the human rights of people affected by our immigration laws.

We do, however, strongly support Part 1 of the Bill. This seeks to dismantle historical inequalities which have deprived some people of the British nationality that ought to be theirs.

But the vast majority of the rest of this Bill seems to have the purpose of shutting down the asylum system.

If the Bill is passed in its present form, it will renege on this country’s international law commitments and significantly reduce the already modest contribution made by the UK to provide a place of safety to people forced to flee conflict and persecution. 

You can read Migrant Voice and Amnesty International’s briefing by clicking here. 

A new podcast launched aims to combat toxic ideas surrounding migration in Britain.

Created by activist and actor Christine Bacon, who is a supporter of Migrant Voice, the podcast consists of nine weekly episodes, including interviews with actors Siobhán McSweeney, a star of the Channel 4 series Derry Girls, and Lucian Msamati of Game of Thrones. 

Christine said that the podcast, titled I Am An Immigrant, aims to “breathe new life into conversations about immigration”.

“The podcasts are not about which immigrants are good, or how many is too many,” she added. 

“They are not a commentary on the ‘immigration issue’. They are a place where we can express ourselves in the way we choose, where we can be funny, insightful, insecure, weird, eccentric, outspoken and most importantly, human.”

Other guests on the podcast will include Nicholas Hatton, CEO of the3million, the largest campaign organisation for EU citizens in the UK; Bafta-nominated actor Babou Ceesay; Francisco Gómez, a veterinary surgeon who lives in Derbyshire; and Meltem Avcil, a former child detainee who is now an immigration detention campaigner and social entrepreneur.

“When I came here I learned quickly to stop talking to people at bus stops: it never, never ended well,” says Siobhán of her experience of moving to the UK on the podcast.

“It took me ages to not to feel dreadfully rude that I wasn’t even acknowledging the other person at the bus stop.”

Christine is also Artistic Director of ice&fire theatre, which explores human rights stories through performance. She said that the aim of the podcast is to “narrow the gap between how our society and our culture sees immigrants and how immigrants see themselves”.

She was inspired to create the podcast after reading a report by Coventry University, which found that immigrants are largely portrayed as “victims or villains” in the British media, instead of as a normal part of British society.

The report, which Migrant Voice contributed to, found that the voices of migrants themselves are too often missing in the UK press. 

Supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, a short preview of the podcast can be found here. The podcast will be available on all podcast platforms.

The I Am An Immigrant podcast launched on 1 July.

The 30th June marks the end of an era: it is the deadline for the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme. It is a symbolic day. For the millions of Europeans living in the UK, their lives will change from this point on. Indeed, for many their lives have already changed over the last few years, but from July 1st there are fresh concerns: now that they will have to prove their status at every turn, through a new digital only status, will their rights be denied? Will they still be able to exercise their right to employment, accommodation and healthcare?

From July 1st, all employers and landlords must check the status of new employees or tenants. Facing high fines if they get it wrong, they also have to understand who still has the right to work or rent because they have a pending application. We don’t think the UK is ready for this and that many will become victims of the hostile environment. As we have already seen, for example, with the right to rent checks, the outsourcing of immigration control is a disaster waiting to happen.

We don’t believe that anyone is prepared - from doctors to employers, border officials to local authorities. We foresee that landlords and employers may unfairly discriminate against EU citizens who have the right to be in the UK, because they do not understand the law or for fear of being penalised.

We are expecting a period of confusion and are concerned that EU citizens with Settled or Pre-settled Status - and the right to be in the UK - may face difficulties with renting accommodation, getting employment, and accessing free healthcare. Some experts have predicted that hundreds of thousands of EU citizens will be at risk of losing their homes and jobs from 1 July. 

Then there are all those with pending applications. There is already a backlog of 400,000 applications. Though applicants retain their rights while waiting for their application to be processed, we fear that this will not be accepted by all employers and landlords.

Already, we have heard from our partner organisations of EU citizens being threatened with dismissal by their employer, despite having a certificate to show they have a pending application, meaning that they have the right to work. 

As for those who have not yet applied. The Times has estimated that up to 130,000 EU citizens could lose their benefits as they have not applied for Settled Status. This equates to around 1 in 6 of all EU citizens currently receiving pensions and benefits.

Some of those who have not applied are vulnerable people - including elderly people, victims of trafficking, and children in care - or those with more complex cases. The Government has published guidance on what is acceptable reasonable grounds for late applications. But how will this be implemented in practice we just don’t know.

The digital system being introduced is already creating confusion and we are expecting more confusion regarding what happens to backlogged or late applications now that the deadline has passed. 

In our report Unsettling, we previously called for EU citizens to be provided with physical documents to show their Settled Status because of our concerns over having a fully digital system. “No physical evidence is the worst, [it’s a] disaster waiting to happen,” said one of the EU nationals surveyed.

We are therefore calling for a grace period which would provide time for all those involved in working with EU nationals - such as landlords, border officials, and employers - to be sufficiently trained on the new rules so EU nationals don’t fall victim to the consequences.

Image credit: bobbsled/Flickr, resized under Creative Commons license 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Migrant Voice is looking for Campaigns/Research Volunteer to join our team. We’re looking for someone with excellent research skills, as well as good writing skills to help produce research documents, briefings, campaign documents, and provide other support for our campaign focusing on the extortionate cost of visas. The applicant must also have good understanding of migrant and refugee issues.

If you are passionate about these issues and can commit to one day a week to do this, then get in touch.

The volunteer will work closely with the staff team and other volunteers.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience researching complex issues.
• Excellent skills in producing fast and accurate research documents
• Knowledge of the key issues that affect migrants and refugees
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working as part of a team.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Good time management
• Good computer skills

Desired:

• Experience working with migrants and refugees
• Understanding of UK Immigration law

Location: For the time being the volunteer will be working from home (due to Covid-19) – although space may be available if needed at our London office in Kings Cross (or at our other offices if outside London.)

Volunteering hours: 1-2 days per week (flexible hours)

Duration: minimum commitment of 3 months with the possibility of an extension or renewal

How to apply:

Interested applicants need to send in their CV and a cover letter explaining why they are the right volunteer for this position. Send to: info@migrantvoice.org  For further information please email anne@migrantvoice.org. If shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an informal interview.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed how damaging the UK’s immigration policies and processes are for migrants and refugees. 

Our new report released on 6 June revealed the harrowing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on migrants with limited or insecure status. The report is part of the Building Resilience partnership project between Migrant Voice, RAPAR and Kanlungan Filipino Consortium. 

The Releasing Resilience and Building Networks of Resilience report involved a survey of 198 migrants across England including migrant workers with no recourse to public funds (NRPF); those in the asylum process; those who are stateless; and undocumented migrants. 

We were shocked to find that 75% of the migrants surveyed could afford food only sometimes, or not at all. And, of those that needed financial support (64%), more than half were unable to access it. 

We were also alarmed to learn that more than half of those taking part (52%) felt that they could not access healthcare easily, including registering with a GP. This included 20% who could not access healthcare at all.

Half of the migrants surveyed in our report could not even protect themselves properly from Covid-19 as they could not afford soap, cleaning products, hand sanitiser and face masks. 

Many migrant workers - like others in society - have lost income. However, they are still expected to raise thousands of pounds to pay towards renewing their visas so they can continue working in the UK.

We welcomed the government granting a number of migrants automatic leave to remain. However we feel this should be extended to everyone, including irregular migrants, many of whom are key workers in the waiting.

The government could have done more in the middle of a global crisis to support migrants. It’s time for the government to dismantle the hostile environment, and introduce immigration policies which support and value people rather than impoverishing them. 

Read the full report here

Image credit: Alex Green/Pexels

Migrant Voice is collecting information from migrants and Britons across the UK who are currently or have previously been paying visa fees for themselves and/or their families.

We would like to invite you to complete our short survey on your experiences in relation to visa fees. The survey asks about the fees you have been paying, the impact on you, and what changes you would like to see.

The information we gather from this survey, along with the focus groups we have run over the past month will help to shape our campaign, our messaging and strategy to make sure that we are in the best place to put an end to extortionate visa fees in the UK.

The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete and can be done completely anonymously. Please share this survey with anyone else who is currently or has previously paid visa fees.

You can access the survey here - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MV_Visa_Fees_Survey

We are gravely concerned by reports of the Border Force’s treatment of EU nationals at the UK border in recent months – especially as the Home Office gears up to introduce a fully digital border by the end of 2025. 

Last week, the Guardian reported on the stories of EU nationals detained upon entry to the UK, despite having the right to be in the country. 

This included a German citizen who was detained at Heathrow airport, even though he had Settled Status, Indefinite Leave to Remain and had applied for a British passport e. There have been further reports, too, including that of a Spanish man who was detained despite telling border officials that he was in the country for a job interview. 

We are alarmed by these reports, and are worried that Border Force officials may not have received adequate training on rules regarding EU citizens entering the UK following Brexit. 

Among our own team, one colleague, who is an EU national, said that when she entered the country in early January, just a few days after Brexit, she spoke to an immigration official who scanned her passport after it didn’t scan at the e-passport gate.

Our colleague described her surprise after the official asked if she had applied for Settled Status, which she confirmed, before asking if she would receive a document to prove her status.

“He didn’t ask to see my evidence, he seemed to know that EU nationals still had time to apply for Settled Status. But what shocked me was that this border official knew less about the system than I. He clearly didn't know or have any training in how evidence of Settled Status was going to work, and he couldn't see my status in his own computer system,” she said.

Indeed, in our report Unsettling, we previously called for EU citizens to be provided with physical documents to show their Settled Status because of our concerns over having a fully digital system. “No physical evidence is the worst, [it’s a] disaster waiting to happen,” said one of the EU nationals surveyed.

While the official made no attempt to refuse her entry, our colleague added: “Given the lack of information and training it made me worried of how anyone else from his team would treat me and others the next time.

“Knowing how complicated it is to show your status, and how much could go wrong in that process, it shocked me to think that we would also have to do that at the border.”

We fear this situation may worsen as more EU nationals travel and return to the UK when Covid-19 restrictions ease over the summer – and after the deadline for the government’s Settled Status scheme closes at the end of June.

The Government’s new proposed plan for legal migration and border control 

states: “We will ensure the smooth flow of those coming legitimately to the UK. By summer 2021, all Border Force staff will have the ability, if required, to check whether an individual has applied for, or been granted status under the EUSS, should they need to do so.” 

We question why this system, which has been in the making for over two years, will not be in place until the summer given that this has been needed since January 1st, 2021.

Border Force officials must be properly trained in the new Brexit rules to ensure that EU citizens with Settled or Pre-Settled Status are not unlawfully detained on entry to the UK. Border Force officials should also be trained to know that those who enter for job interviews or to attend conferences are allowed to enter.

We fear that millions of EU citizens are effectively being used as human guinea pigs to prepare for and test the rollout of the UK’s digital border system.

Migrant Voice is looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated and proactive Fundraising and Business Development Manager to join our team part time. We require an expert in fundraising, income generation, partnership building, and organisational development in the UK, to lead on the implementation of our new fundraising strategy. 

The successful candidate will have a strong track record of securing funds from small and large trusts and foundations, communities, corporates, major donors, and individuals. They will help the organisation achieve financial sustainability and growth through identifying new funding and development opportunities for new income streams, while also submitting a number of bids to trusts and foundations.

The Fundraising and Buisiness Development Manager will join our team 2 days per week from the middle of June for 10 months. (This may be renewed, subject to funding.) 

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 3 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 6pm on Monday 31 May, 2021. Interviews with those shortlisted will take place on Monday 7 June, 2021.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

Please see the full job description here and download the equal opportunities monitoring form here. For more information contact anne@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK.  Ideally the postholder will be based in London, but we can be flexible. The role can be largely homebased in the UK, with office space provided in London if required.

________

Summary of project activities

The Fundraiser/Business Development Manager will:

• Lead on the implementation of our new fundraising strategy and its continuous development.
• Work closely with the senior leadership team and the Sustainability group.
• Lead on bid writing to Trusts and Foundations to ensure financial stability and growth.
• Identify potential new funders for core and project work in relation to the strategic plan and maintain good relationships with existing ones.
• Develop and increase the organisation's proportion of income generated from donations, and income generated from CSR, legacy, individuals, crowdfunding, community activities, etc.
• Ensure fundraising activities and asks accurately reflect and highlight the values and work of the organisation and the individual projects.

Also see the full job description attached.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights.

The Home Office’s New Plan for Immigration on their proposals to overhaul the asylum system is part of a worrying trend across Europe: the end of protection as we know it.

These proposals would create a two-tier system that punishes those who manage to find their own route to safety and condemns them to a life in limbo with restricted rights. 

Indeed, the UK government’s plans effectively seek to criminalise the act of seeking asylum, by making it easier to deport people who are seeking sanctuary in this country – and introducing the disturbing possibility of offshore detention centres.

The Home Office’s plans come despite an already dire situation for asylum seekers in the UK. Many of our members have waited for years for a decision on their asylum claim, to the detriment of their mental health, with some detained in accommodation that is unfit for purpose. 

Europe as a continent is moving towards a dangerous approach whereby the valid claims of people seeing asylum are ignored, delegitimised, or even criminalised.

The European Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted in September last year  was condemned by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for enabling member states to breach international conventions. “It allows them to sponsor deportations as an alternative to accepting their human rights responsibility to enable people to claim asylum in their countries,” said the confederation. The ETUC added that the pact “allows Member States to deny responsibility for protection for asylum seekers who entered the EU in another country”. 

Overall, this European Pact represents merely recycled ideas. It focuses on the securitisation of migration, including partnerships with third countries; deporting asylum seekers; combatting human traffickers and smugglers; and stepping up efforts to police external borders.

Across Europe, we are increasingly seeing migrants being treated as sub-human. One Syrian refugee was recently sentenced to 52 years in prison after travelling from Turkey with his family to seek refuge in Greece. His crime? Fleeing civil war in his home country, something we all would do. Greece has also been accused of illegally pushing back migrants from entering the country, with reports of authorities beating asylum seekers with batons. 

In a recent report in The Guardian, it was found that illegal pushbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic have been linked to the deaths of more than 2,000 people. It follows the EU's anti-fraud watchdog, Olaf, launching an investigation in January into accusations of unlawful operations aimed at restricting the arrival of asylum seekers in EU countries. 

In Italy, the government has recently reaffirmed bilateral relations with Libya, despite distressing reports of human rights violations, including the killings and abuse of migrants in the north African country. 

In Denmark, at least 380 Syrian refugees have been told that they must return to Damascus and the surrounding areas – where detention, abduction and torture are reported to be widespread – as these have been deemed “safe zones” by the Danish authorities. 

We believe that this European-wide treatment of migrants and people seeking asylum increasingly fails to encompass a basic respect for human dignity. It is unacceptable to punish those who are simply trying to reach safety: it is what anyone of us would do. 

Learn about the impact of Covid-19 on migrants with limited or no Leave to Remain - hear their stories.

The Building Resilience project provides spaces for migrants with limited immigration status and no recourse to public funds to discuss shared experiences throughout the pandemic and form networks of solidarity.

Responding to Covid-19: Building Resilience project, running between November 2020 and April 2021, aims to organise, empower and build networks with some of the migrant communities most marginalised by Covid-19. It is a partnership project between Migrant Voice, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, and RAPAR (Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Research).

Watch all the videos here

Ahead of the elections in the West Midlands, MV has written to all the Mayoral candidates to convey the views of our migrant members on their priorities for the candidates in order to make the region a better place to live.

We have asked them for theirs views on our members’ key asks so we can share these publicly.

Home Secretary Priti Patel’s proposed “biggest overhaul of the UK’s asylum system in decades” is based on false premises – particularly on the actual availability of legal routes – and tears apart the principle of the right to claim asylum.

The proposals create a two-tier system that punishes those who manage to find their own route to safety and condemns them to a life in limbo with restricted rights. 

People fleeing persecution and death have the right to seek sanctuary.  That is the starting point, and no policy should undermine it. We are dealing here with human beings: they cannot be treated like commodities.

The government’s rhetoric about people smugglers is a diversion. Smugglers are irrelevant in this equation: they are the product of current policies, opportunistically filling a gap in the market. Legal routes would put them out of business.

We welcome the Home Secretary’s statement that the government will work towards the creation of safe and legal routes, and we look forward to the details. From years’ working with asylum seekers and refugees we know that the reality is that currently it is near impossible to find legal routes.

The sole example of safe routes given by the Home Secretary is the current international resettlement scheme that can and does work but is also fraught with problems. Only a small fraction of those who need sanctuary are able to use this route - one per cent of those recognised by the United Nations. The other 99 per cent are left abandoned for years in harsh conditions.

Our fear is that the government will use the resettlement scheme to severely reduce the number of people accessing protection in the UK and create offshore asylum processing centres that leave vulnerable people stuck in precarious situations for years.

Without establishing legal routes the proposal will establish a second class of refugees whose rights will be taken away and who will be subjected to a permanent threat of deportation.

The idea of the two-tier system is dangerous.

It runs counter to every human instinct and every treaty and law on international protection that allows you to seek safety in any way possible. In reality, most of those ways are clandestine.

The proposed rules would not have stopped the father wanting to join his wife and three children in Scotland even though he passed through Italy on his way and was told he had to return there. Or the teenager in France refused permission to join her parents in Britain. Or the Iranian, one of many smuggled to the UK without being told of their final destination.

People who are oppressed, desperate and fleeing for the life, will not know the details of British regulations.

While we call for more legal and safe routes and for an improvement on existing resettlement routes, it is unacceptable to punish those who are simply trying to reach safety: it is what anyone of us would do.

Photo credit: Refugees Welcome by edu aguilera / CC BY-NC 2.0

Nadia Kanyange has a dream: “I want to do good in the society I live in, I want to use my skills and knowledge to lift other people up,” she says, a bright smile on her face.

The Glaswegian is running for the Scottish Parliament as a Green candidate, after a journey that took her from her native Burundi to Scotland, where she arrived as a refugee with her small child, in 2004. Nadia has been a social activist in her local area for years, helping women and migrants with charities such as Karibu and Migrant Voice, and being inspired by the people she came in contact with. “It’s so important to listen to people. That’s how we support each other,” she says.

Nadia’s experience with the asylum process, which lasted for four long years and included an initial rejection, allowed her to see the society she lived in with the eyes of the most vulnerable: “It was a very difficult time for me,” she recalls, “I didn’t know what the future was holding. It was a very uncertain situation.”

Finally, Nadia was granted leave to remain in 2008, and soon went back into full time education: “I learnt so much about myself and about the world,” she says of her years in college. This is also when she started volunteering with local organisations: “I felt like that was an important thing to do. When I arrived here, I felt that there wasn’t enough assistance and support.”

Nadia’s work with vulnerable people actually dates back to her time in Burundi, where she worked with refugees from neighbouring countries as a 19-year-old. The experience changed her worldview, she says. “It changed the way I feel about other human beings, and how I think we should live together.” Everything that she does now is shaped by what she learnt working in Burundi. “And I’m very proud of that,” she adds.

After graduating from college, Nadia went on to study Society, Politics and Policy at University of the West of Scotland, where she had the chance to enrol in a shadowing scheme in Holyrood. She soon started going to the Scottish Parliament to spend time with MSPs and see how they interacted with the community. “I knew that there was a need for diversity in politics, but never in my life did I think I could be a politician!”, she says, laughing. But the time spent shadowing MSPs was very inspirational, and Nadia started seeing herself as someone who could do the same.

Today, it’s clear that the idea of a community that lifts its members up is at the heart of everything that Nadia does. When the opportunity to run for election came, she took it, thinking about others that may come after her, anyone that she may “open the door for” in the future, as she puts it. She gets her inspiration from the millions of women who aren’t seen by many, but who are not afraid to stand up, contribute, and keep their communities and families together through their work. “I’m very grateful to be a candidate, and I’m hoping that this will have a positive impact on someone, anyone in our society.”

Nadia thinks in particular of migrants, whose voices aren’t always heard. “It’s important to see migrants in politics, because migrants should know that their voices are being heard. Migrant voices need to be valued,” she continues. She is also not afraid of addressing racism: “It’s uncomfortable to talk about it, but it’s important to mention that it exists.” And while episodes of explicit racism may be rare and easily condemned, covert racism is harder to discuss. “People are afraid to speak up because they don’t want to be accused of exaggerating, or of playing the racist card.” But fighting any form of racism means allowing everyone to have a voice and to contribute to society, she adds.

In the future, Nadia hopes to see her child, who will soon be an adult, become a good member of society. And she hopes that her efforts will inspire other people to be as brave as she is: “I’m not a public speaker,” she explains, and adds that she had to leave her comfort zone in order to be a candidate. But she is doing “what’s important to do,” she continues. She reiterates the importance of making one’s voice heard: “Someone is always listening,” she says.

After Roza Salih was elected as a students’ representative at Strathclyde University, people often laughed at her radical proposals - such as the introduction of scholarships for asylum seekers.

When she put the idea to the university’s principal, he retorted, “Do you think I have bags of money lying under the table?”

Without batting an eye, Roza replied, “Yes! I know how much you earn.”

The principal had learned, like Roza’s fellow students, that she wasn’t afraid of speaking her mind. 

Her outspokenness paid off. A year later, the first three scholarships for asylum seekers were announced. Today, Strathclyde University offers 10 such scholarships a year. 

Roza also campaigned for maternity and paternity concessions, accessibility for people with disabilities, and equality training for staff. She also inaugurated Black History Month activities. 

“I wanted to make a difference during my time there,” she recalls. “I don’t see the point, if you’re in a position of power, not to make a change.”

Roza arrived in Scotland in 2002 as a 12-year-old Iraqi Kurdish asylum seeker, with her parents and younger sister. Now she is running as a Scottish National Party candidate for the Scottish Parliament. 

“It’s an extraordinary journey,” she admits. “I don’t even know how I got here!”, she laughs. But a few minutes conversation with her makes it clear what brought her to this point: she emanates strength and determination: you can feel her energy even through a Zoom screen.

“I’ve always been very vocal,” she says- which may be the understatement of the year: she has spent 19 years in the UK, 16 of them as an activist. 

She began in 2005, when she was just 15, with a group of Drumchapel High School friends who became known as the Glasgow Girls. They learnt that one of their friends, Agnesa, and her family, had been taken from home in a dawn raid and were going to be deported. Roza and friends started campaigning for their release — and eventually won.

“At that time, people didn’t really know much about asylum seekers,” she explains. “There weren’t any charities to support us, there were no services to help us, no one was speaking up for us. That’s why the Glasgow Girls were so powerful. Because we became the voice for so many.” (Their story was turned into a musical co-produced by the National Theatre of Scotland.)

Roza’s experience as an asylum seeker was not simple: her family had to wait eight years for refugee status. During that time they faced almost daily discrimination, ranging from Roza’s inability to go on school trips with her friends to basic food shopping. “They would give us food stamps to buy food,” she remembers. “We were discriminated against so much because of them. My mum and I, we would get so stressed just to go to the shops and buy some food. These simple things made our lives so much harder.”

But despite struggling through the system, Roza felt that most of the community fully embraced her. “I didn’t choose Scotland, but it has made me who I am today,” she says proudly. Her circle of friends also made a difference. 

It is her personal experience that has made her so vocal in advocating equality. “Equal opportunities are so important for ethnic minorities, because so many of them feel like they can’t contribute to society. They don’t get the chance to.”

The turning point for Roza and her family, she thinks, was getting refugee status in 2010: their lives changed. The limbo of being asylum seekers was over. 

“I used to feel like I wasn’t part of society, like I couldn’t integrate,” she says. But as soon as she received her status, she felt Scottish. She was able to go to university, where she studied politics and law and graduated with honours. She now works as office manager for Christopher Stephens, the Scottish National Party MP for Glasgow South West. She could soon become the first refugee member of the Scottish Parliament. 

“I am a refugee, but I am also more than that,” she is eager to point out. “I am a woman, I’m a proud new Scot, and this is my home.”

Roza’s shift from activism to politics occurred when she realised that, despite all the good work by charities and activists, “we don’t get to make decisions, we’re not where power is. And I thought: I could be that person. I want to represent my community in Parliament.”

Yet she was incredulous when told she had been chosen as a candidate for the Scottish Parliament election this May. “Someone called me, and I just started crying my eyes out. I couldn’t believe it,” she recalls

She ended up being the top candidate for her party in the Glasgow region, which she considers her biggest achievement. She feels it’s a sign that the community is truly inclusive.

If elected, she says, her priority will be to draft legislation providing education for all, regardless of immigration status. “Many migrants are excluded from studying in higher education. This right is taken away from them … But education should be available to everyone. It’s a right.”

“I want to live in a society where people are equal and are treated fairly,” she says. “That’s all I’m seeking.” 

The appalling conditions for asylum seekers housed at the Penally Camp and Napier barracks have been exposed in a damning report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and the prisons inspectorate. This can come as a surprise only to those who do not listen to migrant voices. It’s shocking nonetheless.

The report says that the Home Office disregarded advice by Public Health England and Public Health Wales that the dormitory accommodation was not Covid-safe (up to 28 in a room at one point); did not give contractors time to prepare the dilapidated, sometimes “filthy” accommodation; failed to take measures for containing a possible Covid outbreak; failed to ensure fire safety; had been slow to recognise the impact of prolonged isolation in unsuitable accommodation; failed to oversee managers who lacked necessary skills and experience.  

The Home Office was castigated for “fundamental failures of leadership and planning”. A decrepit ‘isolation block’ was unfit for habitation. Depression and other mental health problems were rife; one-third of Napier respondents said they had felt suicidal. Residents had been told they would stay for a few weeks, but most remained for months. The Home Office provided virtually no information about when residents would be moved or about their asylum claims, giving rise to misunderstanding, rumours and fear.

To add insult to injury residents were shouted at and intimidated by protestors and members of the public who did not want them there, and Home Secretary Priti Patel fell back on military nationalism and said Napier had previously accommodated “our brave soldiers and army personnel”, and it was “an insult to say it is not good enough”.

All this evidence gives official confirmation to what some Migrant Voice members had previously uncovered by talking to the people best placed to reveal what was happening in this inadequately repurposed asylum housing, those who have had to live there. They told of staff racism and drug-trading, barely cooked rice swimming in water, restriction to accessing donated food, untreated injuries, broken lavatories, no hot water, threats that lodging complaints would affect asylum cases.

Their situation is encompassed in the inspectors’ report on conditions at the former barracks — and it’s a coruscating litany of incompetence and neglect. The Home Office’s failure in treating people with even the barest level of decency is dangerously close to abuse. But conditions and events at Napier and Penally are not isolated incidents. It is what happens when asylum seekers are kept out of sight, when their voices are unheard, when they are treated as having no worth, and when a government sets aside its duty of care and sets out to punish rather than provide sanctuary and operates on the absurd idea that the harsher the conditions here the more will people be discouraged from fleeing conflict and disrupted lives.

Asylum seekers are people and should be treated, like everyone in this country, with respect and fairness.  To fail to do so is not an indictment of them, but of ourselves.

Photo credit: Pangalactic Gargleblaster /  https://flickr.com/photos/almostinfamous/ / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Photo credit: Arne Müseler / arne-mueseler.com / CC-BY-SA-3.0 

While we welcome the rapid rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in the UK, we are concerned that there are many UK residents who have no idea if, when or how they will have access to the vaccine: they are undocumented migrants, who live and work among the rest of us, but who don’t have the same access to healthcare and may be too afraid to seek out the chance to be vaccinated.

In the UK, the vaccine is being distributed based on information held by GP surgeries. Theoretically, every person in the UK is allowed to register with their local GP and receive primary care, regardless of residency or immigration status – so theoretically, every person should be able to receive the vaccine. 

Yet the reality is very different. We know countless people who were turned away from their GP surgery when they tried to register, many of them undocumented migrants – they were told they need proof of ID, of status, of address, or that people from their country of origin aren’t allowed to register with a GP, or “we don’t deal with illegal immigrants”.

In these crucial months, as the vaccine is rolled out, hundreds of thousands of people may miss out because GP surgeries don’t know or are choosing not to follow the rules – and the impacts could be devastating. The Government must act swiftly to remind all GP surgeries that proof of identity, status or address is not required for someone to register, and that refusing to register someone due to prejudice or racism will not be tolerated. 

The Government and NHS must also deliver loud, clear messages on who is entitled to receive a vaccine. Just as they made testing and treatment for Covid-19 freely accessible to everyone, regardless of status, the same must be done for vaccinations and a public information campaign launched to spread the word and to reassure migrants that none of their information will be shared with the Home Office when they receive a vaccine. 

Since Covid-19 first arrived in the UK, the Government has taken some welcome steps towards protecting undocumented migrants – including making Covid-19 testing and treatment free and accessible to all – but these changes were not accompanied by an effective communication campaign, so many people remained unaware. Furthermore, years of hostile environment policies and a lack of clear communication regarding their rights has left many migrants deeply distrustful of the UK authorities. We know of several cases where undocumented migrants, fearful of costs and repercussions from the Home Office, haven’t sought treatment for Covid-19 and have died as a result. 

To prevent further avoidable deaths, the Government must do better at informing people of their rights. This job has too often been left to migrant organisations, charities and NGOs, which often lack the resources to spread the message effectively. And when it comes to public health, the Government and NHS should be leading the messaging campaign.

With regards to the vaccination programme, the UK is in a better starting position than many other countries, where often only those with a residency status can register with a doctor and access any form of healthcare. Yet there has been no official statements regarding the rights of undocumented migrants to access the vaccine, unlikely in Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, where authorities have stated that they intend to offer the vaccination to all residents, including those without papers. 

We need to see a well-planned and well-funded campaign that seeks to reach all UK residents through a variety of platforms, tools and languages. Migrants with and without documents need to hear and believe that testing, treatment and vaccinations for Covid-19 are free, that they are eligible for them, and that there will be no repercussions or checks for anyone seeking them. Steps must also be taken to ensure that all GP surgeries follow the rules regarding registration and that there are negative consequences for those that don’t. 

We’re all desperate to return to some kind of post-pandemic normality – and for many of us, the first step will be receiving the vaccine. From a public health perspective, it is common sense to make sure that everyone living in the UK can access this – after all, a vaccination programme only works when it reaches as many people as possible. But it’s also about common decency – undocumented migrants are our neighbours, our friends and part of our communities. We urge the Government to make it clear that they too can receive the vaccine, no questions asked, and to dismantle the barriers that might stand in their way. 

TOP IMAGE: Man in front of a woman holding an injection, Nenad, Stojkovic, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

When Covid-19 vaccination programmes began in the UK and around the world, many governments promised to prioritise the most vulnerable individuals in their communities. But very little has been said, so far, about an extremely vulnerable group of people, who walk the same streets as the rest, yet are often invisible: undocumented migrants.

In many countries, undocumented migrants – including those whose permits have expired and are waiting for new ones – live in limbo, with virtually no access to public health care. An action as simple as registering with a local doctor, which in many places (including the UK) is the gateway to getting a vaccine, may need proof of ID, a social security number, proof of address, and so on. This is the case in Italy and France, for example.

On paper at least, the UK seems to be further ahead than elsewhere: everyone in the UK is allowed to register with their local GP and it is not a legal requirement to provide proof of address or immigration status when doing so. This is laid out clearly on the NHS website. 

Technically then, anyone in the UK should be able to get a Covid-19 vaccine, sooner or later, regardless of their immigration status. However, there are still a number of barriers – many GP surgeries wrongly refuse to register people without ID or proof of address, and many undocumented people don’t know they’re eligible to register or are too scared about potential costs or being reported to the Home Office to access their GP’s services, including the vaccine. (Despite promises in 2018 to largely end the practice of data-sharing between the NHS and Home Office, some data-sharing has continued, and many migrants simply don’t trust those promises.)

Furthermore, while testing and treatment for Covid-19 are free of charge for everyone and require no immigration checks, the NHS has not yet made it clear whether vaccinations are covered by the same rules. 

Could the UK then learn from what other countries are doing with regard to undocumented migrants?

Several governments in Europe and elsewhere have taken a number of actions to enable undocumented migrants to access healthcare and other state support  during the pandemic, for example temporarily extending migrants’ permits, thereby granting them access to healthcare for a longer period. 

Others have gone one step further: last year, Portugal granted access to healthcare to those who had applied for a permit but were still waiting for it; Italy made an effort to regularise some undocumented migrants who were working in agriculture, domestic and care work – hence giving them a residence permit; more recently, Thailand took a similar measure. 

On the issue of vaccines, very few countries have released information on their plans for making it available to undocumented migrants. In the US, single states seem to be responsible for choosing who gets the vaccine and when, with diverging policies. While New Jersey, for example, has stated that undocumented migrants will be vaccinated with the rest of the population, Nebraska is prioritising residents with papers. the situation in Nebraska seems to be different. In response, Mexico’s government stated that it will seek to invoke labour provisions in the North American trade pact, which should ensure that migrant workers in the US receive a vaccine regardless of their immigration status.

European countries, for the most part, still don’t have clear policies. There are positive signs from some governments, with Belgian and Dutch officials stating that undocumented migrants will not be excluded from vaccination programmes. But it looks like others, such as Italy, only intend to provide a vaccine to migrants with a valid residence permit. In South America, Colombia is planning to do the same.

Across the world, the uncertainty about whether they will be able to access the vaccine along with everyone else is only adding to the struggles that undocumented migrants face on a daily basis. Compared to many other countries, the UK is in a good position to make sure everyone gets the vaccine who wants it, but there is still work to be done to ensure this happens.

TOP IMAGE: Man in front of a woman holding an injection, Nenad, Stojkovic, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

We were heartbroken to hear of the recent death of Simin Azimi, a Migrant Voice trustee and a friend to us for many years.

Simin dedicated her life to working for migrant and refugee rights and her passing is a huge loss to the sector and to the migrant community in the UK.

But we will remember her, not just for her activism, but for her qualities as a human being. As a trustee, she was always supportive and encouraging – she believed in the mission of Migrant Voice when the organisation was only an idea and has been a rock of support ever since we took our first steps. 

Despite her hectic schedule as Director of the Refugee Women’s Association – let alone the numerous other projects she was involved in – Simin always had time for us, and always made every staff member and volunteer feel valued, recognised and supported.

She brought passion and a positive energy to everything she did, and always sought ways to bring people together, through diplomacy and through kindness. She had a huge heart.

Just last month, she attended our AGM and seemed so full of life, looking ahead to times when we could all meet in person again and excited for the next year in the life of Migrant Voice.

Simin was an admired colleague and a dear friend and we will miss her deeply.

Rest in peace.

TOP IMAGE: Simin Azimi (third from left) with Migrant Voice staff and trustees at an away day in July 2019

As we go through another Covid-19 lockdown, many of us may find ourselves needing access to information or support services as we face health issues, or employment, immigration or housing problems.

See below for some free, online resources that you might find useful. We will continue to add to this list as we find other helpful information. 

For general Covid-19 information in English and other languages, see the Mayor of London website, Covid-19 Graphics or the Race Equality Foundation. For advice in nine different languages, see IOM. Watch these two videos for information about the new lockdown in Romanian and Romanes languages. For resources for asylum seekers and people with NRPF, see the Humans of Glasgow project.

General community support: See Mutual Aid (network of volunteer groups), Acorn or C19Assist (community organising union matching volunteers with people needing help). For community support BAME groups, see the Local Resources page on Covid-19 Graphics. For support for nannies and au pairs, get in touch with the Nanny Solidarity Network. For support for international students, see Seven Seas Worldwide’s guide.

Health: For Covid-19 advice in 51 languages, visit the Doctors of the World website. For advice on looking after your mental health, see the Mental Health Foundation, Mind or the Red Cross. For advice on coping in anxious times, see this NHS website (with translations in 13 languages). For mental health advice for younger people, see Young Minds, and for a helpline for BAME children and families, see Barnado's. For advice on physical and mental health in English, Arabic, Urdu and Punjabi, see these Medical Aid Film videos.

Vaccines: For information on the Coronavirus vaccine check the NHS website; for help in Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu and Sylheti, see these BBC videos.

Food: For information about accessing food banks/food packages, visit the Trussell Trust; for free food in London, see Food for All, Vital Meals and FoodCycle – for food delivery Hackney area, see Made in Hackney. For food parcels in Birmingham, see this Facebook group and FoodCycle. For food packs in Glasgow, see Refuweegee or Glasgow Central Mosque, which provides free meals on Sundays 1-3pm (collection and delivery).

Employment: For impartial advice for employers and employees, see Acas; for information and advice on working and benefits during Covid-19, see Citizens Advice. See also the Employment Rights Hub on the Mayor of London website.
 
Immigration: For up-to-date information about the latest changes to immigration and asylum law due to Covid-19, see Right to Remain or Free Movement. For advice for asylum seekers and refugees, call this Refugee Council helpline. If you’re in England, call 0808 196 7272. If you’re in Scotland, call 0808 196 7274. If you’re in Wales, call 0808 196 7273. Interpreters available.

Housing: For housing advice during the pandemic, visit Shelter England and Scotland.

If you have suggestions for services that should be added to this list, please contact us at info@migrantvoice.org.

Thanks to Migrant Voice volunteer Silvia Tadiello for helping compile this list.

TOP IMAGE: Covid-19, Prachatai, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

We wish all of our members and supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wherever you are and whatever your circumstances, we hope you can have a happy and restful time.

The Migrant Voice office is closed between Christmas and New Year, and we will reopen on Monday 4 January.

We look forward to seeing and working with you all again in 2021!

Despite having known for months that freedom of movement between the UK and the European Union ends with this year, it still takes an effort to come to terms with what this entails. On 31 December 2020, the transitional period comes to an end, and with it, the ‘four freedoms’ that the EU provides to its citizens: free movement of goods, capital, services and people.

Like many people, I’m most concerned about the fate of thousands of EU citizens who will inevitably fall through the cracks of the EU Settlement Scheme, which all EU citizens and their families in the UK are required to apply to in order to continue living here from 2021.

The process of applying for settled or pre-settled status looks quite straightforward at first sight. And in fact, compared to many other parts of the immigration system, it is relatively simple and well-functioning. The scheme does have significant shortcomings, however, and these have long been exposed, largely with little reaction from the UK Government.

People with status through the scheme are not given any physical evidence of it, which makes it more complex to prove you have the right to be in the UK to a potential employer, landlord or doctor. While showing a stamp on your passport or a residence card takes seconds, proving your status includes logging into a government website to retrieve a share code, which is then to be given to your employer, who then has to use the same website to check that the code is legitimate (to do so, they must know your date of birth, too).

Obtaining a status should only take a few days after the application, but a significant minority of applicants have complained of much longer waiting times, unexpected requests for additional documentation, or unjustified refusals. 

H, a third-country (non-EU, non-UK) national who applied to the scheme on the basis of his relationship to a EU citizen, has been waiting for his outcome for over a year. 

“Although it didn’t really affect me at first, it quickly became clear that I couldn’t leave the country after my first visa expired, or I wouldn’t be able to come back,” he says. Because of this, he has not seen his family, who live abroad, since moving to the UK. “I feel like I’m imprisoned here,” he adds, “because – sure, I’m free to leave, but then I’d have to start everything all over again.” 

Communication with UK Visas and Immigration – the Home Office department that handles visas and the Settlement Scheme – has been nearly impossible, H explains. Calls have stayed on hold for hour; emails have been answered with pre-written generic answers; a complaint has returned no effective action.

Other applicants find themselves in need of external support to complete an application. For example, research has shown that most members of the Roma community who applied to the scheme have required some form of assistance. Access to support proves vital for the future of these people. And still, these are the lucky ones – those who know they need to, and have been able to, apply.

Campaigners have raised concerns about the people who will be left out of the Settlement Scheme for a number of reasons: because they lack the necessary documentation, because their health has not allowed them to apply or to gather the relevant evidence, because they did not know that they had to apply. People who are homeless or in care, including children, are particularly in danger.

Although the deadline to apply to the scheme isn’t for another six months (30 June 2021), this also opens the door to another conundrum: until then, how are employers, landlords, doctors and so on – the unwilling border guards of the UK’s hostile environment – to differentiate between EU migrants who arrived in the UK after the transition period, and who hence do not have the right to live and work here unless they have a work visa, from those who were here before 1 January, but who have not (yet) applied to the Settlement Scheme? 

And what about those who have applied but are still waiting for a response: will they face discrimination because of their inability to prove their right to live and work in the country that is their home (and which may have been so for years, if not decades)?

The cut-off date is also causing concern among first-year EU students at UK universities who, because of Covid-19, have stayed in their home countries for their first semester and followed classes online. Although they are enrolled in British universities now, they will have to apply for a student visa if they move to the UK after 31 December to continue their studies.

It is, truly, the end of an era. The moment between 31 December and 1 January marks the split between two generations of migrants: those who could, and those who can’t. The new points-based immigration system does not, indeed, differentiate between EU and non-EU migrants, but it only allows specific categories of workers to enter the country – those who are highly skilled, who already speak English, and who hold a job offer (with some exceptions for ‘outstanding talents’). 

There have been reports that the new system will put a strain on industries who heavily rely on migrant workers, such as construction and care. Moreover, several other categories of so-called “low-skilled” workers who are the backbone of the UK and whose work has been more vital than ever during this pandemic year – delivery drivers, restaurant and supermarket workers, cleaners, and so on – will be excluded from the new visa system.

As the UK ‘Brexits’, I’ll be thinking about all the EU citizens and their families in the UK who are worried about how their lives will change, and uncertain about their future here. And in 2021, let’s keep working to make sure that everyone who’s eligible gets the status and security they need. 

Silvia Tadiello is an EU citizen living in the UK and a Migrant Voice volunteer

In a society where two-thirds of migrants say that media and political discourse has an impact on their sense of belonging, it’s important that the media landscape is constantly scrutinised, including the question of who gets to speak.

This becomes even more important during unprecedented situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic, when social inequalities – many of which disproportionately impact migrants – are exacerbated.

Back in March 2020, as the first lockdown kicked in and we all sat glued to the news on our phones, we at Migrant Voice decided to start monitoring media coverage of migration. 

We analysed nearly 900 articles about migration published across nine of the UK’s most popular online news outlets between 1 March and 31 May 2020 – covering most of the first lockdown, including the first peak in Covid-19 infections and deaths.

We found that the UK media still has a long way to go before reporting on migration embodies the accuracy, diversity and nuance that it should.

While 21% of the stories we scrutinised did include the voice of someone impacted by the issue being reported on – a significant improvement from the 12% found in our 2014 study – there were large and worrying differences between news outlets. Around a third of stories in The Guardian included a migrant voice, but in The Express it was just one in 25.

Our research also revealed a tendency across media outlets to box migrants into very specific categories and sub-categories (such as ‘Channel crossers’, ‘frontline NHS workers’, ‘asylum seekers’) and to present these groups in simplistic ways, as heroes or threats, for example.

This widespread use of framing reflects and entrenches stereotyped views about migrants and a troubling narrative that suggests some migrants are more deserving of rights and respect than others. By reinforcing the idea that one must have a certain job or look and behave a certain way to be deemed worthy of a place and fair treatment in the UK, the concept of common humanity that was touted so frequently during that first lockdown is undermined.

We saw the consequences of this play out in the two major migration-related policy changes that took place during the first lockdown and were widely reported on - the International Health Surcharge exemption and visa extensions for some NHS workers. We welcome these changes, but we’re troubled that only one narrow subsection of migrants – those identified and hailed as heroes - benefited from significant policy change and, in the case of the visa extensions, only on a temporary basis.

Policy change should happen because it’s the right thing to do, not because of front-page headlines, not because those who will benefit are themselves of benefit to the UK (saving lives or picking the food that feeds the country), and not because it's in the interest of the government.

Yet there were positives in our findings too. Firstly, it’s heartening to see that extensive media coverage of an issue can contribute to shifting the government’s position (even if that shift is also self-serving).

Secondly, as a result of this year’s unprecedented situation, journalists, policymakers and the public are now much more educated about issues such as the No Recourse to Public Funds condition that prevents many migrants accessing state support, asylum support and immigration detention, and we hope this can form the groundwork for more significant policy changes in the future.

And finally, we’ve seen how major events can create opportunities for conversations and for change that are impossible at any other time.

It’s vital that monitoring of UK media coverage of migration doesn’t stop here.

Since May 2020, we’ve seen the global resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, reaching communities all across the UK as never before; we've seen report after report laying bare the inequalities faced by many migrant and BAME communities and exposed by Covid-19; and we've seen an uptick in hostility towards asylum seekers in the UK, with vigilantes patrolling south coast beaches and far-right groups targeting asylum seeker accommodation.

And of course, we've seen a severe second wave of Covid-19, with further lockdowns and restrictions.

Perhaps like no other year, 2020 has shown just how powerful the media can be in influencing and educating the public. It’s therefore more important than ever that the media is scrutinised and held to account.

And as we continue to live through this pandemic and look ahead to more normal times, we encourage all journalists to look beyond the stereotypes to the human beings behind their stories, and to seek to include the voices of those impacted by the issues they’re writing about.

The result will be fairer, more accurate, more engaging reporting – something all of us want to see.

Read the full report on our findings here.

This piece was also published on Politics.co.uk.

TOP IMAGE: Newspapers B&W (5), by Jon S, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Like Migrant Voice, Together in the UK is committed to amplifying the voices of migrants in the UK. We warmly extend an invitation to friends and supporters at Migrant Voice to enter our exciting new creative writing competition or to share the invitation with first or second-generation migrants in their networks.

Founded in 2015, Together in the UK is a social enterprise that provides a platform for migrants to share their experiences and offer advice to other migrants navigating life in a new country. We also share Migrant Voice’s aim of creating a more empathetic society and making the transition to life in the UK a smooth one for people who come here.

With these goals in mind, we have launched a creative writing competition on the theme of migration. We are looking for the next wave of first and second-generation migrant writers to share their poetry, short stories or essays on what migration means to them. It can be a work of the imagination or based on their lived experience. 

We are excited to hear from new voices of all ages, so we have an Over 18s and an Under 18s category. The judging panel for each category comprises people with expertise in migration and in literature. The judges include:

• Lord Dubs, active member of the House of Lords, who migrated from the Czech Republic to Britain in 1939 as a child 
• Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, a thinktank concerned with integration and identity; his parents migrated to the UK to support the NHS 
• Consuelo Rivera-Fuentes, author, academic and the publisher of Victorina Press, who migrated from Chile to the UK in 1992
• Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at King’s College London, who is well-versed in synthesizing complex topics like migration into something easily understood 
• David Marshall, founder and CEO of Marshall E-Learning, who specialises in diversity by creating products that are designed to help organisations become more inclusive and diverse
• Tyrone Roach, UK Correspondent for the Barbados Nation News and Chairperson of the Barbados Overseas Community and Friends Association

We are particularly thrilled to have Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice and an award-winning expert in her field, on our judging panel. Originally arriving in the UK from Lebanon in 1986, Nazek has been at the forefront of bringing migrant voices to local and national attention. Having successfully brought migrant voices into the spotlight in London with the launch of The New Londoners newspaper in 2007, Nazek expanded this reach to a national audience through the creation of Migrant Voice in 2010. Nazek’s wealth of experience both personally and in her work is a much-appreciated asset to our panel.

Speaking about the opportunity to be a judge, Nazek said, “Migrant Voice has led on lots of different campaigns over the years, all geared to developing migrant voices, sometimes through arts and poetry, through engaging with the media or through images. It’s therefore obvious to me that I would want to encourage more voices, more creativity so of course, I want to be a judge on the Together in the UK competition.”

There are some great prizes for the winners, including a Chrome Workbook (donated by Marshall E-Learning), an iPhone 6S, a scooter, an illustration of the winning piece, career counselling, cinema vouchers, and a place on one of Migrant Voice’s Media Lab training sessions. The winners will also have the opportunity to present their work at Together in the UK’s next event.

The deadline to submit your poem, short story or essay is 24 January 2021. Have a go yourself and share with all who you think may be interested. We look forward to reading the work of the latest migrant voices in the UK creative scene!

Read all the details here: https://www.togetherintheuk.co.uk/creative-plus/

On International Migrants Day 2020, Migrant Voice is celebrating our names and everything that they mean. But what, exactly, is in a name?

English poet and playwright William Shakespeare was quick to dismiss the importance of names in his famous play Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy about two young people in love. A rose “would smell as sweet” even if we called it something else, we read in that play. 

Shakespeare wasn’t wrong: if you think about the English word ‘rose’, and then picture it in any other language that you speak (rosa, roos, ròs, warda…), you’ll still picture the same beautiful flower. 

But Shakespeare knew that things get a bit messier when names belong to people and not objects. When the play’s heroine says that famous line, she is referring to Romeo’s surname – which marks him as a member of family that is the enemy of her own. She tries to dismiss its relevance and persuade both herself and Romeo that his name, and what it means, doesn’t matter. But she was wrong and the play ends in tragedy for them both. 

Names do matter, but we use them so often and so nonchalantly that many people rarely stop and think about them. Yet we migrants and descendants of migrants who retain that heritage in our names are often reminded of our names more often than we’d like. 

Our names are mispronounced and misspelt; teachers look at them and sigh, “I’m not even going to try to say this”; friends and colleagues use an easier nickname, or an English name that sounds similar to the original. 

We get used to the new pronunciation and the new nicknames; we learn to say, “Just call me…”; we anglicise the pronunciation of our foreign-sounding names. It’s no tragedy, of course. After all – what’s in a name?

Our names are one of our oldest possessions and often one of the first things we tell others about ourselves. They are also never just ours, as they are used by others to address us, talk to us, or about us; besides, we share our first, middle and last names with many other people. 

Our names carry our history – literally in the form of a paper trail we create and leave in our wake, from birth certificates to passports, and from the covers of old schoolbooks to contracts, lists, letters and post-it note messages left on the fridge. 

But they carry our history less literally too – they connect us to our roots by way of our family names, the ancestors after whom we were named, or simply our parents’ taste and choices. And sometimes, they can remind us of a journey across the world that we or the ones who came before us took. 

So, what’s in a name? Our stories are in our names. Our families, our roots, our languages are too. The past versions of ourselves, however different they may be from our present selves, still shared our name: they are in there too. 

On International Migrants Day, let’s celebrate our names, their histories and their meanings – let’s celebrate what they mean to us. 

We’ve been asking our members to reflect on their names and we’re sharing their contributions across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Why not tag us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and tell us what your name means to you?

As part of our International Migrants Day celebrations, we’re launching the first major report to analyse UK media coverage of migration during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the report here. And join us at 5.30pm on Wednesday 16 December on Zoom to help us officially launch the report! Email info@migrantvoice.org to get the link.  

We analysed nearly 900 articles published during the first Covid-19 lockdown by nine of the most popular online news outlets – and our findings are now available to everyone in this report.

We reveal that 21% of those news stories included the voice of someone impacted by issue being reported on – a significant improvement from the 12% found in our 2014 study. There were big differences between news outlets, however, with 33.5% of stories in The Guardian including a migrant voice and just 3.9% in the Express.

While we’re pleased that one in five stories about migration in this unprecedented period included a migrant voice, this is still not enough and we’re concerned that this may have been only a very temporary phenomenon.

We also found a concerning tendency across outlets to box migrants into very specific categories – such as ‘Channel crossers’, ‘frontline NHS workers’, ‘asylum seekers’ – and to present these groups in simplistic ways, e.g. as heroes or threats. 

The impact of this was profound. Calls to scrap the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and to extend visas for migrant NHS workers – a group presented across the media as heroes and therefore uniquely deserving of fair policies – were amplified and supported by every news outlet. Just days later, both policies were introduced after Government U-turns.

In contrast, calls for fair policies for groups presented by the media as threats or victims – such as asylum seekers or migrants with a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition – were reported far less and led to very little (if any) real change. This was despite the urgent and severe financial struggles and health risks these people faced.

Furthermore, the categorisation of migrants as heroes, threats or victims entrenches a deeply problematic narrative that says some migrants are more deserving of rights and respect than others. When you suggest that someone must have a certain job or behave a certain way to be worthy of a place and fair treatment in the UK, you undermine the idea that ‘we are all in this together’.

We believe that policy change should happen because it is the right thing to do, not because of front-page headlines, not because those who will benefit are themselves of benefit to the UK, and not because it's in the interest of the Government.

Yet there are positives from this research too. As a result of this pandemic, journalists, policymakers and the public know much more about issues such as asylum support and immigration detention, and we hope this can form the groundwork for more significant policy changes in the future.

In the meantime, we encourage journalists to remember that migrants are a primary and highly valuable source of information for stories about migration, and that including migrant voices leads to fairer, more accurate, more engaging reporting, something everyone wants to see

Read the report here. And join us at 5.30pm on Wednesday 16 December on Zoom to help us officially launch the report! Email info@migrantvoice.org to get the link.  

We're excited to announce two opportunities to join the team at Migrant Voice! We're looking for a full-time, short-term Communications Officer and a part-time London Project Worker to join us from March 2021. Read on for all the details...

Communications Officer

Migrant Voice is looking for a short-term full-time Communications Officer to take over from our current colleague who is moving to a new role and continue building our communications work. 

The Communications Officer will implement Migrant Voice’s communications strategy to support our aims to bring migrants’ authentic voices into the media and migration debates and strengthen the communications capacity of the organisation and its members in London, Birmingham and Glasgow. As a key part of this work, the post holder will continue Migrant Voice’s ‘Meet a Migrant’ project to further develop and implement its last phase. The project works to increase migrants’ voices and influence on media.

The Communications Officer will join our team in London full time from March.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 4 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 8am on Friday 15 January 2021. Interviews with those short-listed will take place on 22 January 2021.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

See the full job description here and equal opportunities monitoring form here. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK. 

________

Summary of project activities

The Communications Officer will:

• Update and implement our communications strategy to promote the organisation and further its aims on internal and external platforms
• Raise the profile of migrants’ issues in the mainstream media and create opportunities for migrants’ voices to be heard, including identifying and brokering interviews and other media opportunities
• Build on our ‘Meet the Editors’ programme and continue to organise, publicise and facilitate events and meetings between migrants and journalists and editors, to enable dialogue about migration and migrants’ experiences to take place and create opportunities for and influence media stories.
• Manage the organisation’s communications infrastructure including website, and social media as well as producing online content.
• Produce the organisation’s high-level written material and media copy including positions, editorials and news releases to target external audiences.
• Train, mentor and support migrant individuals and groups to enhance their capacity and confidence in speaking with the media.
• Create policy/issues briefings based on migrants’ experiences raised at our activities and disseminate to policy makers.

See the full job description here.

London Project Worker

Migrant Voice is looking for a part-time London Project Worker to support the delivery of our activities in London to develop the capacity and confidence of migrants to speak effectively about the impact of extortionate visa fees on their lives, engaging directly with media and policymakers to advocate for a fairer immigration system.

The London Project Worker will join our team in London from March.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 3 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

Deadline for receiving all applications is: 8am on Monday 18 January 2021. Interviews with those short-listed will take place in the week commencing 25 January.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org.

See the full job description here and equal opportunities monitoring form here. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK. 

________

Summary of project activities

The London Project Worker will:

• Support the Project Coordinator in developing and implementing a strategy and plan for the project’s activities

• Organise and facilitate meetings to explore the issues, build knowledge and capacity 
• Identify target groups and undertake outreach to migrant individuals and communities affected
• Conduct interviews and produce case studies, briefings and a report, disseminating these to policy makers
• Organise training sessions
• Work with the Communications team to establish contact with local and regional journalists and pitch stories to the media.
• Support migrants to speak out to policy makers and meet with their MPs 
• Work with participants to set up a self-help group

See the full job description here.

Migrant Voice (MV) is a national, migrant-led organisation working with migrants from all around the world with all kinds of status, including refugees and asylum seekers. We develop the media skills and confidence of migrants with the aim of strengthening their voices in the media and civil society in order to counter xenophobia and build support for our rights. 

Just a few weeks on from promising to create a just immigration system, the Home Office seems to have become obsessed with deporting people. Whether it’s Jamaicans who have served a prison sentence and are now facing their second, crushing punishment; asylum seekers whose claims have been refused; or someone who finds themselves without a bed for the night – the Government seems determined to get rid of them as fast as possible, sometimes even skipping over their own due process to do so. 

We urge the Home Office to scrap the policy, implemented at the start of December, that allows for any migrant found sleeping rough to be deported; to end the double punishment that sees people who have served their time exiled to a life away from their family in a country that is not their home; and to ensure that due process is followed with every asylum claim, including sufficient and timely access to legal support. 

We also call on all those whose complicity is required for unjust deportations to take place, to take a stand. We’re pleased that Haringey Council is refusing to collaborate with the Home Office to deport rough sleepersand that Virgin Airlines said in 2018 that they would no longer work with the Home Office on “involuntary deportations”. But now every UK council and every airline must follow their lead. 

What’s particularly concerning about the Home Office’s behaviour is that just a few weeks ago, the department pledged to create a more “just” immigration system, to “embrace the human impact of its work” and to train all its staff to see the “face behind the case”. In the face of these deportations, this pledge rings hollow. Indeed, these deportations are only politically possible because the Home Office refuses to publicly acknowledge the human impact and disguises the “face behind the case” with dehumanising language that casts those deemed deportation-worthy as violent criminals and threats to UK security and society.

The Home Office repeatedly described the 50 people scheduled to be deported to Jamaica on 2 December as “foreign criminals”, as “murderers” and “rapists”, with no mention of the fact that they have all served their sentences in a UK prison already and that many were convicted for drug offences, for example, not violent crimes. Desperate families crossing the Channel to seek safety are dismissed in Home Office statements as “illegal migrants” and even “people smugglers”, if they were unlucky enough to be the one steering the boat. 

Many media outlets follow suit, using similar language that dehumanises, generates fear and disguises the human beings involved. Where journalists instead choose to give a platform to those human beings, it quickly becomes impossible to view them as a mass, threatening Other – and therefore to justify their mass deportation.

In this article, for example, we hear from Zartosht about how he was “disappeared” after writing poetry the Iranian authorities didn’t approve of, and held in prison for four years. We learn that he was stabbed in a migrant camp in Greece and later forced aboard a dinghy at gun point. Recalling the moment they were taken aboard a UK Border Force boat, Zartosht said: “Everybody was crying with joy that they were safe and that somebody had picked them up.”

Here, we hear from Owen, a Jamaican-born migrant who couldn’t afford to pay his rent after losing his job and ended up sleeping rough earlier this year. “I started sleeping in my van,” he says. “Then from the van, I slept in a park and then a couple of nights under a bridge.” If the new policy around rough sleepers had been in place at that time, “the government would have tried to kick me out,” Owen reflects.

And in this article, we hear from Arthur, who was on the 2 December deportation flight but won a last-minute reprieve: “That relief I feel, I’m telling you, was unbelievable. It was like someone choking you and then letting go so you can get that breath that you dreamt of breathing.” 

It’s only possible to implement inhumane policies when the people you’re punishing aren’t seen as human. Ultimately, we need to see new rhetoric from the Home Office that publicly acknowledges the human impact of their work, and fair, humane policies to match. Until that happens, we need councils, airlines and all of civil society to resist unfair deportations however it can, and journalists to show us the faces and the voices that the Government tries to hide.

TOP IMAGE: Borderline, by tsuna 72, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Well, is it? That was the question that an hour-long TV programme set out to answer.

It took very few minutes to point out the absurdity of the question. Although two-thirds of frontline NHS Covid deaths are people categorised as Black and Minority Ethnic, BAME doesn’t really exist. It’s just the British term for the country’s non-white people. They are Africans, Asians, Latin Americans, Pacific islanders. There’s obviously no genetic link.

Equally risible is the idea that the amount of melanin in the skin is a factor in falling ill from the pandemic.

Having established that basic fact, Dr Ronx Ikharia moved her inquiry on.

Everybody deserves the right to good health, she pointed out: “If I were Prime Minister and someone said one group was dying at disproportionate rates, I would ask, Why?”

So she put the question to various doctors and leaders of community groups and organisations. The answers were hardly surprising: for years the NHS has depended on migrants and many work on the frontline and indeed the bottom line too and in hazardous conditions they are bound to feature prominently; BAME people were less ljkely to be furloughed, often feeling too insecure to speak out about lack of safety equipment; for the same reason, or because of poor pay (and the need to save for exorbitant visa fees) they frequently put in a lot of overtime, which took its toll on their health (“If they don’t follow what their managers say their contracts won’t be renewed”) – oh yes, and ”there is structural race inequality throughout the NHS”  … “years and years, decades and decades, and centuries and centuries of inbuilt racism”.

It’s an awkward message to receive. “When we talk about race,” commented Ikharia, “racial equality, institutional racism, structural racism, people get uncomfortable.” They don’t necessarily want to discuss such issues. 

It’s not that no action has been taken in response to the fear and statistics: government spokespeople point to guidance issued to help staff stay safe as well as to risk assessments, also aimed at improving safety.

But it would be insulting to block out the views and worries voiced in this programme: “We feel abandoned, we feel we are being taken advantage of, we feel devalued.”

So, no Covid isn’t racist, concludes Ikharia, but “it would be nice if somebody from the government just acknowledged that there have been failings, to tell us that we are going to help make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

* Is Covid Racist? can be seen on the All4 website, https://www.channel4.com/

On 9 November, Migrant Voice’s Glasgow members were treated to a star-studded online Media Lab, with experts from the worlds of journalism, filmmaking and poetry sharing their wisdom and leading workshops.

Veteran UK journalist and longtime Migrant Voice supporter Daniel Nelson shared his top tips on how to write letters to the Editor of a newspaper – and make sure they get published – while Marlon Fraser, a music producer and filmmaker based in Glasgow, showed participants some simple ways to improve their videos.

Participants were also joined by Félix Flores Varona, Cuban author of several books on translation studies and winner of numerous national and international literary prizes. In collaboration with Havana Glasgow Film Festival, Varona ran a poetry workshop, bringing inspiration from Cuban poet José Martí and Scottish poet Robert Burns, both beloved and revered in their respective countries. 

Throughout the session, participants were invited to reflect on their message for International Migrants Day on 18 December – a day to celebrate the positives of migration and to raise our voices on the issues affecting us and our communities. 

One result was a fantastic piece of participatory poetry, facilitated by Varona. All those attending were invited to contribute one line to a poem, inspired by the thought, “You’re going to the garden. What will you bring?” 

Read on for the poem…

I would bring a Royal Palm from Cuba and some heather

Memories of good times

I bring a torrent of chrysanthemums

Lili bat hartu

I bring a… seed and a watering can

I bring to my flowers my smile

Lili bat hartu eta hostoz hostoz erantsi

Coffee which reminds me. Of home

I bring a Scots Pine to grow tall and shelter us from winter’s cauld blast

And a rowan tree entwined with memories

I will share the rain from Glasgow as we have plenty as without the rain nothing will grow

New hop, lovelt dream I can see, all flowers waiting for me to say hi.

I will bring the flowers of hope, the tree of life, the fruit of memories and the seeds of future

A calm wave of water from Lake Malawi, that meanders down to Zambezi

Seeds of friendship that will forever germinate

A fire to sit around

If the sun refuse to shine or the moon coming in shy, I will give you my love to green and bountiful flowers. 

I am here to say, I am bringing new life

I bring the soft dew of a hopeful morning

We can count how many apples there are on a tree, but we can’t count how many apples there are in a seed.

An abundance of Bodhi trees to remind us of awareness

I bring a red flower from my Cuban garden to my most honest friend.

Echoes in a conch shelf crashing waves

Echoes in a conch with stories in song carried on the waves

Echoes in a conch.

Let’s plant a garden.

Thank you to everyone who led and took part in the workshops at this Media Lab.

Not all Immigration Acts go down in history. Most are forgotten almost as quickly as they are superceded. But the Immigration Act 2020 is different – and in our view, its passing should go down in history as a dark moment in the story of Britain and migration.

By ending free movement, failing to introduce promised reform, and granting extraordinary and excessive powers to the Home Secretary to create immigration policy, the Act lands a triple blow to any remaining hopes of a fair, humane and welcoming post-Brexit immigration system.

We are calling on policymakers across the spectrum and migrant communities and organisations across the country to step up their efforts to hold this Government to account on their pledges of immigration reform and to vigorously scrutinise all proposals and policies put forward by the Home Office. 

TOP IMAGE: Westminster, Chris Bird, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

There is little that can be done regarding the end of free movement, which was presaged nearly four and a half years ago and has long seemed inevitable. For those of us who believe freedom is a good thing and movement a natural part of human life; those of us who have moved from one country to another, for work, love or just new opportunities; those of us whose lives have been positively affected by migration – for us, 1 January 2021 will be a day of quiet reflection.

What is more urgent now is the need to hold the Government to account on their promises to ensure that human rights and equality are at the heart of the work of the Home Office. This Immigration Act, which simply extends all existing immigration policies, punishments and deterrents currently applicable to non-EU citizens to 445 million EU citizens, takes us in the opposite direction. It contains nothing that will make immigration decisions quicker or more reliable, nothing to reduce extortionate visa fees, nothing that signals an end to the attitude of indifference, or even hostility, that many migrants face when interacting with the Home Office. 

The Home Office must not be allowed to pretend that producing a Comprehensive Improvement Plan is the same as producing comprehensive improvement – reform must be deep-seated, widespread and enshrined in legislation.

Equally urgent is the need to scrutinise any planned changes to immigration law, since the new Immigration Act allows the Home Secretary to make such changes without proper Parliamentary process and scrutiny. It is staggering that any one individual can be granted such power over the lives and futures of untold numbers of people, especially, as we noted in a joint briefing on this subject with Amnesty International UK, when so many of those people have no right to vote in the UK. This fact ought to emphasise, not reduce, the importance of proper process and scrutiny in the making of the laws affecting them. 

While of course the current or any future Home Secretary could choose to create policies using these powers that we and migrant communities would welcome with open arms, the indications are that this is currently unlikely in a Home Office that is allowing asylum seekers to be moved between detention centres with untreated broken bones and burns’ that is detaining them in military barracks and is considering using offshore ferries for the same purpose; that has until now compensated just 196 people whose lives were impacted – often devastated – by the Windrush scandal; and that has just increased the already extortionate, unfair NHS surcharge to a crippling £624 per year.

The passing of the Immigration Act 2020 is a watershed moment. From now on, we must all be even more vigilant, even more vocal. We urge all who care about the rights of those who choose – or are forced to – cross borders, to stand with us in the fight for an immigration system in the UK that is fair, humane, and grounded in decency. 

As Covid-19 restrictions are extended again, more of us may find ourselves needing access to information or support services as we face health issues, or employment, immigration or housing problems.

See below for some free, online resources that you might find useful. We will continue to add to this list as we find other helpful information. 

General community support: See Mutual Aid (network of volunteer groups), Acorn or C19Assist (community organising union matching volunteers with people needing help).

Health: For Covid-19 advice in 51 languages, visit the Doctors of the World website; for advice on looking after your mental health, see the Mental Health Foundation or Mind; for advice on coping in anxious times, see this NHS website (with translations in 13 languages).
 
Food: For information about accessing food banks/food packages, visit the Trussell Trust; for free food in London, see Food for All, Vital Meals and FoodCycle – for food delivery Hackney area, see Made in Hackney. For food parcels in Birmingham, see this Facebook group and FoodCycle. For food packs in Glasgow, see Refuweegee or Glasgow Central Mosque.
 
Employment: For impartial advice for employers and employees, see Acas; for information and advice on working and benefits during Covid-19, see Citizens Advice. See also the Employment Rights Hub on the Mayor of London website.
 
Immigration: For up-to-date information about the latest changes to immigration and asylum law due to Covid-19, see Right to Remain or Free Movement.

Housing: For housing advice during the pandemic, visit Shelter England and Scotland.

If you have suggestions for services that should be added to this list, please contact us at info@migrantvoice.org.

TOP IMAGE: Covid-19, Prachatai, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Rasoul and Shiva, and their children Anita and Arnim, died while trying to reach safety in the UK. Their deaths were preventable and should shame us all. 

They were not the first to lose their lives on this route – but there are people with the power to make policies that can make sure they’re the last.

We are calling on the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to immediately restart and expand the UK’s refugee resettlement programmes, through which the most vulnerable refugees are identified and resettled in the UK. These programmes were suspended in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but must now be urgently restarted. 

Secondly, we need the development of safe and legal routes to claim asylum in the UK. For example, allowing those fleeing persecution and conflict to apply for asylum at the UK border in Calais. After all, it is only when there is no other way to reach safety that people get into overcrowded dinghies with their children in the middle of a cold winter night. 

It’s true that we can never know the exact reasons that compelled Rasoul and Shiva to make this journey – but logic, and the testimony of those who have made the journey and survived, tell us that they must have felt they had no other choice.

Mohammad* arrived in the UK across the Channel earlier this year after fleeing his home country, where ballistic missiles regularly landed near his home, shattering the windows, and where his city was controlled by violent gangs that forced young men like him to fight with them.

When he arrived in Europe, at an airport in Spain, he was beaten and detained by the police. After being released, there was nowhere for him to stay, so he slept on the streets. He was threatened by gangs selling drugs and when he reported this to the police, they did nothing. Feeling unsafe, Mohammad fled to France where he was again beaten by the police and was forced to work for a group of smugglers, who threatened him and blackmailed him with footage of him preparing boats for the Channel crossing. 

In Mohammad’s words:

“I still have nightmares about what happened to me in France and Spain – and the scars are still on my body. After those experiences, all I wanted was to live in dignity in the UK or die in the sea. If it was safe in Europe, no one would come to the UK. We only do it to escape something more difficult than the journey itself.”

Others, such as a young Eritrean woman with a two-year-old daughter, whom our Director met in Calais some time ago, are trying to join their family in the UK – in this woman’s case, her husband – and the dangerous crossing is the only route available.

The people stepping into those boats do not have the option to go home. And if staying in a different country – one that didn’t require you to risk your life to get there – were an option, they would. In fact, most people fleeing persecution or war do settle in other countries – very few attempt to reach the UK.

No one wants to see more men and women, more children, dying on our doorstep. But as long as there are people desperate enough to make the journey, destroying dinghies and arresting smugglers will not prevent those deaths. The only thing that will is the creation of safe, legal routes – and we urge the Government to begin this work immediately. 

*Names have been changed

TOP IMAGE: Life jackets on the beach by Ann Wuyts, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Migrant Voice is one of 20 charities being supported by RAAH. Fest, a free eight-hour online music festival on Saturday 24 October, and the global youth movement that this festival has kickstarted.

RAAH. Fest organiser Jasminder Odusanya says that seeing a friend arrested for being “undocumented”, and her experience of working in a refugee camp, inspired her to take action to help victims of displacement, trafficking and racial discrimination.

“Working in the camp really got to me and I was in tears. You just see people being treated as if they’re criminals, simply because they’re fleeing from persecution,” she says. 

The movement is aiming to amplify the voices of people affected by migration displacement, human trafficking and racial discrimination, and, ultimately, to put an end to inequality.

The 24 October festival is just the first step and will be livestreamed on YouTube. Headliners include Joy Crookes, Inoxia, Poppy Ajudha and Gabrielle Aplin.

Singer-songwriter Aplin says she that for years she has been inspired and educated “by wonderful friends who have dedicated their lives to people who have had to leave their homes and countries in the pursuit of safety.

"I'm a part of RAAH Fest because I believe that everyone deserves a life of safety, regardless of circumstance, and I'm disturbed at the way the mainstream UK press has reported on refugees and asylum seekers and the dangerous attitude this promotes.”

The 3-11pm event is run by a team of 130 volunteers and will include documentaries, short films, personal testimonials and Q&As. Odusanya, who lives in Birmingham and calls herself “First Dreamer”, says she hopes it will become an annual affair.

Migrant Voice Director Nazek Ramadan said: 

“We’re delighted to be part of this festival – and the global movement it has inspired. It’s fantastic to see young people standing up, challenging outdated systems, and fighting for the world they want to live in – one based on our shared humanity.”

Find out more about RAAH. Fest and book your ticket here!

To celebrate Black History Month, a group or participants from our Media Lab in the West Midlands have created their own magazine, Beyond.

Part of the MiFriendly Cities Project, the special publication was created by a team of budding ‘citizen journalists’ who have honed their media skills through Media Lab and newsroom workshops over the last two years.

Initially meeting up regularly and training with hands-on mentoring in mediums including photography, writing news and filmmaking; many of the participants have spent much of this year continuing their training at home due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Creating, editing and collating articles, opinion pieces, spotlight features, poetry, art and photography, the group's final work consists of over 100 pages of content dedicated to celebrating Black History Month and the experiences of migrants and their respective communities.

Penning the opening message in the magazine, co-editor Althia writes: "Some of us, like myself, had no previous media experience and struggled with even the most basic technology, yet here I am writing a welcome message in an online magazine!

"Having attended Media Labs and newsroom sessions, made new friends and had the opportunity to learn about photography, filmmaking, copywriting, social media, and journalism skills over the last year and a half, together we now bring you our first magazine, and one which celebrates Black voices, Black talent and Black experiences."

You can read the full magazine here: https://cutt.ly/BHM2020

Last week, the Home Office published their “Comprehensive Improvement Plan” – their in-depth response to Wendy Williams highly critical report into the Windrush scandal. Announcing the plan, the Home Secretary promised to “transform the Home Office” – and, unusually, the transformation being proposed was a welcome one, foregrounding words such as equality, human rights, and human impact.

Yet this plan was published the day after leaked news that the Home Office had considered the viability of sending asylum seekers to various far-flung states and remote volcanic islands (or even disused ferries, we learned later) to have their claims processed – and just three days before the Home Secretary promised to “fix” the UK’s asylum system by clamping down on appeals and removing people faster.

In this context, it’s hard to believe there is any real intention to implement the positive transformation of the Home Office outlined in the improvement plan – to make it more compassionate, to ensure a focus on people not cases, to eliminate ignorance and thoughtlessness towards issues of race and migration. 

Priti Patel’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference and the absurd ideas proposed for asylum processing indicate not only a lack of compassion, but also a continuation of the same ignorance that led to the Windrush scandal – about Britain’s obligations to asylum seekers under international law, about our duty to protect human rights, and about the real reasons why people move and the devastating impact of indefinite detention on a ship or volcanic island on people who have faced trauma

Home Office officials were quick to point out that none of the proposals for asylum processing centres away from the UK were anywhere near reality. But we also heard from Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft, a reliable source, that “all options are on the table” – and indeed, the very fact that such options were considered at all suggests a Home Office still wedded to the idea of appearing, and being, “tough” on migration, an approach that has led to untold numbers of innocent people being detained, deported, stripped of their rights or separated from their families.

We’re told in the Home Office’s improvement plan that the department wants to consult much more closely with migrants groups and communities in future – and as one of those groups, we are already seeing this in action. It’s a good – and long overdue – initiative, but for it to work, us migrants have to trust that the Home Office is genuinely committed to reform, that consulting with us isn’t just a tick-box exercise. When we continue to hear vicious rhetoric that paints us as a problem to be outsourced or sent offshore, that trust is hard to build.

A truly compassionate Home Office doesn’t mean flowers and chocolates for newly arrived asylum seekers, or even for everyone arriving to be given the right to stay here. What we’re asking for should be fundamental to any state claiming to be part of a modern, humane world.

We need all asylum seekers to be given appropriate, Covid-safe accommodation and adequate financial support. We need faster, more accurate decisions on asylum claims and the ban on asylum seekers’ right to work lifted. We need the restart and expansion of refugee resettlement programmes, and the creation of safe, legal routes to the UK. And even before any of this, we need to hear rhetoric that consistently aligns with the positive vision laid out in the Home Office’s own improvement plan. 

Only then can trust start to be built – trust in the Home Office and in the idea that genuine transformation is possible.   

TOP IMAGE: Ascension Island-Green Mt and Two Sisters from Comfortless Cove road, Drew Avery, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

On 24 September, a letter signed by over 200 international students who were wrongly accused of cheating on an English test by the Home Office in 2014 was delivered to the Prime Minister. They represent thousands of students who have been fighting for six years to prove their innocence, and they’re now calling on Boris Johnson to take urgent action to end their nightmare.

Read the letter here.

This injustice was the result of the same “culture of disbelief and carelessness” that was identified as causing the Windrush scandal – and the same tendency to act based on “anecdote, assumption and prejudice” that the Public Accounts Committee identified in a report last week. By acting to resolve this situation, the Government would be sending a clear and welcome message that their intentions to transform the Home Office are serious. 

We at Migrant Voice have been working for justice alongside the students since 2017 through the My Future Back campaign. Last year, reports that we contributed to by the National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee and APPG on TOEIC exposed fundamental flaws in the evidence used by the Home Office against the students and proved that the decision to revoke or refuse tens of thousands of visas was wholly unjustified.

Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid recognised the scale of this injustice and said that the Government had a duty to do more to help the innocent students. And on his first day in office, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to address this issue. 

But we and the students have seen no progress, with the current Home Secretary scrapping a scheme proposed by Javid that could have provided a route for students to clear their name, and failing to propose any other solution.

Frustrated by the delays and silence, the students are now making a direct appeal to the Prime Minister.

Read more about the My Future Back campaign here.

One of the hardest tasks in staging a large season such as Refugees at the Imperial War Museum is ensuring that it is not outdated by events.

A feature of the season is Life in a Camp, an installation created with CNN that uses three large wall projections to offer an intimate view of the makeshift Moria camp on the Greek Island of Lesbos. Designed to host 2,200 people, says the exhibition publicity, Moria became home to more than 18,000 refugees. 

But in September a fire destroyed the camp, and the exhibit changed from present to past tense - though remains highly relevant. 

CNN filmmaker and photojournalist Lewis Whyld returned to the camp in September to capture footage in the wake of the fire. This up-to-the-minute footage has been incorporated in the installation, and the wall text updated: 

“In September 2020 a fire destroyed large sections of the camp, leaving more than 12,000 people without shelter. People are now sleeping out in the open, with no access to basic supplies, and nowhere else to go.”

Similarly, statistics about refugees used in the exhibition Refugees: Forced to Flee changed during lockdown as the UN reported a near doubling of refugees from 10.4 million to 20.2 million.

Most of the exhibition, however, remains as planned because it is looking at refugee issues over the last 100 years, rather than just the last 100 days.

One of the basic ideas behind it, says curator Simon Offord, is that "refugees are simply ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances".

"It can happen to anyone," he points out. "In World War Two tens of thousands of British people went abroad, many to Canada and Australia." They were refugees, too, part of the biggest mass movement of people in British history, according to the BBC History website.

The exhibition also makes it clear that refugees have always been on the move, often in large numbers, and sometimes forgotten in the public memory. About 250,000 Belgians moved to the UK as a result of the First World War, 100,000 of them in London - "yet the only thing people here now know about Belgians is Hercule Poirot [a fictional detective created by Agatha Christie]", says Offord.

The causes of conflicts from which refugees flee may be different, he says, "but what is common, which we have tried to focus on, is the experience of being forced from home, making a sometimes dangerous journey, finding a temporary shelter, facing bureaucracy and barriers, finding a place to settle, learning a new language, finding a job.

"These things are universal across time and space. The concept of home runs through the exhibition."

As well as the Moria camp video, there's an installation on bombs by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei and A Face To Open Doors, an interactive experience where "you will meet a border guard driven by artificial intelligence. Your face is your passport. How you use it during your meeting will inform where you are sent." But the heart of the season are the photographs, films, animations, oral histories, documents, objects and other material, some dug out of the museum's archives and on show for the first time, and some based on outside research "that has provided the exhibition with unparalleled resources to tell stories of refugees across the world."

"We've tried to make it experiential," says Offord. "It's very much a visual thing," with soundscapes and lighting effects to make each part of a refugee's journey seem different.

"Now more than ever it’s important for IWM to bring 100 years of refugee voices and experiences back to the forefront,” he says.

+ Refugees: Forced to Flee + Life In A Camp +  A Face To Open Doors + Ai Wei Wei History of Bombs, free, are at the Imperial War Museum London, Lambeth Road, SE1, until 24 May 2021. 

+ Ai Weiwei’s bombing mission

+ Life In A Camp

+ A Face To Open Doors

As part of celebrations for this year’s Black History Month (BHM 2020), a community migrant-led news team are creating an e-magazine to showcase the best of Black talent in the West Midlands.

The community journalists, trained by Migrant Voice as part of the MiFriendly Cities initiative, will be publishing the magazine online in October.

Morshed Akhtar, who is one of the producers of the e-magazine, said: "We are looking for content for this upcoming digital magazine to showcase Black voices, Black talent and Black experience."

He added: "We formed the migrant-led news team to talk about immigrants in mainstream media, for a truthful representation. This came about after several of us attended practical Media Lab sessions and inspiring Power Talks showing that we too can create our own content and develop our own platforms.

“This planned e-magazine has a similar kind of principle, to allow Black voices to be heard. Mainstream media may focus on the most “appealing” parts of Black history only, but this is an opportunity to document and share the reality of what the Black community experience and are proud of. We want it to be a true reflection of a real life. Black History Month is the perfect time to tell these positive stories."

The editorial team for the magazine are looking for photographic features, stories, essays, poems and interviews. They want content to be created by Black people for Black people.

Morshed also said: "All contributors will be Black people from the West Midlands or stories about Black people living in the West Midlands. People who identify as Black and want to share Black excellence should get in touch."

Black History Month is an annual awareness month celebrating the achievements of Afro-Caribbean people, and sometimes other BME people, who identify as Black.

In the UK, the special month takes place every October with activities across the country, including in the West Midlands region.

Althia Barnett, one of the editors of the e-magazine said: "We will aim to get the best content into the magazine while making as much as we can available across our other online and social media networks too."

Those wishing to take part can email their queries or contributions to adam@migrantvoice.org and selbin@migrantvoice.org.

Individual contributions should consist of between 500-1000 words. The deadline for contributions is Sunday 20th September 2020.

The MiFriendly Cities and Migrant Voice Black History Month e-magazine will be available online from October 1st.

TOP IMAGE: (Left to right): Selbin Kabote (Migrant Voice) with newsroom members Petrona Clarke, Louise Andrews, Althia Barnett, guest facilitator Ben House (back), Sazini Malaba and Morshed Akhtar.

There seemed to be a tiny spark of hope for thousands of international students at a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing on 10 September. Permanent Secretary for the Home Office Matthew Rycroft agreed on camera that his Department should offer a way for students wrongly accused of cheating and wrongly stripped of their visas six years ago to prove their innocence and restart their lives. 

“The Home Office should give innocent people the opportunity to clear their names,” insisted Stephen Timms MP (long-time advocate on this issue) at that hearing. The committee was keen to address the issue following its critical report on the matter last September and the Home Office’s failure to respond to their recommendations.

“Absolutely, I totally agree with that,” responded Rycroft, in what seemed to be a significant and welcome change of tone and approach from a Home Office that has largely refused to take responsibility for wrongly accusing thousands of students of fraud or to find a way to resolve this mammoth injustice.

But the Permanent Secretary continued: “I do think that route is open to them. Individuals have always had the right to challenge through appeal or through Judicial Review.”

With that, the spark of hope went out.

We’re now six years on from a Home Office decision that destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of students who were unfairly accused of cheating on the English test known as TOEIC. Many were innocent and have spent those long years – the last three of them alongside us at Migrant Voice – in a battle to clear their names, all the while banned from working, studying and renting a house, many too ashamed to return to their families bearing a black mark of fraud.

In 2019, there was a brief period of hope – the issue was top of the news agenda with those impacted by the allegations finally being heard as report after report exposed the “shameful” actions of the Home Office and the fundamental flaws in their so-called evidence. Then Home Secretary Sajid Javid even hinted at a possible new scheme to allow students to have their cases reviewed. But with the arrival of a new Home Secretary, Priti Patel, this was shut down – with no explanation as to why – and Home Office officials, including Rycroft, have returned to the over-used and useless argument that innocent students can clear their names through the courts.

But as we, the students and MPs including Stephen Timms have argued tirelessly for years, this route is extortionately expensive (on average, each student has spent £10-15,000, sometimes up to £100,000 fighting their case); inordinately drawn-out (hundreds of students are still fighting their cases more than six years on); and still not guaranteed to succeed. The costs to the Home Office – and therefore to the taxpayer – for fighting each individual case are enormous too.

And what the Home Office is refusing to acknowledge is the clearest possible indication that their actions six years ago were over-hasty and ill-considered: thanks to the investigations by the National Audit Office, APPG on TOEIC and PAClast year, most students reaching the final appeal stage are winning, convincing these independent tribunal judges that they did not cheat and that the Government’s evidence against them is insufficient. 

Faced with this fact at the PAC hearing, Rycroft retreated to the well-worn line that “there was evidence of widespread fraud at the time”. Yet this is irrelevant – the evidence he’s talking about has since been exposed as virtually useless and replaced with evidence (in the form of appeal rulings) that many of those accused were innocent.

This refusal to face reality cannot continue. Thousands of these students are still trapped in unending limbo, many trying just to survive as they battle severe depression or face a daily struggle to afford food – a struggle exacerbated by the impacts of Covid-19.

“The Home Office should give innocent people the opportunity to clear their names.” We absolutely agree with that too. But we don’t agree that this opportunity already exists. These students need a free and transparent scheme – supported by, but independent of, the Home Office – through which they can get their cases reviewed and clear their names. There is no more time or space for excuses – these students need their futures back.

Read more about Migrant Voice's My Future Back campaign here.

At Migrant Voice, we’re dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of people who identify as being from migrant, refugee, or asylum seeker backgrounds. At a recent online session with GMAC Film Little Pictures, we learned about how another organisation is prioritising the voices of under-represented groups - and got some great tips on filmmaking on a micro budget too.

On 8 September, participants from 23 countries – including Belarus, Moldova, Scotland, Spain, Hong Kong, Basque Country, Scotland, South Kurdistan, Syria, Lebanon, Germany, Cyprus, India, and Cameroon – came together on Zoom with Wilma Smith from GMAC Film Little Pictures, MV’s Glasgow Network Community Worker Amparo Fortuny and MV Director Nazek Ramadan. 

We first heard from Nazek, discussing ideas for video content to draw attention to the Black History Month – coming up in October – which is particularly relevant in the current political climate worldwide. She explained how our aim as an organisation is to create a series of short films with a clear message of solidarity over the coming weeks. As an organisation we’re also concerned about how the Channel crossings are being represented in the British media. Migrant Voice has been responding to the negative press coverage and the ensuing outpouring of right-wing rhetoric on social media by presenting positive messages of support in interviews with journalists. Ultimately, we believe that this country can and should do better. We need to offer people fleeing persecution both dignity and humanity. And we believe this message needs to be heard across all platforms. At Migrant Voice, we believe migrants make Britain.

The rest of the session was led by Wilma Smith, the manager of GMAC Film Little Pictures. She told us how she’s been obsessed with making films since the age of 13, when she would binge watch movies while her mother was on night shift. After being laughed at by a careers advisor at school when she announced she wanted to be a filmmaker, she became a care assistant but always continued to make films. In fact, she says this experience helped her to have greater empathy and a passion for accessing a greater number of different stories. She then joined GMAC Film, who have been representing and developing filmmakers in Scotland for 38 years, always with a view to being inclusive. She has since founded Little Pictures in association with GMAC Film and Screen Scotland and spoke to us about their upcoming launch and call out for applicants. 

Launching on 11 September, Little Pictures seeks to make filmmaking in Scotland more accessible. The Creative Scotland Equality Matters programme identified a lack of diversity within the Scottish filmmaking field, both on and off screen, and Little Pictures is dedicated to changing this. They’re offering six filmmakers £2,000 each to make a 15-minute film – and they’ll offer training, support and mentoring along the way. In order to truly be inclusive, applications are open to anyone who hasn’t been commissioned, even those with little or no experience in filmmaking, and applications can be made in any language.

To inspire us, Wilma Smith took us through some examples of short films and the challenges of filming on a micro budget. ‘Papergee and the Spider’, produced by the theatre company Visible Fictions, was a great example of stop motion animation using simple and inexpensive materials such as cardboard, plastics and. It highlighted how a small budget but a lot of creativity can be used to tell a compelling story. We also watched a clip from ‘On The Moon’ by Enlightened Monster Productions. The film involved one actor and one location with a voiceover, and was created during lockdown, showing us how to make the most out of a minimal cast and backdrop using creative problem solving.

The film ‘Let My Body Speak’ by Syrian filmmaker Madonna Adib in association with the BFI made extensive use of extreme close-ups and narration, combined with childhood video footage and images. The viewer is left with a surreal, haunting, claustrophobic feeling as Adib explored her childhood experiences of oppressive gender roles and a lack of bodily autonomy. The film was also an excellent example of how one person can take on many roles within a production, with Adib acting as narrator, director, performer and archivist.

With these examples in mind, we were then taken through some of the main challenges and questions when making films on a micro budget. Is the idea achievable in a 15-minute film? Can it be shot in 3-4 days? Is there minimal use of cast, crew, and locations to make the idea more feasible? Can any special or visual effects be achieved on this budget? And lastly, as we’re currently working in a global pandemic, how can we be creative and flexible to respond to restrictive and changing conditions?

We were thrilled to take part in this Media Lab and are excited about the following sessions where we can explore how to creatively make an impact with our message. Roll on the next one!

Keep your eyes on the GMAC Film website for updates about the Little Pictures project – and on the Migrant Voice website and social media for news about upcoming Media Labs.

Kay Singh is a Migrant Voice volunteer in Glasgow.

TOP IMAGE: Screenshot from 'Papergee and the Spider' trailer by Visible Fictions, Vimeo

Migrant Voice deplores the actions of some members of Britain First over the last few days, who have been entering asylum accommodation in different parts of the UK and harrassing and filming those living there. As a member of the Status Now Network, we fully endorse the statement below.

29 August 2020

The Status Now Network unconditionally condemns the actions of Members of Britain First, a British fascist political organisation formed in 2011 by former members of the British National Party. Britain First members have filmed people seeking asylum placed in hotels through the Government’s sub-contracted asylum system, and are now using their film, includes inflammatory words and phrases commentary, to ferment their anti-immigration stance.

Through its contract with The AASC providers – Serco, Clearsprings and Mears Group – the Home Office has an inescapable duty of care towards these people seeking asylum. The AASC providers are subcontracting to, for example, Brittania Hotels and Holiday Inn but they retain responsibility for the care of the people in the hotels and they must immediately demonstrate that care.

Britain First members are filming people, including children, without their permission and then uploading it to their website where it can be copied and sent on. The location and the people living in the hotel can be easily identified and so they are being placed at risk on every level. 

Britain First is using the film to engender hatred. The term ‘hate crime’ describes a range of criminal behaviours where the perpetrator is motivated by hostility or demonstrates hostility towards the victim’s disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

• Race appears to be an issue – they ask people, ‘are you from Eritrea’ etc etc
• Hostility is evident in the tone of voice
• Questions put to the residents and the words used to the camera are intended to create hostility in those watching towards these people

Status Now Network unconditionally welcomes people to the UK. The democratic forces of law and order must be used immediately to:

– Protect these people who are lawfully seeking asylum

– Stop and prosecute the actions of those Britain First members: they are threatening the safety of vulnerable people living in hotels, instilling fear, and stirring up hatred that seeks to promote their fascist ideology.

While the lockdown has lifted for some of us, we know that many people are still being impacted by Covid-19 on a daily basis, whether that’s a health problem, a financial issue, or an immigration problem.

Here are some free, online resources that you might find useful. We will continue to add to this list as we find other helpful information....

The Mayor of London has been working with Doctors of the World to ensure everyone with limited English receive the health guidance and support they need. 

They have created these resources that are free and available for anyone to access:

• Infographics and videos in this Google drive on social media. This Includes: Vietnamese, Cantonese, Turkish,  Bengali,  Kurdish,  Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Polish, Urdu, Punjabi (Pakistan), Punjabi (India), Gujarati and Yiddish. 
• Translated audio guidance by Doctors of the World.
• Our website with further translated information by Doctors of the World, please check the date of the latest update. 
• Our Employment Rights Hub for information about different employment rights plus details of what to do if you're having trouble at work - translated into 20 languages.
• Further resources created by London councils including information on Test and Trace.

General community support: See Mutual Aid (network of volunteer groups) or Acorn (community organising union matching volunteers with people needing help).
 
Health: For Covid-19 advice in 51 languages, visit the Doctors of the World website; for advice on looking after your mental health, see the Mental Health Foundation or Mind; for advice on coping in anxious times, see this NHS website (with translations in 13 languages).
 
Food: For information about accessing food banks/food packages, visit the Trussell Trust; for free food in London, see Food for All; for food parcels in Bimringham, see this Facebook group; for food packs in Glasgow, see Refuweegee or Glasgow Central Mosque.
 
Employment: For impartial advice for employers and employees, see Acas; for information and advice on working and benefits during Covid-19, see Citizens Advice. 
 
Immigration: For up-to-date information about the latest changes to immigration and asylum law due to Covid-19, see Right to Remain or Free Movement.

TOP IMAGE: Covid-19, Prachatai, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

We recently spoke to a number of young Eritreans being held inside Zintan detention centre in Libya and others living on the streets of Tripoli. Their words were a cry for help.

Many of those who are attempting the dangerous crossing from France to the UK fled the same horrors in their home countries as these young men, and faced the same inhumanity as they travelled through (or were sent back to) Libya as they sought to reach the safety of Europe.

We know that the conditions in which they are living are already widely known and widely reported. We also know that the situation is a complex one and that many organisations face restrictions on what they can do. But we believe there is more that can be done, especially when people and organisations come together.

Jade (not his real name) has been held in Zintan for more than three years. He told us how 25 people have died inside the detention centre, where there is very little medical support and a number of TB cases. He said there’s just one organisation that visits three times per week, but they are very restricted in what they can do.

According to Jade, there’s also very little to eat. He described the situation as “starvation”. 

“We eat pasta once a day,” he said. “In one small cell 24-25 people sleep. There are no windows for air in the cells and we have skin problems due to lack of hygiene and no change of clothes. We suffer from depression – we are very, very depressed. 

“We need safety, we need all agencies to come and help. We must get free from this area, get free from abuse; then we need to go to safe countries, anywhere, we must leave Libya, it is hell for us.”

Jade told us there are around 380 people in Zintan, 90 of whom are under 18. There are also women being detained. When there is fighting outside, they can hear the guns and bombs. 

We were sent photos, many of them too horrific to look at, from inside Zintan. We see more than 20 people crammed into a tiny cell; migrants bound in chains and bleeding; men and boys skeletally thin in filthy clothes. 

We also spoke to 34-year-old Petros (not his real name), who is destitute like many other migrants on the streets of Tripoli. They are not allowed to work and Petros told us that there is very little food and not enough tents or blankets.

He said that around 2,200 people were recently released from detention centres due fighting. Many are now living on the streets, including around 145 women, 300 children and 65 babies. He said that some of the women are being raped and there are not enough people to look after the children.

“Life in Libya is difficult,” Petros said. “Some of us have been here for three years. There is no food, no help, no clothing. There is a lot of mental illness.”

We call on everyone – Governments, NGOs, individuals – to do whatever is within your power to improve the situation for migrants in Libya, a situation that contravenes the principles of human dignity, equality and freedom that we in Europe value. 

This editorial had been adapted from a letter sent to a number of international NGOs, the European Commission and relevant UK Government ministers.

TOP IMAGE: Zintan detention centre (sent to Migrant Voice by one of the migrants with whom we're in contact)

The struggle of a Coventry-based, disabled and wheelchair-bound asylum seeker to raise tuition fees for his PhD in the UK is continuing with no end in sight. 

After applying for admission to five UK universities, asylum seeker Dickson Tarnongo – who is also a volunteer community journalist with Migrant Voice – was offered a place by a Midlands-based university. The university gave him an offer with a home fees status, which means he will pay much lower fees than if he were treated as an international student. 

But he still needs to raise £4,407 for the first year of his tuition and he has set up a crowdfunding page to try to achieve this. With just one week left, he is almost £3,000 short of his target.

Dickson has an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Law and is planning to study for a Law PhD. He has already developed a PhD proposal on the subject “Disability Rights and Citizenship”. 

“As a person with a disability who has experienced discrimination on the basis of my disability, I intend to use my PhD research work to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities - the idea being to promote the rights of disabled citizens to be on an equal level with other citizens,” Dickson said.

Dickson’s vision is of an egalitarian society where persons with disabilities are integrated into the mainstream and have a sense of belonging and participation in all areas of human endeavour.

“As an asylum seeker, my PhD research will serve as a means of promoting the rights of asylum seekers into the higher education since people seeking political asylum who intend to further their education in the UK are being held back by many enormous and daunting challenges in their efforts to gain access to higher education,” Dickson said. 

Some asylum seekers may find that their existing qualifications aren’t recognised in the UK or that the language barrier is too high – but the biggest obstacle is often the fees, as most asylum seekers are treated as international students and are therefore faced with huge costs.

“Even though there are some few charities, institutions  and universities working very hard to promote the education of asylum seekers who desire to enter into  higher education, the chances of an asylum seeker to take advantage of such opportunities are very much limited due to lack of adequate funding,” said Dickson. “In this way, the education of asylum seekers in UK is a matter of a ‘privilege’ and never a right.” 

Dickson added that since asylum seekers are people who fled their home countries for fear of either war or persecution as a result of their political opinions, religion or sexual orientation and are seeking international protection, any opportunity that would enable them to get into higher education is very much appreciated. 

When asked about the efforts that he has been making to raise the tuition fees for his PhD studies, Dickson explained that the past few months have been a very difficult period for him as he is anxious to commence his studies but is finding it difficult to raise the fees since he is not entitled to public funds. 

“I have applied for some scholarship and grants from some charitable organisations. I have been getting some rejections, but I am still hopeful that I may be lucky,” he said. “I also intend to talk to friends and the general public to be able to raise funds for my education. I will appreciate any donation towards realising the total amount of £4,407.”

If you can help Dickson with funding for his student fees, please visit his crowdfunding page. Any form of help will be appreciated.

TOP IMAGE: Dickson Tarnongo (provided by himself)

A Syrian refugee filmmaker, a Trinidadian migrant nurse and a British Nigerian woman who set up West Africa’s flying doctor service are among Health Heroes honoured in a new book.

Hassan Akkad came to the UK as a refugee from Syria in 2012, campaigned for the rights of other refugees and at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic volunteered as a cleaner at Whipps Cross hospital in East London.

The book, Health Heroes: The People Who Took Care of the World, reports that in a tweet that went viral, Hassan said: “London has been my home since leaving Syria, and the least I can do is making sure my neighbours and the amazing NHS staff are safe and sound.”

The book, aimed at readers aged 8+, says Hassan thinks of London as his home, and of his hospital work as supporting his neighbours, and helping to keep NHS staff safe.

Roma Bissessar left school at 16 and left Trinidad at 18, heading to the UK to train as a nurse, having never spent a night away from home: “I was very homesick, especially when the summer came.” 

When she first qualified, the book reports, Roma worked in a psychiatric ward, then as a general nurse, where she had “the happiest time ever”. She loved getting to know other staff and working as a team. 

Roma says the best moment of her career was the day she realised she could take blood, understand test results, do CPR and catheterization, and help doctors with other investigations: “That’s when I KNEW I was a responsible nurse.

British-born Olamide Orekunrin was in the middle of her studies to become a doctor when her little sister fell ill while travelling with relatives in Nigeria. Olamide and her family were shocked to discover that there was no air ambulance service in the whole region, and her sister died because they couldn’t get her the care she needed. This sparked Olamide’s determination to create real change, and she went on to set up Flying Doctors Nigeria, the first air ambulance service in West Africa.

The book is packed with true stories of healthcare workers past and present, from all walks of life and from all around the world – from Jamaica’s Mary Seacole, who set up the “British Hotel” in the Crimean War in the 1850s and rode onto the battlefield to help soldiers on both sides, to Mia Noah, an Englishwoman who worked in New York for the Make A Wish Foundation, making wishes come true for critically ill children. 

In response to a case brought by law firm Bindmans, the Home Office has agreed to grant 2.5 years leave to remain to any TOEIC students who win their Article 8 appeals from now on.

This is a major victory and a policy change that we, along with Bindmans and MPs including Stephen Timms, have been calling for for many months.

It's great news for students who were falsely accused of cheating on an English test back in 2014 and stripped of their visas, and who are still fighting their legal cases - this is hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people.

Until now, many of the students winning their cases have been given just 60 days to find a university that will accept and sponsor them and raise the funds they need to pay for the Tier 4 visa (plus NHS surcharge) and to have often £20,000-£25,000 in their bank account (a requirement for the visa). For many of the students, who have spent the last six years unable to work and spending thousands of pounds on their legal cases, this is impossible. 

This is an issue that we have raised with the Immigration Minister several times and we are delighted that the Home Office has now agreed to change its policy and no longer issue 60 days leave to students who win their appeals. We will be watching closely to make sure the Home Office does implement this policy and working with students who currently only have 60 days (or any amount of leave less than 2.5 years) to make sure their leave is upgraded.

It's a welcome step, but it's not the resolution we need. We still need a political solution that can free these students from labyrinthine, expensive legal processes and the possibility of having a good case dismissed, simply because a judge does not understand the case.

The Home Office must allow all those accused to sit a new, secure test, or attend an interview, or have their case independently reviewed - we have suggested multiple practical resolutions and we urge the Home Secretary to take this matter seriously and work with us and the students to find the best way forward, so they can finally get their futures back.

While Parliament is in recess, we need to see talk of Home Office reform being turned into action – and action that goes far beyond the specific scandals of Windrush. 

Currently, the prospect of such action being taken is a distant one. 

In response to the Wendy Williams review into Windrush and broader Home Office culture, the Home Secretary has promised “sweeping reforms” to her department, to its “culture, policies, systems and working practices”. She has described the Windrush scandal as a “stain” on the Home Office and acknowledged that “apologising is simply not enough”. 

Yet action has so far been absent, either to address the wrongs done to the Windrush generation, or to prevent such a scandal occurring again. Even on the issue of compensation for Windrush victims – the most concrete and perhaps easiest way to signal genuine good intentions – progress is painfully slow. Just a few days before “sweeping reforms” were promised, the Home Secretary admitted that the compensation scheme is “complicated” and that she wants to see it sped up. Yet she and this Government have been in office for a year – surely ample time to improve the scheme if they genuinely wished to.

What is most concerning regarding the prospect (or not) of genuine reform is the rhetoric and approach to issues that aren’t Windrush. When Windrush is the topic, the words coming from the Home Office are the right ones (even if action lags far behind). But for Home Office reform to be as fundamental as it’s been advertised, it cannot be compartmentalised. 

To have a “fair, humane, compassionate and outward-looking Home Office”, as we’ve been promised, we need fundamental reform of virtually every immigration policy – for asylum seekers, increased financial support and the right to work; an end to NRPF conditions; an acknowledgement in words and actions that migrants arriving across the Channel are desperate and have the right to seek asylum in the UK; significantly reduced visa costs and an end to the NHS surcharge; a fair resolution for thousands of international students wrongly stripped of their visas six years ago; the list could go on.

Yet on each of these issues – and many more – the Home Secretary has said all the wrong things and continues to defend and extend policies that are unfair, inhumane, cruel and inward-looking, policies that do harm on a daily basis. 

She has scoffed those arriving at Dover in barely seaworthy vessels, claiming they can’t possibly be asylum seekers and pledging to make this route “unviable” – which will surely only lead to these desperate people seeking even more dangerous routes to a safe future. She has refused to admit that £37 per week is inadequate financial support during a pandemic, insisting that there is no evidence to the contrary – despite regular articles in the media giving voice to suffering asylum seekers and letters sent to her directly by dozens of migration organisations. She has dismissed concerns about the devastating impact of NRPF conditions and of the catastrophic Home Office decision to strip thousands of students of their visas six years ago, telling MPs to send details of individual cases, but refusing to acknowledge and address the big picture. And she has vigorously defended a future points-based immigration system that crudely reduces people’s value to their income – dismissing the valuable work of people such as careworkers – and is rife with the potential for race, gender and age bias.

The Government and the Home Office have said again and again that a scandal such as Windrush must never happen again. But right now, all this talk looks like much ado about nothing. And as long as fundamental reform is postponed, thousands of people will continue to suffer the devastating impacts of bad policy and even worse implementation. 

We urge the Government – follow through on your promise for genuine reform. Let this be the turning point where that “fair, humane, compassionate and outward-looking Home Office”, beneficial to all of society, not just migrants, starts to become a reality.

TOP IMAGE: Priti Patel visits Calais, Number 10, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

“Being here in Smethwick is my true home, it’s where I work to help the community, it’s where I give back, it’s where I know and love the people who have become my family. This is the society I am part of and the place I have made my home.”

Gurmit Kaur is a 75-year-old woman from India and a member of Migrant Voice. She has lived in Smethwick since 2009, but she is undocumented and lives in fear of being forcibly removed to India, where she has no home and no family.

Together with Brushstrokes and Gurdwara Baba Sang Ji, and of course with Gurmit herself, Migrant Voice is campaigning for Gurmit to be given leave to remain so she can continue living in and being part of her community without fear of being deported. 

The Sikh community locally and around the country have rallied to the cause, as have thousands of others. In just a week, a petition calling for Gurmit to be granted leave to remain has gathered more than 50,000 signatures – and it’s rising all the time. Supporters have also been posting photos on social media with the message #WeAreAllGurmitKaur.

Her story has been covered on ITV Central and BBC Midlands as well as the Sikh Channel and local newspaper I Am Birmingham. 

The campaign continues…

For more information contact Salman Mirza, Migrant Voice’s Project Worker in Birmingham: salman@migrantvoice.org.

Over ten years Migrant Voice has mobilised and trained thousands of migrants and supported them in telling their stories in the media to millions of viewers, listeners and readers, and to speak directly to hundreds of policymakers. Many have won justice as a direct result. 

Read the stories of Amin and Shantel.

Almost all Migrant Voice’s limited resources are spent on campaigns for justice and ensuring migrants’ voices are heard. But the Covid-19 economic squeeze has made funding harder to obtain just when there is an unprecedented opportunity to change public perceptions - and government policies - on migrant rights. 

That’s why we launched the Fighting Fund. With your donation, we can mobilise and train hundreds more migrants across the UK, amplify their voices, and create positive change that benefits the whole of UK society – reducing xenophobia and discrimination, strengthening communities and bringing justice. 

Click here to donate. 

We will be closing this appeal on Monday 27 July, so make sure you donate before then!

For more information, contact info@migrantvoice.org.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a constant challenge for asylum seekers and refugees, who are already faced with the daily reality of living in an environment that is hostile to them. Asylum seekers and refugees are some of the most vulnerable groups during this pandemic – they already face an uncertain future and now they have few places to turn for help.

I arrived in London in April 2017 after fleeing my country (Gabon) due to my political affiliations. Since being in the UK, I have been unable to create new meaning for my life, to construct an existence and enjoy some form of self-determination. Here, I do not have the right to do anything and must wait on the authorities for everything. Even the ID card I was given by the Home Office wasn’t recognised when I tried to open an account at the Post Office. Being here as an asylum seeker is a mental challenge; sometimes you even doubt if you belong to the human species.

I know that life is a challenge. Wherever you live, life is tough. But what the asylum seeker must face is the hidden agenda of the authorities, seemingly playing games with us that destroy the social, economic and mental life of someone who was once stable and upright. Wherever we turn, we have no means of determining the future of our own life, a life already shattered with the trauma of desolation.

And then came Covid-19. As asylum seekers during this time, we are exposed to destitution and suffering. We live on just £37.75 per week (recently increased to £39.60) and in normal times this is hard. Asylum seekers shop in the same shops as everyone else in the UK. In the high streets of London, there are no shops that are just for the poor or for asylum seekers. With £39, even the PoundShop cannot sustain the life of an individual in London. So, before Covid-19, we relied on charities and various schemes and projects to support asylum seekers. We needed them to access the internet, to get food and clothing and money for public transport, for psychotherapy to help us deal with our trauma.

In its lack of support, the Government made it necessary for us to turn to those organisations. But during Covid-19, they mostly disappeared – and we got nothing (except an extra £1.85 per week) to help us. 

It even feels as if, while the whole world has been fighting to find out what Covid-19 is and how to deal with it, the authorities that are responsible for us asylum seekers still find the resources to continue their destruction of our well-being. For example, many asylum seekers were relocated to hotels at the start of the lockdown. One of them was Roger, who is from Cameroon and was relocated from a very bad shelter to a Travelodge in London. The food was barely enough to survive on – three biscuits and a 125ml carton of apple juice for breakfast, while lunch was around 100g of rice, poorly cooked, a boiled egg and some unidentifiable stew. Another asylum seeker, Sola, said he had experienced something similar in a hotel where he was transferred.

While we can’t know the full details behind the tragic events in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago, it’s reported that the man shot dead by police had complained he was “very hungry” after being re-housed in the hotel and had threatened violence the day before. Whatever we think about this event, surely we can all agree that the right to live and to live a dignified life is important, and that if we are being provided with food in place of financial support, this should be enough to sustain us. 

We must make sure that the Home Office and Mears are questioned, so we can find out exactly how they used their resources that should have been used to care for vulnerable, destitute communities.

Just because the lockdown is ending, this doesn’t mean the risks have disappeared for us asylum seekers. Covid-19 and the concomitant problems remain a potential death trap. And even if life were to go back to pre-Covid “normality”, this would still mean a life of trauma, isolation and uncertainty. When can we be human beings again? When can we be accepted, supported and enabled to find a path through the trauma and a light on the other side?

Over ten years Migrant Voice has mobilised and trained thousands of migrants and supported them in telling their stories in the media to millions of viewers, listeners and readers, and to speak directly to hundreds of policymakers. Many have won justice as a direct result. 

Read the stories of Amin and Shantel.

Almost all Migrant Voice’s limited resources are spent on campaigns for justice and ensuring migrants’ voices are heard. But the Covid-19 economic squeeze has made funding harder to obtain just when there is an unprecedented opportunity to change public perceptions - and government policies - on migrant rights. 

That’s why we launched the Fighting Fund. With your donation, we can mobilise and train hundreds more migrants across the UK, amplify their voices, and create positive change that benefits the whole of UK society – reducing xenophobia and discrimination, strengthening communities and bringing justice. 

Click here to donate. 

We will be closing this appeal on Monday 27 July, so make sure you donate before then!

For more information, contact info@migrantvoice.org.

The details of the UK’s Points-Based System, published by the Government today, make for dismal reading.

This is the system we feared all along – one that would see our communities become financially, socially and culturally poorer, and many of those eager to come and work in the UK and contribute to our society barred. Since it was first proposed, we wanted this scheme scrapped – and we still do.

It’s claimed in the Introduction to today’s document – and in all of the marketing for this scheme – that it’s “fair… because we will treat people from every part of the world equally”. Yet research shows that points-based systems are inherently racially, gender and age biased, and likely to favour migrants who are male, young and hail from a developed, Western country. That’s hardly fair.

Beyond this, any system that reduces people to a number – whether a salary or a number of points – is in our view deeply unfair and poses a threat to values of inclusion and diversity, diminishing the creativity and richness that come with diverse communities. After all, we would never judge a British person’s contribution to society by the size of their pay packet alone – why should we do so with migrants?

This is an argument we’ve heard a lot more of recently, as politicians and the public have found a new appreciation for some of the lower paid grafters in society – nurses, bus drivers, supermarket workers. But, sadly, this hasn’t filtered through to the points-based system. Yes, the Government has created a special, fast-track route with reduced fees for some health and care sector workers, but frontline care home workers are excluded and those in other lower paid roles are left high and dry. We may soon find that special routes have to be created in other sectors too – perhaps so many that the fundamental uselessness of this scheme for both employers and employees will be finally exposed. Finally, it’s simply hard to trust a scheme that requires the creation of a separate route for health workers, some of the most important workers in our society. Can we really say that this scheme is functional if this is necessary?

What’s worrying too is the amount of information that’s still missing in today’s document, the number of details that the Home Office admits haven’t been finalised yet. We’re also concerned about the amount of personal information that will be held and only accessible online; about the stated aim of gathering fingerprints and biometric facial images from all visitors and migrants to the UK; and about the harsh, yet vague, rules for refusing applications from or deporting those with criminal records.

While there are a few chinks of light – such as the Government accepting the Law Commission’s recommendation to simplify the (currently nightmarishly complex) immigration rules and guidance – these are few and far between.

But this scheme isn’t law yet. There is still time to fight it – and we must do so. It is possible to create a system where people can come to the UK to do jobs that are wanted and needed, where they are paid fairly for their work, and where they are welcomed as human beings – that is the future we want to see and will continue fighting for.

TOP IMAGE: Test of Strength, Steve Snodgrass, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Welcome to International Students Week at Migrant Voice!

This week (13-17 July), we are celebrating the international students who come to the UK and raising their voices and the issues affecting them. 

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for lots of great daily content. We’ll be sharing facts and stats along with blogs written by international students in the UK and calls for policy changes.

Many international students in the UK have faced very particular struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Lots relied on part-time work to pay their rent and buy the essentials, but with the lockdown, most of that work disappeared. International students aren’t eligible for any support from the Government so many have struggled simply to get by. Others have found themselves almost entirely isolated in their student accommodation and consumed by worries about the safety of their families, often thousands of miles away, while still facing strict deadlines on their academic work. The impacts on the mental health of many international students are likely to be long-lasting. 

Yet life in the UK has always been difficult for many international students. Despite contributing an estimated £17.6 billion per year to the UK’s finances, international students find they can access little support – financial or otherwise – and are left to their own devices. When they face problems, many find there is nowhere to turn for help.

Some face unfair treatment at the hands of the Home Office, including the 60,000+ students caught up in wrongful allegations of cheating six years ago, many of whom are still fighting to clear their names. We’ve been campaigning for justice alongside these students since 2017 – and we’ve made a lot of progress – but this came after several years of the students looking and failing to find support for their cause elsewhere. 

Two years before the allegations that stole the futures of tens of thousands of students in the UK, the Government abolished the Post-Study Work Visa, a blow to international students across the UK. We lobbied for years for its return and last year, we learned the Government is finally bringing it back. Cue big celebrations! But then we heard this wouldn’t be happening until 2021. This is devastating for many students graduating in 2020, especially given the immense disruption to their studies, experiences and financial situations due to the pandemic.

All too often, international students fall through the cracks. Join us this week to hear some of their stories and call for policy changes that can ensure international students in the UK are given the support they need and can feel like equal members of our communities.

We are proud to be one of 65+ organisations in the Status Now Network, launching on 11 July. We are calling on the Government to grant leave to remain to all undocumented migrants in the UK, and all migrants in the legal system, including asylum seekers.

Find out more about the launch here.

Currently, migrants who are destitute and/or undocumented live in the shadows and fear what will happen to them if they try to access healthcare, emergency shelter and food, or report or seek protection from domestic violence, rape, exploitation and other abuses – levels of which are rising. 

With the Covid-19 pandemic, these issues have only been exacerbated, leaving many migrants struggling to keep themselves and those around them safe.

Anna, who is an undocumented migrant in London, explained what life has been like for her during the pandemic.

"Undocumented migrants struggle to access health services,” Anna said. “Even if we have the symptoms, we keep it to ourselves as we are afraid to visit the hospital, we are afraid that our status will be asked. And also, those who lost their jobs were unable to pay their rent and to buy food for our everyday basic needs." 

Status for all would mean every human, irrespective of their nationality or citizenship, can access healthcare, housing, food and the same sources of income from the State as everyone else. It would also enable everyone to access Covid-19 testing and tracing schemes (and any future vaccination programmes) and to follow public health directives, and therefore to contribute openly and without fear to keeping themselves and those around them safe. 

A letter sent in March and signed by 65+ organisations calling for #StatusNow4All went unacknowledged and unanswered by both the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach.

The online launch event on 11 July is celebrating the newly formed Network with cultural events, and discussions from people with lived experience of being undocumented, MPs, Trade Unions and some of our signatories.

To find out more about the Network/campaign and how to get involved, contact us at info@migrantvoice.org.

Over ten years Migrant Voice has mobilised and trained thousands of migrants and supported them in telling their stories in the media to millions of viewers, listeners and readers, and to speak directly to hundreds of policymakers. Many have won justice as a direct result. 

Read the stories of Amin and Shantel.

Almost all Migrant Voice’s limited resources are spent on campaigns for justice and ensuring migrants’ voices are heard. But the Covid-19 economic squeeze has made funding harder to obtain just when there is an unprecedented opportunity to change public perceptions - and government policies - on migrant rights. 

That’s why we’ve launched the Fighting Fund. With your donation, we can mobilise and train hundreds more migrants across the UK, amplify their voices, and create positive change that benefits the whole of UK society – reducing xenophobia and discrimination, strengthening communities and bringing justice. 

Click here to donate.

For more information, contact info@migrantvoice.org.

The recent announcement  that the government will accept all 30 of the recommendations from the Windrush Lessons Learned Review was a refreshing sign of a willingness to listen at the top. Never before has the Home Office committed to embark on a cultural reform programme of this scope on migration and race. This has the potential to be a big moment. 

The difficulties of implementing such wide-reaching reform cannot be underestimated - it will only be achieved with significant will and leadership. Can the Home Office rise to the challenge? The time has surely come to escape the never-ending cycle of reports/inquiries with their recommendations of wholesale change, followed by empty promises from the Government. 

A central call of the review is for a culture change that recognises migration is about people, and that whatever the objective of Home Office policy, it “should be rooted in humanity”. Whilst the idea of ‘humanity’ may sound vague, the consequences of its absence have been all too real for those at the sharp end of policy. An obsession with targets and creating a hostile environment has devastated the lives of countless individuals.  

Quite how dehumanising migration practice has become is highlighted by this chilling quote from a former Immigration Enforcement employee: “Because of the pressure felt on targets, there was an unquestioning attitude towards Hostile Environment measures, as everything that put pressure on migrants was seen as a good thing” (italics added). 

For many migrants, this “pressure” has translated into a demoralising, if not catastrophic, experience of the UK’s immigration system. Many of those that Migrant Voice is in touch with have experienced this first hand, daily coming up against a harsh, intransigent, faceless system, where they are seen as political pawns at best and enemies at worst.   

In the case of PhD student Myriam Cardouche, this combination of hostility and incompetence has caused immeasurable damage, leaving her exiled from the UK and unable to complete her studies after the Home Office made an error and completely failed in their duty to correct it.

Cultural change would be extremely welcome, but means little without practical and quantifiable measures. Fortunately, the review does not fail on this front. 

For example, Migrant Voice is encouraged by the review’s proposed creation of a new Migrants’ Commissioner. The position’s stated aim of “speaking up for migrants and those affected by the system”, whilst engaging with migrants and communities, has the potential to put migrant voices at the heart of policy-making. 

Some might argue that we have been here before and that the Home Secretary’s announcement is simply a case of lip service. Given the lack of progress on Windrush compensation and the NHS surcharge, this view is somewhat understandable. 

Nonetheless, we should not lose sight of the fact that the 30 detailed recommendations laid out by Wendy Williams  offer both a blueprint for the Home Office to follow, and a tool for those of us who will want to hold the Government to account in the months to come.

Moreover, it is often said that the hardest part of solving a problem is admitting there is one. The Government has now done this. They must now embrace the next phase of the process and prove the Home Office can be an institution fit for 2020 and beyond. 

TOP IMAGE: Empire Windrush graffiti, Bristol, duncan c, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Over ten years Migrant Voice has mobilised and trained thousands of migrants and supported them to tell their stories in the media to millions of viewers, listeners and readers, and to speak directly to hundreds of policymakers. Many have won justice as a direct result. 

Read the stories of Amin and Shantel.

Almost all Migrant Voice’s limited resources are spent on campaigns for justice and ensuring migrants’ voices are heard. But the Covid-19 economic squeeze has made funding harder to obtain just when there is an unprecedented opportunity to change public perceptions - and government policies - on migrant rights. 

That’s why we’ve launched the Fighting Fund. With your donation, we can mobilise and train hundreds more migrants across the UK, amplify their voices, and create positive change that benefits the whole of UK society – reducing xenophobia and discrimination, strengthening communities and bringing justice. 

Click here to donate.

For more information, contact info@migrantvoice.org.

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During Refugee Week 2020, Migrant Voice has been working with our members and other partners in the MiFriendly Cities project to share Symbols of Home - an object, photograph or meal that reminds us of home.

We also made a video with our take on Brian Bilston's famous poem 'Refugees', recreated by our members and supporters in the West Midlands.

Watch the video here.

And scroll down for some of our members' Symbols of Home...

"My different colours of Jamaican passports and currency are my reminders of home." - Althia Barnett, Birmingham
 

"This clay tandoori oven reminds me of my grandparents and their kitchen. They used to burn wood for about 20 minutes and then cook the meal on it. Lovely!" - Zahida Parveen, Birmingham

"Four generations at one of our family annual reunions, this is a symbol of home for me." – Farisai J Dzemwa, Wolverhampton

"Over the last 25 years, I’ve moved home and country many times. The simplest way I've found to make a place a home is the cards/photos I put up and can easily move again to remind me of home and who I am." - Anne

“Bangladesh is a top producer of jute which makes her unique. Jute processing is a manual technique with a rich heritage. In this photo farmers are retting jute fibre from the stems and bundling up for the next stage. Due to its traditional nature it reminds me of home."  - Morshed Akhtar, Walsall

"Symbols of home, beautiful country Jamaica. Missing the warmth of the sunshine and the heart of the people!"  - Louise Andrews, Birmingham

TOP IMAGE: "Symbols of home, beautiful country Jamaica. Missing the warmth of the sunshine and the heart of the people!"  - Louise Andrews, Birmingham

The hostile environment is not working – for anyone. A new report by the National Audit Office criticises the Home Office on two counts – not knowing if its hostile policies are having the desired effect, and not knowing how many undocumented migrants are in the UK.

If only the Home Office had asked us, we could have told them that this policy causes untold suffering to untold numbers of people on a daily basis and does little, if anything, to “encourage” undocumented people to leave the UK, as they hoped it would.

By criticising the Home Office in this way, the NAO report exposes an ugly truth that we have long known – that the hostile environment was largely designed to grab headlines and win votes. But for those on the receiving end of this environment – whether it’s labelled ‘hostile’ or, after a superficial rebranding exercise, ‘compliant’ – they are a painful reality. Undocumented and documented people alike – along with British citizens – are prevented from renting a home, getting a job, accessing healthcare and participating in society, whether because of their status or the discrimination that the hostile environment directly engenders.

The hostile environment is not working – for anyone. 

This is why we are calling once again, this time alongside 54 other UK charities, for regularisation of all those who are undocumented in this country. The campaign ‘Status Now’, sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic, wants to see everyone in the UK able to access healthcare, housing, food and basic financial support from the State.

Many people who are undocumented were brought to the UK as children or were born here and believed they were British, only discovering in their adulthood that they have no status. Others came here legally but lost their status after the breakdown of a relationship or because they can no longer afford the extortionate visa fees and surcharges that are financially crippling to any ordinary family. Some are asylum seekers whose claims were wrongly refused and for whom it’s unsafe to return to the country they came from. Others still are the victims of Home Office mistakes or of the unnecessarily complex, draconian immigration rulebook, where the goalposts are constantly shifting. 

One of our members was just one year away from getting indefinite leave to remain when the Home Office refused her application to renew her visa – along with those of her husband and four children. The reason? The fees had gone up on the day they submitted their applications and they were given no opportunity to find and pay the additional amount. For five years, that family battled the Home Office in court to grant them their leave to remain. For five years, that family was undocumented, relying on the kindness of friends to get by.

And this family isn’t unusual. We’ve worked with thousands of migrants over the last decade, many of them facing unimaginable horrors at the hands of a Home Office that is trying to make them leave.

Yet people stay in the UK - because they have no other choice; because it’s not safe for them in their country of origin; because they were trafficked and are now trapped by their exploitative employer; because they have British children who they cannot simply leave behind; because the Home Office threw out its own rulebook when it told them to leave in the first place; because this is their home and it’s wrong to ask them to leave.

The hostile environment isn’t working – for anyone. Its abolition and a programme of regularisation are long overdue. We’re proud to be working alongside so many others to make this call. And we won’t be silent until it’s achieved.

TOP IMAGE: Immigration Arrival Stamp in Passport, Karn Bulsuk (Flickr), CC BY-NC 2.0

We stand in solidarity with Black communities around the world. We stand together with our members, many of whom have been victims of racism, whether in the form of hate crime, racial discrimination or the structural racism embedded in our political and social institutions here in the UK.

People of colour have faced targeted discrimination throughout history and systemic racial inequality is entrenched in our society. The very real consequences are all too clear in the UK data on Covid-19 deaths, which shows that ethnic minorities are more likely to get the virus and more likely to die from it than white British patients. 

We encourage everyone, whatever our colour, background or immigration status, to come together with those who experience racism and speak out against this scourge wherever it exists - for we are always stronger when we speak together. 

Our members, volunteers and staff have been doing just that. Watch their message here.

If you want to speak out but aren’t sure of the best medium or message, or if you want to campaign against injustice in the UK, get in touch with us at Migrant Voice. 

#BlackLivesMatter #migrantvoices #solidarity

The arrival of June marks Pride month. Ever since the Stonewall uprisings of June 1969, this has been a chance for LGBTQ+ communities around the world to celebrate. Although many of these celebrations are virtual this year, their message of diversity, equality and freedom of expression is no less vital. LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. 

Migrant Voice stands with the LGBTQ+ community. Ensuring safety and dignity for all people, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation or immigration status, must continue to be a priority for governments and communities across the world. 

Yet Pride is not just a party, and its history as a political movement for rights and recognition should not be forgotten. Many battles remain, with the fair treatment of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees being one of them.  

Those navigating the UK asylum system frequently face suspicion, personal prejudice, aggressive questioning, and painfully crude (mis)understandings of sexuality, identity and cultural difference.

One person who is all too familiar with Home Office practice in this area is Migrant Voice member Espoir Njei, a gay activist from Cameroon who is currently seeking asylum in the UK after being persecuted for her sexuality. 

A decision has not yet been made on Espoir’s case, but she has already had to face bizarre questions about her social life and a total lack of understanding as to why revealing her sexuality to armed police at the UK border was a difficult thing to do. 

Britain’s responsibility to ensure safety for people like Espoir comes not only from its obligations under international refugee law - which states that persecution on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is grounds for an asylum claim - but its colonial past as well. Much of the horrific anti-gay legislation still in force across the world was imposed during rule by the British Empire and is a direct legacy of British colonialism. 

Like so many issues then, thinking across borders is essential. With events under the Pride banner held on every continent, Pride is a great example of international solidarity - the kind we need when fighting societal injustice of any kind. As we have seen with the #BlackLivesMatter protests sweeping the globe, we are stronger when we stand together across borders.

And while some parts of society may try to pit migrants and LGBTQ+ communities against one another, it’s clear that these are two (overlapping) groups that have a great deal in common. Both are often labelled ‘illegal’, used as scapegoats, and vilified by certain sections of the media - and of course, there are many individuals, such as Espoir, who identify with both too. For them, the discrimination they face as a migrant often bears an all too familiar echo of the persecution they have endured on the basis of their gender identity or sexuality.

But rather than fall into despair, we can and must look to use this commonality as a catalyst for positive change. It may be a cliche, but there is truth in the saying, ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. 

So while we may not be out on the streets this June, this does not mean we must be silent. 

Firstly, we urge the UK Government to overhaul the processes for assessing asylum applications and to root out attitudes of suspicion and distrust in favour of fairness and impartiality. Secondly, we call on migrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community and anyone who wants to see justice, to stand together to fight discrimination, wherever it is found and whoever is targeted. 

TOP IMAGE: Espoir Njei and supporters of the I Am Espoir campaign by Migrant Voice.

When a friend of Jennifer Lim was punched in the eye in a London street because she was ethnically Chinese, Lim decided to act. Luckily, acting is her business.

“I thought it was time to respond urgently and creatively,” says the Singaporean-born actor and filmmaker who has lived in Britain for 20 years.

The punch was not a solitary incident. She and co-producer Daniel York Loh cite reports of a 21% rise in hate crimes against east and southeast Asian communities since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While she was performing in a London show about Hong Kong in March two members of the troupe were harassed on the way to a performance. 

Lim herself has been the subject of comments in the street, such as the time when an approaching child said to another, “Oh, she’s Chinese, let’s put our masks on.”

She blames “the hostile environment fostered by the Conservative Party, and Brexit policies, emboldened by the Alt Right… exacerbated by Donald Trump”, which she says have given carte blanche to outwardly hostile behaviour: “The veneer of tolerance is no longer there.

“I feel it’s a serious matter that’s not been given enough attention in the media.”

The creative response – an evening of short plays called WeRNotVirus – will hit Zoom screens on 13-14 June, thanks to a rapidly agreed grant from the Arts Council’s emergency Covid-19 response.

Lim and Loh commissioned 10 writers of Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean heritage, including some of mixed heritage, and five works will be presented on each of the two nights. Film and dance are featured, as well as prose and poetry.

In addition, British-Nigerian playwright Oladipo Agboluaje has contributed a piece about the experiences of Africans in China, where many have experienced racism as a result of the pandemic.

Both shows will be followed by panel discussions: Saturday, on the lack of British east Asian voices in the media, and Sunday, how to build solidarity between communities in response to Covid-19.

“There’s a real energy to what is a unique digital event,” says Lim. The quickly assembled talent, she adds, also disproves the old chestnut that east Asian writers and artists don’t exist in Britain.

The show is free. The first batch of tickets has already been allocated, and a second batch will be released nearer the performance date.

For information: https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/oto-we-r-not-virus/

Twitter: @Wernotvirus 

TOP IMAGE: Daniel York Loh (credit: Sebastian Nevols); Jennifer Lim (credit: Matt Anker).

We have sent a briefing on the impact of the NHS surcharge and extortionate visa fees on migrants in the UK to every MP. In the briefing, we call on the Government to abolish the NHS surcharge for all migrants, reduce visa fees for adults to the cost of administration, and make visa applications for children free of charge. Aware of the particular difficulties caused by Covid-19 for many migrants, we also called on the Government to automatically extend all leave to remain by one year.

Read the briefing here.

We have been working with our members across the country over the last year to gather their experiences of the immigration system, particular in relation to the costs of visas and associated charges (NHS surcharge, translation of documents, scanning documents etc.). In May 2020 we held a meeting with around 40 of our West Midlands members and John Spellar MP, and heard more about the desperate situation many of our members are facing. 

One week later, we facilitated coverage of this issue in the Guardian, which was front-page news and contributed to the Government's decision to drop the NHS surcharge for NHS workers. On the same day, our members spoke to Channel 4 News and the Press Association - and to the Guardian again the next day. Because while the news was welcome, it didn't go far enough.

The NHS surcharge is unfair for all migrants, and visa fees are extortionate across the board. And it's a cruel reality that those on the lowest incomes have to pay the most, and pay over the longest period, before they can become British citizens.

Get in touch with MV's Campaign Organiser, Ruth Taylor (ruth@migrantvoice.org) if you would like to get involved in this campaign.

Migrant NHS workers will no longer have to pay an extortionate surcharge to use the healthcare system that they help to sustain. Last week's U-turn by the government on this was both welcome and unexpected.

But it doesn't go far enough. Just like Brits, migrants contribute to the NHS through taxes. Demanding £400 extra per year - rising to £624 from October - is a form of double taxation. It also adds to the extortionate cost of visas themselves, which are crippling for many.

Because of these costs, teachers, bus drivers and other workers across the country will continue to drown in debt and struggle to feed their children. From October, a family of four renewing their 2.5 year visas will have to pay £6,240 just for the NHS surcharge – on top of the £4,000 cost of the visas.

Migrant Voice member Shantel Murray is one of those who will benefit from the U-turn. The 27-year-old works in a care home in Birmingham and already struggles to afford the surcharge. Once it rose again in October, it would have been completely impossible. Her reaction to hearing the news, caught on camera by Channel 4 News, is beautiful to watch – her relief is palpable and her happiness infectious.

Her sister Aniska is happy for her, but also frustrated. Like Shantel, she's been in the UK for 20 years and had to fight to get her status. And like Shantel, she works and pays taxes. But the new rules don't apply to her. When she renews her visa next time, she'll need to find £1,560 just to cover the surcharge for her 2.5 year visa. 

"I've been paying taxes for years and I don't understand why I need to suffer," she says. She's worried that the costs – of the surcharge, the visa, of scanning and uploading documents – will keep on increasing. "They're doing this because we're easy targets."

To abolish the charge for Shantel but not Aniska is cruel and indefensible. It feeds a poisonous narrative – one that has flourished during the Covid-19 pandemic – that says some migrants are worth more than others, that only those who risk their lives on the frontline deserve a semblance of fair treatment, while the rest are left to drown in stress and debt.

The government argues that the surcharge raises necessary income for the NHS. The reality is that this income is a tiny fraction – far less than 0.5% - of the NHS budget, but an unjustifiably huge proportion of the income of those forced to pay it.

We believe instead that the ballooning NHS surcharge and the extortionate cost of visas in this country – often ten times that of other European countries – are an insidious way to force migrants in lower paid jobs out of the UK, and keep and attract only those with wealth.

This toxic hierarchy values wealth above all, then NHS workers – but only when they're saving our lives. It shunts everyone else to the bottom. It must be dismantled. The NHS surcharge should be abolished for everyone.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Aniska asks. We have no good answer and nor does the government.

This article was first published on Politics.

In May 2020, Migrant Voice joined with Amnesty UK to call for the Government to ensure that everyone can have access to their basic needs during the Covid-19 pandemic, regardless of their immigration status: access to safe, secure accommodation, the means to feed themselves and their families, and vital healthcare. 

Many of our members are struggling to keep themselves and their families safe, healthy and fed during this pandemic - but this is entirely avoidable.

Sign this Amnesty UK petition to call on the Government to take action to keep everyone safe.

As part of this campaign, we worked with Amnesty to write an op-ed, published on Politics here, and to amplify the voice and experience of one of our members who is struggling to feed himself and keep a roof over his head due to Covid-19.

The campaign continues.

Many people have had to find new ways to stay in touch with family and friends during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even if someone lives around the corner, they are now out of reach.

For migrants, this situation is not new. With our families thousands of miles away, online communication is all we’ve ever had, And for us, it’s not a temporary situation. 

Yes, some of us chose to move away, chose to live in another country. But the decision to leave our loved ones behind was one of the hardest we ever had to make. Being separated from our families is the price we have to pay to find a better life – and it’s a very heavy price.

We have to cope with loneliness and a feeling of isolation on a daily basis. Perhaps this is a chance for us to share those experiences and offer some advice for coping – and for non-migrants to appreciate how life is for us, separated from our loved ones.

I’m an international student, and before the lockdown happened, I saw my family only once a year, due to financial reasons and commitments around my studies.

We’ve always been very close, and despite the distance, we’ve been able to keep that closeness. We spend hours on the phone; and Sundays, birthdays and holidays are all mostly spent that way. But I like voice messages the best, because you get to play them over and over again.

My family learned to use WhatsApp for my sake, to keep in touch easily, and even my grandma, who is 90 years old, uses it with help. My mother holds the phone for her and I get the most heartwarming messages, full of advice and good wishes. She loves to sing and knows hundreds of songs from her youth which she often records for me. It makes my day every time I receive one, and I end up playing it lots and lots of times. For Christmas she recorded carols for me, and it makes her happy to know this brings so much joy to my heart.

My dad is usually the calm, composed one, but even he can get emotional with the distance, though he always tries to hide it. My mom is the chatty one and has the most patience in the world. She sends me recipes and instructions on how to cook them in WhatsApp messages, and repeats the information over and over again, to make sure I got it right. She is the one keeping me up to date with everything that happens in my family, city and country, and the one always ready for a gossip at any time of the day.

Hearing the voice of someone you love can help lift your spirit and improve your mood when you are going through hard times. It’s reassuring and a way of feeling close to them, even when there’s so much physical distance. 

During this pandemic, our routine hasn’t changed and we’re as close as ever. As I’m sure people around the world have realised during this lockdown, when it’s all you have, speaking to your family online becomes your greatest treasure. It’s how I – and many other migrants – have learned to cope with the distance and it has made us strong. 

I know of others who are using even more inventive ways to stay connected. For example, Andrea, a Spanish woman I know of has been knitting and embroidering beautiful, heartfelt messages to send to family and friends back home.

If you are not a migrant, I hope you can learn something from our years of experience of being apart from our families, yet staying connected. And when this lockdown ends and you can meet your families and friends again, spare a thought for those of us who don’t have that option, who will continue to spend our Sundays on WhatsApp, speaking with our families thousands of miles away. 

Written with input from Ciaran and Andrea.

TOP IMAGE: One of the embroidered messages (meaning "family") made by Andrea to send to her family in Spain. 

SECOND IMAGE: Andrea knitted these for the day before children in Spain were finally allowed out to play after being in strict lockdown for two months.

Shantel works in a care home in Birmingham. On top of the unimaginable stress of the last few weeks, she has had to apply to renew her visa, which, at the time of writing, expires in two days. She can’t afford the extortionate fee, so she applied for a fee waiver more than a month ago, but she’s still waiting to hear if that’s been granted. If it’s rejected, she will have to find around £2,100 in the next 48 hours. 

This pandemic has undoubtedly left many people feeling vulnerable and insecure. But for some people like Shantel, the UK’s discriminatory visa system means that fear of the virus has only been half of the story - complicated renewal processes and extortionate fees have been another dark cloud on the horizon. 

We welcome the automatic one-year visa extension that the Home Office has granted to some healthcare workers - but it’s not enough.

At a recent meeting with around 40 of our West Midlands members, we heard many stories of people still suffering, people who aren’t eligible for this extension, but should be. Since this lockdown started, we have been urging the Government to automatically extend all visas due to expire before October 2020 - and we are repeating that call now. 

The kind of fee Shantel is facing is by no means unique to her situation. If you’re married to a British person and want to live in the UK, you have to pay a staggering £3,250 for a visa that lasts less than three years. Renewing it costs the same again. After that you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (£2,389), then later naturalisation (£1,330). Then there’s the annual NHS surcharge (set to rise to £624 per year in October) and various obligatory admin fees. 

Given that these figures are significantly higher than the published administration costs (usually around £200-300), these fees are unfair at the best of times. At a time when many people have lost their jobs or are on reduced income, they are surely indefensible. 

The recent suggestion from a Home Office minister that migrants should be able to rely on investments and savings to pay these fees is therefore deeply disappointing. Whilst it has not been unusual for this government to prioritise migrants with wealth, it is surprising to see a continuation of this attitude during a pandemic. If anything has been underlined by this country’s new-found appreciation of frontline workers, it is the flaws of valuing people according to their salary.

And it’s not just the costs that are a problem right now. Accessing reliable legal advice (necessary for most visa applications) is even harder than normal; gathering the required reams of bank statements and other physical evidence is almost impossible; and those who usually rely on library computers to prepare their applications are totally stuck.

The recent expansion of the one-year visa extensions to a wider range of healthcare workers is welcome - but we believe that no one should be facing the extortionate cost and extreme stress of applying for visas during this pandemic. Rather than constantly shifting goalposts, we call on the government to recognise everyone’s need for security at this time. Not only would this end discrimination, it would bring clarity and simplicity to what has often been a confusing message. 

In the long term, we want to see fees reduced to the cost of processing them and for children’s fees to be abolished. This would bring us in line with other European countries such as France and Germany. Indeed, if fees in this country were at these fairer levels currently, there would not be such an urgent need for the Government to grant automatic extensions during Covid-19. After all, there’s a world of difference between losing your job and needing to find £200 to renew your visa, and losing your job and needing to find £2000. 

We know from recent Select Committee hearings that politicians have been rightly shocked by revelations on this subject. The discovery that there are people on the ‘frontline’ who are facing legal uncertainty and unaffordable fees was described by the Home Affairs Committee chair, Yvette Cooper MP, as ‘very troubling’, and she has since urged the Home Secretary to look at expanding the scheme further.

We urge the Home Secretary to listen to Yvette Cooper MP and to people like Shantel. The Home Office must take immediate steps to ensure no one has to face the costs and stress of renewing their visa at this unprecedented time - and commit to significantly reducing the discriminatory fees in the long term. For Shantel and countless others like her, the clock is ticking.

TOP IMAGE: Piggy Bank - Postcards for the Lunch Bag, Sandra Strait, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Six weeks ago, we called on the Government to make eight simple changes that would make it possible for all migrants to keep themselves and others safe from Covid-19.

Only one has been made (ending in-person tribunal hearings), with tinkering around the edges on some others. This lack of decisive action has left unknown numbers of migrants around the UK struggling to feed themselves and their families, living in unsafe, insecure accommodation, too scared to access healthcare, and fearful for their futures. Some could even lose their lives, dying at home from Covid-19, because they are too afraid to seek help. That’s what happened to a Filipino migrant known as Elvis, but we have no way of knowing how many others there are.

The solutions are simple ones and we lay them out again here:

1. Suspend all NHS charging and launch a widespread public information campaign to ensure everyone understands their rights to access healthcare.

2. Remove all No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions, enabling everyone to access Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay.

3. Release everyone in immigration detention and halt any further detentions.

4. Extend migrants’ leave to remain for at least six months where this is due to expire. (Many won’t have access to the funds, legal advice, or documentation necessary to submit a renewal application.)

5. Suspend all requirements to upload documents or provide evidence in person and move to a wholly online system.

6. Stop issuing refusals that would leave individuals without status.

7. Temporarily increase the £37/week asylum support by £20, in line with the increase to Universal Credit. 

The Government has presented no good reasons why these solutions cannot be implemented. Indeed, they have simply ignored the increasingly urgent calls from across the sector, and from migrants across the country, for the temporary relief that is desperately needed. 

At a Home Affairs Committee hearing on 29 April, Stuart McDonald MP asked the Home Secretary why asylum support is not being increased by £20 per week. She said that the Home Office is constantly looking at the level of asylum support, but that “at this particular stage, our policies and measures are working”. She also suggested that she had not been made aware of any “particular incidences, cases or examples” where people were struggling. This is despite numerous letters sent to her, detailing the suffering some asylum seekers are facing, and numerous media stories quoting those with first-hand experience.

But it is not too late. Sadly, if the Government does not act, the suffering will continue long after the restrictions ease and some kind of normality resumes. Those who have lost their jobs will struggle to renew their visas; those who have symptoms but no documents will still be too scared to seek treatment; immigration detention centres will still be potential hotbeds for Covid-19.

This is why we have joined with Amnesty UK to call on the Government – once again – to ensure that everyone can meet their basic needs during this pandemic: access to safe, secure accommodation, the means to support themselves and their families, and vital healthcare services, regardless of immigration status.

The need is clear and the solutions are too – we urge the Government to act now, to end suffering and to save lives. 

TOP IMAGE: covid-19, Prachatai, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

I am a 28-year old professional, fluent in six languages, who relocated to London roughly three years ago to continue my studies in the UK, where I recently completed my Masters degree.

Ending up jobless seemed like something that wouldn’t happen to me. Since January 2020, I’ve been working as a Business Consultant and I had a permanent contract with my US-based company, which is registered in the UK. 

You can imagine my surprise when, during one of our daily e-calls in early April, my whole team and I were informed that the client we were working with had cancelled the contract days before, and that we would be made redundant within one week. From heaven to hell in seven days. At first, we were all speechless. Despite finding it strange that they only communicated this very important piece of information days after it had happened, I did not know what to say nor how to respond. 

Then, after doing some research online, I realised that the UK Government had implemented a furlough scheme and the so-called “Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme”. The rationale behind that was to prevent employers making massive layoffs and avoid a scenario where hundreds or thousands of people would end up jobless. As a result, I headed towards our second e-meeting with more confidence about an optimistic outcome.

After being reassured by a couple of HMRC operators over the phone about the eligibility of my company to put both my team and me on this retention scheme, I gathered all the relevant information to be transmitted to my employer.

But my numerous attempts to talk to ACAS, HMRC, a couple of lawyers and other legal and labour advisers were useless, in that it appears that it is true indeed that the UK Government has put in place this job retention scheme but is failing to ensure that employers use it. In fact, the UK Government only recommends CEOs to choose this option, which is funded by the state, but in the end, they still have the power to choose not to adopt such a measure, and release people with short notice. Which in fact is what happened to me. 

Companies may be making this decision partly because of delays in payments from the Government. As explained to me by a HMRC operator, the first pay-outs to employers that will enable them to pay 80% of employees’ salaries are due to be released around now (the end of April), which may be too late for some businesses.

When you are from another country, one of the first things you tend to do in times of crisis is to compare the quality of life between your current state of residence, and your native country.

On the one hand, I have so much to blame Italy for, particularly regarding the lack of fair job opportunities for well-educated people, which is causing Italy’s brain drain and is the reason why I relocated to London. On the other hand, I am proud that my country is at the forefront of healthcare and does not leave anybody without medical care, no matter whether you are an Italian native citizen or an immigrant. Moreover, the Italian government has actually obliged companies to retain their employees by putting them in what we call “Cassa Integrazione” (the Italian version of a furlough scheme). Brexit failed to encourage me to leave the UK, but as an immigrant who recently lost his job under unfair circumstances, I am now considering either heading back to my native country or looking for other professional options elsewhere.  

I am deeply grateful for what I’ve achieved in the UK and the opportunities I’ve had here – but I’m now disappointed too. It seems pointless to put in place options for employers to retain their employees, if these schemes are optional to begin with. 

However, there is also something good and positive in this story. I discovered that my landlord is even more special and kind than I already knew. I think he deserves to be named, at least by his surname. Once he became aware that I’d lost my job, Mr Murphy spontaneously offered to reduce my rent for the next three months. This way, it would be as if he had gifted me with one-month free rent. I offered to repay him later, but he replied: “You know what? This is a present. These are very difficult times, never mind that.” There is still light at the end of the tunnel, after all.

I am looking at this difficult situation as an opportunity to keep studying, reading, learning, and to focus my attention and energies on what makes me happy, and on the career path I really want to follow. What happened may be a blessing. It is probably the ‘wake-up call’ I needed. I will figure this out in a little while. 

What I am also focusing on is opening people’s eyes to the way some companies treat their employees and to the reality of the schemes put in place by the UK Government, in the hope that no more people in the UK or Europe in general will experience such unfair treatment in the future. 

Another precarious boat of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Whether receptive or hostile, the commentary that accompanies it will often focus entirely on how European societies will be affected by this migration. When stories about migration to Europe are consistently associated with images like this, stripping migrants both literally and figuratively of any background, you might indeed be forgiven for thinking that migrants appear out of thin air at the borders of Europe. 

But what about the place these people have left? What is the effect of migration on there? How to cope when loved ones disappear overnight? 

These are some of the key questions posed by Netflix’s prize-winning acquisition from the end of 2019 - Atlantics. Director Mati Diop’s debut film opens in the suburbs of Dakar, Senegal’s capital on the west coast of Africa. Raised in France but with Senegalese heritage, Diop is therefore at once insider and outsider in this setting. 

A tense scene in which a group of young labourers are being denied their wages gets the ball rolling. Fed up with these working conditions, the men venture out into the menacing and angry-looking Atlantic Ocean, risking their lives to try and make it to Europe. We might assume the film will take us with them. All roads lead to Europe, after all.

Atlantics however stays firmly put, immersing us in the haze of Dakar and the predominantly female world of those left behind. At the centre of this is Ada, whose upcoming marriage to rich playboy Omar is the source of much excitement amongst her friends and family. Ada appears less keen on the match, but the pressure to sacrifice love in favour of wealth only increases when it turns out that Souleyman, Ada’s lover, has left on the boat with the other men. Or has he? 

In this vision of Dakar, the air is thick not only with heat and dust, but the spirits of those who have left. Strange spectres stalk the streets at night, and a mysterious fire breaks out in what would have been Ada’s marital bed. Yet zombie horror film this is not. Rather Diop’s sparing use of CGI and subtle evocation of the uncanny elevate this film from a worthy exploration of social class and migration to a lyrical treasure.  

When asked about this supernatural element of the film in an interview for The Film Programme on BBC Radio 4, Diop described it as:

Atlantics is available to stream on Netflix UK
www.netflix.com 

TOP IMAGE: LE EITHNE 15 Jun 2015 3 by Óglaigh na hÉireann, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

It’s been refreshing to hear so much praise for some groups of migrant workers during these first weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown. But amongst the platitudes, the Government has wasted no time in pushing ahead with its plan for a crude and discriminatory points-based immigration system that, if already in force, would have prevented many of those migrants from coming here and doing these frontline jobs. 

Yes, it was remarkable to hear Piers Morgan – usually one of the UK’s most combative voices on immigration issues – reading a roll call of Filipino health workers and talking about migrants “enriching our country” live on air. 

And yes, it was welcome too when the Prime Minister singled out Jenny McGee and Luis Pitarma – both migrants – when thanking the NHS for saving his life.

But sandwiched neatly in between these megaphone moments was the release of some news from the Government that escaped most people’s attention – a document for employers introducing the points-based immigration system due to launch in January. A system that will mean nurses like Jenny from New Zealand and Luis from Portugal, and Filipino nurses Venus and Princess will find it much harder to come to the UK and “enrich our country” in the future.

In an email we received from the Home Office telling us about this newly available information, they explained there was no big communications push planned at the moment – the reason given was that many businesses are currently under severe stress due to Covid-19. But it’s hard to see how the Government could have been unaware of the hypocrisy of releasing this information at this moment. 

They decided the solution was to release it quietly. And that’s the most revealing part of all of this. If the Government were truly thankful to the migrant frontline workers in this country, if they truly recognised their value (and not just the economic), they would be changing their policy, not pushing on with their existing policy under the radar.

If ever there were a time for real change, this is it. This is the time to extend the transition period, scrap the points-based policy and take time to create a new immigration system that truly works for everyone. A system where migrant workers can come to the UK to do jobs that are wanted and needed – whether in the NHS or anywhere else – where they are paid fairly for their work and treated fairly by their employers, where they are valued beyond their earning potential and welcomed as human beings into our communities.

But the Government is missing this opportunity and instead, all we’re seeing are temporary, piecemeal responses such as extending visas for some NHS workers. Although welcome, this is not the way to respond to such an earth-shattering event as Covid-19.

It seems strange to end on a quote from Piers Morgan, but these are strange times. "I hope at the end of this we have perhaps a different sentiment, a different feeling about what immigration has done for this country," he told viewers last week. 

What we’re hoping – and pushing – for is far more than a change of feeling. We need policies that allow migrants to come to the UK and live dignified lives. Platitudes are not enough.  

TOP IMAGE: Screenshot from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878597/The_UK_s_points-based_immigration_system_-_an_introduction_for_employers.pdf 

The eerie sight of deserted London landmarks and underground stations is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary times we are living through. Not since the Second World War have such severe restrictions on daily life been imposed on the British public. Despite some initial reservations, the wartime analogy is now one that has been embraced by many leaders. In the US, President Donald Trump has happily cast himself as a ‘wartime leader’, whilst UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s televised addresses to the nation have taken on an almost Churchillian tone. Both are no doubt motivated in part by the political gains that are seen to come with victory in wars. 

As has already been noted by some however, wars inevitably come with serious human rights risks. Whilst no one would disagree with the idea that exceptional times require exceptional measures, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben has highlighted how governments can exploit crises to induce semi-permanent ‘states of exception’. Most importantly, and worryingly, is his idea that these states of exception lead to powers designed to deprive individuals of citizenship, radically erasing ‘any legal status of the individual, thus producing a legally unnameable and unclassifiable being’. The US response to 9/11 and its detention of individuals without trial or regard for the Geneva Convention is one chilling example to which Agamben refers. 

The Sangatte refugee camp in northern France has also been referred to as a place in which this ‘state of exception’ operated. Indeed, we should be under no illusion that the adoption of warfare rhetoric by governments has the potential to be particularly harmful for those on the move. The fact that the ‘enemy’ relates to public health only adds fuel to the fire. Toxic narratives about outsiders being dirty, that have existed for centuries, now sit ripe for exploitation by our new wartime leaders.

One such leader who has already capitalised on the crisis to promote this nasty and false conflation of disease and those fleeing persecution is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The nationalist leader blamed foreigners for bringing the disease to Hungary, declaring:

"We are fighting a two-front war. One front is called migration, and the other one belongs to the coronavirus, there is a logical connection between the two, as both spread with movement."

In Italy, former interior minister Mateo Salvini displayed a similar disdain for facts with his claim that ‘allowing the migrants to land from Africa, where the presence of the virus was confirmed, is irresponsible'. At the time, the only African country to have been touched by the virus was Egypt, with one confirmed case.  

As well as a cynical exploitation of the crisis, such comments reveal a sinister logic at play. When the Daily Telegraph claims to be concerned by the lack of testing or quarantine arrangements in place for those arriving in the UK, we can be sure that it is not referring to the white people arriving at the border by plane, but the tiny minority of people arriving by boat or lorry. Certain types of people are clearly seen as ‘dirtier’, more threatening and inherently inferior. 

If this mindset becomes widespread, then the risks to refugees in particular are stark. Immobilisation in unsanitary conditions near borders, the complete rejection of international asylum obligations by nation states and heavy-handed detention under new emergency powers could all become a reality of this crisis. 

Sadly, there is some evidence of this already. Cyprus, the top recipient of first-time asylum-seekers in the EU (per capita), closed its borders on 15 March, so that Syrian refugees trying to reach safety by sea have been turned back. Simply screening or quarantine arrangements could have allowed for both virus containment and adherence to international law - but it seems no such arrangements were made. 

Beyond the frontiers of Fortress Europe, reports of a contempt for international convention have also emerged. Authorities in Ethiopia, a country previously seen as receptive to those seeking sanctuary, are looking to impose ‘Exclusion Criteria’. According to the NGO association Eritrea Focus, officials processing asylum claims have adopted criteria so severe that they equate to a rejection of all Eritrean asylum claims. 

Nonetheless, we must be clear that ‘the end of the story hasn’t been written yet’. And while Agamben may show us the ways in which crisis can be exploited by governments, the writer and activist Naomi Klein highlights their potential to catalyse ‘great leaps forward’. Klein cites the example of 1930s America, where the economic crisis of the Great Depression led to the New Deal and great progress in social security programs for ordinary people.

Policies that only a few weeks ago would have been dismissed by many as impossible have already become reality with startling speed. The most striking example of this so far has come from Portugal, where all those who currently have pending asylum applications have temporarily been granted full citizenship rights. Even the UK Home Office, an institution not exactly known for its open-minded approach towards immigration policy, has moved to enact several bold measures - including visa extensions for all NHS workers at no extra cost, and the release of several hundred people from immigration detention.  

Perhaps then, this state of flux and the suspension of ‘business-as-normal’ can act as a much needed shock to the system. Faced with such a global crisis, a renewed focus on international solidarity and cooperation has never seemed more vital, and the violent enforcement of borders never more futile and damaging. 

TOP IMAGE: Where's Gerry?, John Vincent, Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). This image was taken in 2016, prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, but echoes many similar images taken more recently.

With Covid-19, the threat to the rights of migrants and refugees around the world is growing.

Conflict and persecution do not stop during a pandemic and people still need to flee their homes to find safety. But travelling is even more difficult and dangerous than usual, and the path to refuge criss-crossed with shuttered borders. We’ve also seen some countries such as Lebanonuse the pandemic as an excuse to crack down on refugees in their countries.  Meanwhile, migrants around the world are finding themselves trapped in their new home with visas expiring, families far away and little or no access to state support. 

We urgently need a new approach – one that embraces those migrants living among us as full and equal members of our society with equal rights to access healthcare, housing and basic financial support, and one that ensures that those who need to flee to safety can do so. This can be an opportunity – a chance for those who govern to make bold and brave decisions that can lead to a better world for us all.

Unfortunately, our modern obsession with borders and the nation state means that, even in more normal times, we demonise and scapegoat people who cross those borders. The recent ruling by the EU’s highest courtthat Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic broke the law when they failed to give refuge to asylum seekers in 2015 is a stark reminder of this. And in this pandemic, as states close their borders to protect their citizens, the demonisation of people seeking to cross them is getting worse. 

We’ve seen it off the coast of Cyprus, where 200 refugees were despicably turned away by patrol vessels last week; in Italy, where Matteo Salvini urged the government to close the borders to Africans (at a time when the entire continent had only one confirmed case); in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban explicitly blamed coronavirus on migrants; and even in the UK, where officials have stoked fear by claiming that migrants arriving in boats or lorries were likely bringing the virus to the country (happily ignoring the fact that people arriving on flights are just as likely to have the virus and aren’t being tested). 

But if we are to fight this virus effectively – a virus that does not wait politely at a border for admission – we must urgently change our approach. Instead of each nation formulating its own response, hunkering down behind newly erected border regulations and demonising the foreigners abroad and in its midst, we need an international approach that recognises the fundamental shared humanness of every person on this planet – and our shared susceptibility to Covid-19.

Those seeking safety must be allowed in – with testing and quarantining in place where necessary – and migrants in our communities given the means to protect themselves and those around them from this virus. 

Now is the time for states and individuals to build relationships across borders and strengthen the bonds with our friends and neighbours, wherever they may come from. Xenophobia and nationalism will only hinder us in this global fight – and if we can find ways to weaken their stranglehold on our societies now, we can look forward to a better world when this threat has passed.

TOP IMAGE: Aleppo, Joshua Tabti, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

In the latest of our occasional commentaries on the coverage of migration in the media, Daniel Nelson looks at ITV's Kate and Koji.

A second sympathetic sitcom about an asylum-seeker is now screening on prime time TV. Should we applaud or boo?

The first, Home, was about a Syrian who smuggles his way into a suburban family home by stowing away in their car boot. The new comedy, Kate and Koji, is set in an English seaside caff and is built around a West African doctor.

The principal characters are an unlikely couple: Koji is educated, straight-laced a bit pompous, and has lied in order to apply for asylum; caff-owner Kate is working-class, down-to-earth and prejudiced: “There’s four things in life I hate: scroungers, foreigners, doctors and posh people.”

As soon as Koji in his impeccable three-piece suit reveals his medical skills, customers start flooding the caff, dissatisfied with their GPs and seeking advice (or someone to talk to).

Kate - standing resolutely against the cappuccino café competition down the road - realises that this could boost business.

A deal is struck, baked beans and endless cuppas in return for the doc dishing out advice.

Yes, it’s full of stereotypes and it’s far more limited in scope, cornier and less subtle than Home, which managed to deal with serious issues and be genuinely moving.

But the lead character is an educated African, just as Sami in Home is a cultured teacher. You don’t get many of those on mainstream TV. And as the story unravels you understand why – on £37.50 a week – he might be grateful for an occasional free cuppa, and why he had to lie in order to claim asylum, and why he is terrified of even a small incident or an unwary word that could jeopardise his situation.

If this sort of comedy isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll dismiss it as trivial and lacking in political analysis. But so is most television, and yet it’s hugely influential in shaping public opinion – 5.1 million viewers tuning in for the first instalment, with more watching the repeat and on ITV Hub. 

If hostility to migrants and migrants is to be challenged and re-made, mainstream television must be an important part of the campaign. Letters to The Guardian and academic treatises won’t get the job done.

* Kate and Koji is on ITV at 8pm, Wednesdays; repeats on Tuesday evenings; available on https://www.itv.com/hub/itv ITV Hub. Info: https://www.itv.com/hub/kate-koji/2a7658

Since the escalation of the Covid-19 epidemic in the UK, the migration sector has been working together with different migrant communities to assess the particular issues affecting them and to call for urgent changes to national policies, regulations and practicies.

At Migrant Voice, we have been contributing to these conversations and raising our voice with others to push for the change that's needed.

Here are some of the calls we're supporting and letters we've been signing:

• We joined with Medact, JCWI, Liberty and many others to call for an immediate suspension of the hostile environment, including NHS charging and data-sharing (16 March)
• We joined a sector-wide call to discuss issues facing migrants who are destitute and/or homeless, resulting in this letter, coordinated by NACCOM (18 March)
• We signed a letter calling on universities to suspend all monitoring of migrant staff and students, and to institute "the most generous extension of visa sponsorship possible" during and after this pandemic (19 March)
• We signed a letter calling on local authorities to take urgent action to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all migrants, especially those with no recourse to public funds (20 March)
• We wrote to the Home Secretary and Immigration Minister to call for all leave to remain to be automatically extended for all migrants in the UK, and refusals to be suspended (23 March)

We will continue to update this list.

As Covid-19 continues to spread, urgent policy changes are required to make sure that everyone in the UK – including every migrant – is able to protect themselves and others.

The Home Office is already making changes – suspending face-to-face asylum interviews and reporting requirements, and making treatment for Covid-19 non-chargeable, for example – but these must go much further and much faster.

The Emergency Powers Bill currently going through Parliament will give the Government significant new powers in light of the pandemic, including allowing for police and immigration officers to temporarily detain people who may be infectious.

Such aggressive measures may be necessary, but these should only be introduced following scrutiny and debate, and once some simple, more humane measures have been implemented. 

We want to see immediate measures that would mean no one is too scared to seek healthcare, no one is left undocumented or unable to access emergency funds during this crisis period, no one is detained, and no one has to travel to a tribunal or a legal advice centre.

Simply put, the Government must make it possible for all migrants to follow guidance on social distancing and self-isolation. No migrant must be forced to choose between protecting themselves and maintaining their immigration status.

We urge the Government to immediately:

1. Suspend all NHS charging and launch a widespread public information campaign to ensure everyone understands their rights to access healthcare.
2. Remove all No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions, enabling everyone to access Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay.
3. Release everyone in immigration detention and halt any further detentions.
4. Extend migrants’ leave to remain for at least six months where this is due to expire. (Many won’t have access to the funds, legal advice, or documentation necessary to submit a renewal application.)
5. Suspend all requirements to upload documents or provide evidence in person and move to a wholly online system.
6. Stop issuing refusals that would leave individuals without status.
7. Grant asylum seekers a monthly advance in their asylum support (continuing to pay more up front if the situation develops) and halt all evictions from asylum accommodation. 
8. Begin conducting all immigration tribunal hearings by video link and postpone proceedings where this would not allow for a fair hearing (e.g. due to poor internet connection).

This Government has pledged to do everything necessary to combat this virus and to protect the vulnerable in our society. Making these changes would be a vital step towards that goal.

TOP IMAGE: Westminster, Chris Bird, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Due to growing concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic, Migrant Voice staff are working remotely from today (Monday 16 March). Our offices are closed and we will not be holding any face-to-face events, trainings or meetings until further notice.

If you have a meeting scheduled with any of our staff or you are signed up to a training session, we will be in touch with you soon. We are currently exploring different ways that we can continue working with you – whether by phone, Skype or using other online tools – and we’ll pass on this information as we go.

We have taken this decision as we believe it is the best way to protect the health of our members and staff – and that of the wider community.

However, Migrant Voice is still active and we will do our very best to deliver online training and workshops to you over the next weeks. Our campaigns and communications work will continue too, just in different ways.

And please don’t stop getting in touch with us – you can still reach us via our usual email addresses and phone numbers. See here for details:

http://www.migrantvoice.org/contact

We would also urge you to read the latest advice from the NHS about protecting yourself and others from the virus:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The current advice (as of 16 March) is to stay at home for 7 days if you have a high temperature or a new and continuous cough. For everyone else, try to avoid too much contact with other people and wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

If you are worried about your symptoms, use this online NHS app:

https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/

The organisation Doctors of the World has produced guidance in 15 different languages (with more to be added soon). Please share this with anyone you know who needs information in their native language:

https://bit.ly/2vo0SYX

Finally, we are aware that some migrants are particularly concerned about the virus due to their circumstances, e.g. being ineligible for free healthcare or living in asylum accommodation where it’s difficult to self-isolate.

If you have a particular problem or concern, please let us know. We will do what we can to support you and we will also consider issuing calls to the Government to take action on issues if we know there are a lot of migrants affected.

Do look after yourselves and remember, Migrant Voice is still here and very active!

“As an urban ethnographer and photographer my camera is the lens through which I see the city. The camera helps me pause and reflect. In a context of growing ultra-nationalism and populism in which racism, fear and othering are not only toxic and divisive but also dangerous, my commitment is to show that people do get on together, people can share the same place and have shared experiences, despite the apparent differences.”

This is how Manal, a Palestinian photographer who moved from Jerusalem to London more than ten years ago, sees her work.

“I come from a place where racial hierarchy is the norm and the law,” she continues. “It’s so beautiful to see the mixture of different backgrounds and cultures in London, and how enriching that can be! I want to celebrate this.”

Manal came to the UK with a studentship from the British Council to do a Masters degree in Human Rights at the London School of Economics and later continued her studies there with a PhD in Urban Sociology. She wanted to study at an institution that is multicultural but also wanted to explore new places and to experience life in a cosmopolitan city.

Manal has an interdisciplinary academic background (with a previous BA in Sociology and a Masters in Middle Eastern and European Studies from Israel) and a strong commitment to social and environmental justice.

Her work is focused on urban issues and the daily life of people in their spaces. Her PhD thesis, under the supervision of Professor Paul Gilroy, investigates "the Palestinian city in Israel" and looks into the relationship between space, power exclusionary-exclusive politics and (post)colonial governmentality.

In London she was a co-founder of “Focus E15”, a housing campaign that started in 2013 and soon gained national and international recognition. The campaigners were young single mothers all below 25 who were served with eviction notices by a housing association in Stratford, East London, and whom Newham Council wanted to re-house in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Hastings. The creative and vibrant campaign had a strong presence in the streets of Newham and was successful in that the mothers were re-housed in London.

Manal’s photography projects are based on her passions and look into processes such as gentrification, inequality, housing, play, and urban health.

Many projects are based in Hackney, where Manal lives, and document different aspects of social life in this area that is one of the most multi-ethnic in London. One of her ongoing projects is about a primary school – A School in Hackney – and is a portrait of the school’s families.

“Children, especially at a young age, are not corrupted by racism and class. They don’t see ‘apparent’ differences as something divisive,” explains Manal. “They just want to have fun, they want to play and form friendships, and don’t care whether your parents come from Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe or Bedfordshire.

“We are all human beings and this is what we need to celebrate. I’m impressed and reassured by the culture of inclusivity that the school promotes. I’m so happy that my children go to a school that is multicultural and inclusive.”

Another project is based around the Hackney Playbus, a converted double-decker bus that is driven around the most deprived housing estates in Hackney offering a chance for the local community to come together and enjoy various activities. Taking her children to the Playbus sessions was the inspiration for Manal to start the project.

Manal’s photography projects also stress the importance of the environment and educating children to experience, know, and love nature.

“It’s important to remember that nature can and should be accessible in urban environments,” she says. “London is one of those cities which is generous with its accessible amazing parks, marshes, little woods, allotments. Simple Pleasures is a series of photographs that highlights the pleasure children can get from simply being out in nature with friends, playing, getting messy and muddy.

“In a world of social atomisation and hyper consumerism, it is important to make children have interest in the simplest things and allow them just to be kids and play. Nuture/Nurtured, a project about a forest school in a Hackney nursery, is another project that highlights the same themes.”  

Much of Manal’s work is published on her website, but this is in itself still a new project and more work from past and ongoing projects will be added to make it even richer.

TOP IMAGE: Manal

On 6 March 2020, the Home Office published updated guidance for its caseworkers on dealing with cases involving an allegation of cheating on the English language test known as TOEIC. (Read about the My Future Back campaign for justice here)

This document is the result of a ministerial statement in July 2019 by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who, following significant reports by the National Audit Office and APPG on TOEIC, announced that guidance on these cases would be updated.

It is unacceptable that the tens of thousands of students impacted by the unfair allegations made six years ago have had to wait more than seven months for this new guidance.

And while there are a few positive changes, which we hope will benefit many students, it’s deeply disappointing that this document completely neglects the damning evidence revealed by the NAO, APPG and Public Accounts Committee reports published last year. These clearly show that the evidence used by the Government to accuse students of cheating in 2014 was fundamentally flawed.

It’s also disappointing that so much of the document’s content has been redacted prior to publication and that the remaining sections contain so little detail. There has been a lack of transparency regarding the Government’s handling of this matter from the very beginning – and this document does little to rebuild trust among those affected that the Home Office will deal with their cases fairly and consistently in future.

To address the hopeful parts of the guidance:

1. If an applicant submitted a TOEIC certificate considered invalid or questionable in an earlier application, this will no longer automatically result in the current application being refused. Instead, this factor will be “balanced” against other factors. While there is a frustrating lack of detail about the relative weight of these different factors, this is a welcome change (and one that was trailed in Javid’s statement last summer).

2. We know several students who have had their appeal dismissed in the tribunal on human rights grounds, even though the judge has ruled that they did not use deception to obtain their TOEIC certificate. They have then had to appeal that decision in the upper tribunal. However, according to the new guidance, students in this situation will be given 60 days leave instead, in which they can make a new application. This is a very positive development.

3. If a caseworker is considering refusing an application from a TOEIC student, they must now let the applicant know that and allow them the chance to submit additional evidence (known as the “minded to refuse” process). This will likely not affect a large number of students, but it is a positive change.

4. The Home Office has always claimed that any students with tests considered “questionable” were offered the chance to resit the test or be interviewed when they submitted their next application to the Home Office. We understand that many were never given this opportunity, however, and had action taken against them. For those students, this guidance is good news, as it states that the allegation of deception should not be maintained where there’s no evidence of any attempt to interview them in the past.

These are steps forward, but the progress is not nearly as fast, as significant or as comprehensive as it needs to be. In a striking – and welcome – change of stance, the former Home Secretary said last summer that the Government has a “duty” to do more to help those students who were wrongly accused. Yet this guidance leaves many of them still stuck in a nightmare situation.

What will become of those who cannot afford the thousands of pounds for a human rights claim, lawyers’ fees and the tribunal hearing that will inevitably follow? What about those who fall victim to bad legal advice or the judicial lottery that means strong cases can be unfairly dismissed? And what about those who do win and are granted leave to remain, but can’t return to their studies as so many universities look at their immigration record and refuse to take them?

This Government must start taking responsibility for the unjust, unfounded actions it took against these students in 2014, and stop insisting that the only solution is the extortionately expensive, inordinately complex, case by case approach offered by the legal system.

They must offer all those affected the chance to sit a new test or attend an interview, and they must issue guidance to all colleges and universities to take these students back. Six years on, such actions are now long overdue.

On Saturday mornings, a choir family of refugees and asylum seekers meet at a church crypt in Hackney to sing songs that echo the beauty of their homelands.

Mothers come with their young children, while others travel long distances to be here. On this particular Saturday, one member arrives despite feeling ill.

“I can’t not come,” she says, explaining how the group fills her with an indescribable sense of belonging as a refugee.

That group is Woven Gold, a choir made up of refugees and asylum seekers who have fled persecution and found safety in London. Formed in 2007 as a therapeutic arts program under the Helen Bamber Foundation, the choir sings original songs and compositions from the members’ home countries.

The result is a coalescence of sonic traditions and languages from around the world – Arabic, English, Persian, Kurdish, to name a few – sounding in harmony.

“There’s a river flowing in my heart and it’s telling me I am somebody,” they sing together in preparation for an upcoming concert. 

Ahmed, who has been a member of Woven Gold for eight years, was a musician in Iran before he was forced to flee his country and seek refuge in London at the age of 18. He arrived in the UK not knowing any English and without anyone to rely on. He felt alienated and alone in dealing with the systemic and mental challenges to being accepted as a refugee. 

“Going through the system puts you in a position that is, in a way, you’re trapped in it,” says Ahmed after a morning of rehearsal. “It’s this horrible circle that you go around and there’s no sense of relief.” 

For him, the process to be recognized as a refugee took nine years, a prolonged and frustrating period that involved poor National Asylum Support System (NASS) accommodation and an isolating relationship with the Home Office. 

Many refugees and asylum seekers arrive in the UK to an unfamiliar language, culture, and system. In fleeing their countries, they’ve left behind loved ones and spaces of familiarity, sources of reassurance and a sense of belonging.

In the UK, they are met with a complex asylum system that, in the year ending September 2019, only granted protection to 48% of its applicants. There’s been a sharp rise in the number of applicants waiting more than six months for a decision too, with many living in limbo for years.

“The way that the whole immigration system is in the UK, you’re hanging in the air for a very long time,” says Humera, a refugee from Pakistan and member of Woven Gold for 14 years.  

The rehearsal room inside the church crypt is home to refugees and asylum seekers who have battled through or remain suspended in the system. In spite of their situations, members feel safe in each other’s presence and encourage one another to push on.

Organizations like the Helen Bamber Foundation provide therapy to assist with trauma, but research shows that additional collective creative outlets like choir groups improve the well-being of refugees and asylum seekers throughout the process of building a new life. 

Angela, who joined Woven Gold in 2013 after her therapist advised her to do so, credits the group for keeping her afloat through the friendships formed here and the choir’s emotional support. 

“It’s given me a purpose for getting up every morning. Otherwise, I would probably stay at home and just be completely depressed all the time,” she explains. 

After joining with no prior choir experience, Angela prides herself in her newfound talent, writing songs for the group. 

Woven Gold has released two albums: “Much More Than Metal” in 2010 – its title inspired by Tree of Life, a sculpture made from weapons used in the Mozambique Civil War – and “Helen’s Song” in 2018. 

Of their music, no two tracks are the same. From smooth saxophonic openers to melancholic guitars, traditions from Burma to Kurdistan, their songs reflect the global beauty of the collective. 

Angela recalls the impact of the track “Mama,” written by member Aisha, when it first reached the group’s ears: “She just started crying because this song was about her mother and she just misses her mother and everyone started crying because we all have that shared experience. We miss people that we’ll never see again.”

Woven Gold’s singing is an outlet to express vulnerability and struggles past and present, but also an act of rebellion against circumstances that prevent refugees and asylum seekers from being in the UK, or being at all. 

Humera puts it best: “In that three minute song, I can cry all the tears I could never cry, I can scream all the screams I could never scream.”

TOP IMAGE: Woven Gold, credit: Woven Gold

The situation at the Greece-Turkey border is the result of a shameful unwillingness to see migrants as human beings, to acknowledge their right to agency over their own lives, and to contemplate anything beyond short-term, sticking plaster approaches to the movement of human beings.

Many of the migrants gathered at the border have been used as pawns in a geopolitical game for years and are now once again being manipulated for political gains. While several EU countries have done good work resettling refugees in the last few years, we have seen a shameful lack of action more recently. In complete disregard of international law, Greece has now suspended the right to seek asylum, a despicable move that has been met shamefully with near silence by the EU.

We are calling for four things: all countries must immediately stop using migrants as pawns in their political games; Greece must immediately reinstate the right to seek asylum; and the EU must work towards a new bloc-wide resettlement scheme, one designed and implemented in dialogue with migrants and refugees themselves.

Those at the border with Greece don’t want the earth – in this BBC story, the migrants quoted talk about the need for an indoor toilet, a house, a safe future for their children. We all want these things and would resist or set out to seek them elsewhere if they were denied to us. Solving this crisis must begin with acknowledging that these are human beings who will move to seek safety and a better future for their children if they have to. After all, it could be any one of us.

Instead, what we’re seeing is the constant dehumanisation of these people, by politicians and the media. The word “people” is rarely used – instead they are rendered an abstract problem through words like “burden” and “pressure”, or an invasive threat through the description of Greece as Europe’s “shield”. Even discussions within the migration sector of the need to “decongest” the Greek islands risk disguising the individual humanity of the people living there with a dehumanising word that has connotations of sickness.

Descriptions of those at the border as “violent mobs” further strips these people of their humanity, as does the description of events there as “clashes”. This is not a meeting of equals – it’s a David and Goliath situation. While Greece has border guards, helicopters, thermal-vision vehicles, water cannon and tear gas, the people on the other side of the fence are unarmed, ordinary human beings in a desperate situation.

These people are being presented as a threat to Europe, to our way of life. But the only threat to that is currently from within: from commissioners and presidents and prime ministers who refuse to seek real solutions to this humanitarian crisis or to criticise border guards who fire rubber bullets at asylum seekers.

But perhaps this is understandable. The migrants at the border – and those living in squalor in the island camps – have been reduced in so many minds to an abstract threat, a burden to be borne, a problem to be managed. They are no longer human beings, making it easy to deny them basic human rights, to deny them agency over their own lives.

We are not calling for pity, or even for outrage. What we are calling for are rhetoric and policies that acknowledge these people – and all those who choose to move away from horror towards safety, from hopelessness towards hope – as human beings. Surely that’s not too much to ask.

TOP IMAGE: Screenshot from BBC video in this article

When refugees or asylum seekers live together with Brits, the experience can change the lives of both for the better.

Areej knows this first hand. She’s a Sudanese refugee who came to the UK in 2015 and, after obtaining refugee status, was hosted by a young couple. It wasn’t long before they became friends and then official flatmates as the couple introduced her to their landlord and Areej rented a room in their home. She’s still there and is very happy with the situation.

“These people helped me a lot,” she says. “It’s from them that I learned the lifestyle of the UK – when to have your meals (which is completely different from what we are used to in Sudan) and many other little things.

“They introduced me to their friends, so I had people to chat with and developed new friendships. They were very caring – it was not only hosting, it was much more! I know that many hosts do the same with their guests, trying to help refugees as much as they can.”

Areej found her accommodation through Refugees at Home, a small charity that helps refugees and asylum seekers to find free temporary accommodation as guests of local people who offer them shelter and help them to settle in their new country.

For Areej, as for many of the guests, it was after being recognised as a refugee that she suddenly found herself in need of somewhere to live. In the UK, new refugees are given just 28 days to leave the accommodation they were entitled to as asylum seekers, but for most people, that isn’t enough time to find a job and somewhere to live. Charities including the Red Cross, the Refugee Council and NACCOM have been campaigning for the so-called “move-on period” to be extended and new refugees to be given more support during this time.

When Areej became homeless, she was volunteering at Westminster Council. Luckily, someone there knew about Refugees at Home and suggested that Areej contact them.

She did, and the rest is history. Soon after moving in with her hosts, she also started volunteering with the charity and later got a job there. She’s still there, working as a placement coordinator, which she loves.

“I match people in need of a place with someone having a spare room,” Areej explains. “Hosts are lovely and generous people wishing to offer a spare room to someone rather than leaving them on the street. Generally they are middle-class British, but it’s quite varied. Last week, for example, one of our first guests applied to become a host and we were all very happy about this.”

Refugees at Home was founded in Surrey in 2016 by Nine Kaye and Timothy Nathan whose children had left home to go to university and who decided to offer their spare room to refugees. The charity they founded has grown rapidly and now has dozens of hosts across England, Scotland and Wales.  

Areej has witnessed so many positive changes for both the hosts and the guests involved, many of whom stay in touch with each other long after the guest has moved out and found more permanent accommodation.  

“Living together, they often cook for each other, have dinner together, sometimes go to the theatre,” says Areej “Sometimes this experience can even lead to significant changes of opinion on some important issues.

“A story I particularly love is that of one of our guests who had never been in contact with gay people and wasn’t open minded on this issue. He was hosted by a gay couple, they got on very well together and he completely changed his mind. He said, ‘I have never seen loving each other that much and I enjoyed the love atmosphere in the house. That really warmed my heart!’”

It can be an equally positive experience for hosts, Areej explains. “It’s an experience that opens their minds,” she says. “They absolutely love it – once they start, they keep going.”

Despite her experiences with Refugees at Home, as a guest, a volunteer and now an employee, Areej does sometimes still feel like a stranger in the UK. She explains that it’s because of the result of the EU referendum in 2016.

“With Brexit you feel not welcome here, you feel considered as an outsider, despite you live here, work here, pay your taxes,” she says.

It has left her uncertain of her identity, uncertain if she belongs to the city that has become her home.

“I still feel a Londoner, but nowadays I have to think about it. Three years ago I had no doubts about it.”

So much energy and enthusiasm bubbles out of Tanzila Zaman that you are not surprised to learn that one of her ambitions is to inspire more than 250 million immigrants around the world “who have made huge contributions towards their native countries and host countries”.

Her route to achieving that ambition is through a book published this year, Mind Your Mother Tongue: “It’s crucial to be proud of one’s own native language and culture.”

Tanzila’s native language is Bangla, or Bengali, the most widely spoken language in her home country, Bangladesh. It has a special place in the country’s existence, because from the independence of the Indian subcontinent in 1948 the Bengali language movement pressed for status as an official language of Pakistan and was a crucial factor in the political protests that led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization later followed up a Bangladeshi initiative and declared an International Mother Language Day. Last year, when Britain’s House of Lords marked the day, 21 February, Tanzila was a guest speaker.

“Whatever the reason behind immigration, it is very hard to survive and achieve success when settling down in a new country,” Tanzila has written. “It is likely that first and second generations are strong regarding their mother tongue and culture but third or fourth generations hardly know or understand the value. It’s so pathetic, but realistic, too!”

That understanding – partly based on the experience of her own move to Britain in 2008, initially for further education, and the birth here of her son, now eight years old – led to her recent book, but also to five years of educational activity and empowerment training through Bank of Ideas, her community interest company (CIC, an enterprise that uses its profits for the public good).

Her target is migrants, especially mothers and parents struggling to make a new life in east London. She started in her sitting room but now uses libraries, childcare centres and other venues. She also makes home visits – which has given her an insight to various problems, particularly domestic abuse

She reckons that she has helped up to 500 clients in five years. “I have a gift from God,” she says, but admits she needs help herself because few of her clients can afford to pay: “They have no money but they give me flowers, and tea. It’s nice to give flowers”, she insists, with her irrepressible positivity.

Now, however, she is changing tack, and has decided to seek funding from corporations, instead of relying on fees.

“No pay, no clients,” she quips. “I’ll be strict.”

As every non-government organisation knows, fundraising can be so time-consuming that you spend your life seeking financial support rather than providing services. But Tanzila sweeps negative thoughts aside: “I’m an optimistic person. One day somebody will knock on my door: 1,000 doors are closed, but then there’s number 1001.”

There are other plans on the drawing board, including a joint venture to develop a skills app (“a revolution for the education industry”), and for herself a PhD (“Topic? Something to help migrant women”).

She intends to focus her work on coaching and mentoring, and media production.

This year she’s already won the Charity and Social Enterprise Award for migrant entrepreneurs, awarded by High Profile Club, and was an Excellent Yummy Mummy Award finalist. So don’t be surprised if she keeps moving closer to that 250 million target.

Image credit: Tanzila Zaman

Triumph in the midst of adversity – that was a key sentence in the biography of Kate Iroegbu, a woman who faced many difficulties since leaving Nigeria in 2006. Now it’s also the title of her new book and the name of her company, which offers advice and coaching to people facing adversity.

“I share my story and the strategy I used to overcome difficulties in the book,” says Kate. “It’s a self-development book, where I redefine adversity as an occasion for new opportunities. People must learn that in any situation, no matter how difficult it is, there’s always something you can do to help yourself.”

Kate comes across as a dynamic and energetic person, but her life as an migrant, first in Ireland then in the UK, “wasn’t a bed of roses”.

In 2006, she moved from Nigeria to Ireland with her family and lived there eight years but “never felt welcome,” she says. She had a Bachelor degree in Microbiology and an MBA – both from Nigerian universities - and had had several years’ experience as senior cabin crew in Nigeria, but she could not find any job in Ireland, despite her best efforts.

In order to improve her employment opportunities, she undertook a second Bachelor degree in Microbiology from University College Dublin, but this did not help and her only work experience in Ireland was as a sales and customer service adviser for a few months.

“It was so frustrating!” Kate recalls. “I went to the university, took a lot of courses, but there was no way. Everybody knows Nigerians are hard-working and ambitious people. The Irish government supported immigrants and we wanted to give something back to the system but it was difficult for immigrants to find a job and every attempt I made failed.

“I wanted to work as a microbiologist, was very enthusiastic, put so much energy in my job search, but with no results. When I spoke to people their body language seemed to say ‘we don’t have a place for you’. Then, in 2014, I moved to London, where there are more opportunities and people don’t look at me as a foreigner.”

But initially, life for Kate was not easy in London either. She had temporary jobs while facing serious family problems, particularly in the first year. She has four children, including a daughter with special needs, who required a great deal of care at the time.

Later on, her daughter’s condition improved – although she still requires lot of care with her special needs – and Kate started wishing she could help other people facing difficulties. With that goal in mind, she gradually moved towards her new carrier as a coach, international speaker and strategic consultant.

While was working as a medical operational assistant in various hospitals, she took courses and training and in 2016 founded her charity Kate O Iroegbu, launching a YouTube channel where she posted videos and offered suggestions and encouragement to people facing adversity. Two years later she launched her business “Triumph in the midst of adversity”.

The idea for this business came to her in 2017, she explains. “I was tired of temporary contracts and was looking for a permanent position as a medical assistant  when I asked myself, ‘if you get this job, is it really what you want to do?’ My honest answer was ‘no’. People should do the thing they are passionate about and what I really wanted to do was help other people to overcome adversity and fulfil their potential. It took me some time to plan the business but in August 2018 I launched my company.”

Kate offers her customers two possible programmes, both of which include coaching sessions, email consultation, and access to training events that Kate periodically offers in London. They may also include some business help if needed too. Kate currently has customers living in the UK, Germany and Nigeria.

She loves her new job and her life in London, partly because of the multiculturalism of the city.

“I never felt a stranger here,” she says, “I have always felt London was another home away from home.”

Jamad Abdi is a very active and dynamic woman, passionate about helping young people and families to improve their lives.

She moved to London 25 years ago, when she was very young, escaping from the war in Somalia. Despite initial difficulties, she managed not only to rebuild her life in the UK but also to help many other people in the UK and in Somalia.

“I arrived alone, after a very long trip, with no English and no knowledge of this country,” says Jamad. “It was hard! I immediately enrolled in ESOL (English language) classes, and once I had learnt the language, I took several vocational courses including child care, teaching assistant and health advocacy.”

In 2002 Jamad started working in a charity, helping Somali people, and in 2008 she was hired by Islington Council as a bilingual family support worker. Last year, she became a family engagement worker, giving families with children information about child development and helping them access services.

In her role at Islington Council Jamad helps any family (Britons as well as immigrants and refugees) living in the area. She also maintains a special commitment to helping Somali people. In 2014 she founded the Galbur Foundation, a charity operating in Islington and in Somalia.

The name of the charity comes from the union of two Somali words: gal, which means a small puddle of rainwater, and bur, which means mountain.

“The first word evokes something precious, because rain is quite rare in Somalia”, explains Jamad. “The second word evokes something concrete. The two words together transmit a sense of hope, something concrete and precious like the help we offer to young people and families.”

The Galbur Foundation fights poverty and lack of education in Somalia and helps youths from disadvantage groups in Islington to reach their potential through art, education, sport and culture.

In Somalia the charity runs a school for disabled children, providing them with lunch, not only because they need the food but also as a strategy to convince families to send children to school, as food and not education is often their first priority. In Islington the charity carries out many different activities, inspired by ideas from the young people themselves and the help they provide as volunteers at the Galbur Foundation.

Many of the activities of the Galbur Foundation in Islington are focused on mental health and crime, two problems that are closely related. According to Jamad, in Islington, mental health disorders are most prevalent in black children and young people, 15 per cent of whom suffer from mental health problems. She adds that the area has the highest prevalence of mental health issues in London.

Working at Islington Council, Jamad realised that while there are a lot of services offered to young people, ethnic minorities are less likely to access them. She works to bridge this gap, as well as the cultural gap dividing migrant parents and their children. While youths like joining the art industry, for example, their parents often don’t consider an education in the arts to be valuable.

One of the first initiatives of Galbur Foundation was “Promoting Mental Health Through Art”, a four- week programme with workshops led by the artist Anab Eided, attended by 20 participants aged 10 to 16.

“Every session we discussed different topics, such as emotions, identity and safety,” explains Jamad. “In the last session we involved families and invited the police to speak about how to be safe in the neighbourhood. We had very positive feedback.”

In partnership with the Council, the Galbur Foundation is organising a youth conference on mental health in February 2019.

“Ethnic minorities find it difficult talking about this topic, for cultural and religion reasons,” says Jamad. “They don’t know how the available services work and where they are, while service providers have a lack of understanding of the culture these groups come from. We’ll help them to learn from each other.”

Sport is also a field of action of this charity, again with projects that aim to bridge the gap between migrant parents and their children.

After a football fun day last April, the foundation is now organising a girls’ football club with a professional coach.

“Our target is 25 girls, but I believe we’ll have a waiting list!” Jamad said.

Jamad’s six children help her to organise all these initiatives and she loves helping everyone. At Christmas she spent 12 hours serving food to homeless people in a church.

“It’s all about humanity,” she says. “Immigrants and refugees don’t come to this country just to look for support. They want to work, live their lives and help others. I believe the UK would not be one of the greatest countries in the world without their contribution.”

When Mohamad Alo and his family arrived in Birmingham after escaping from Syria in 2011, they knew no one and spoke no English at all.

Six years on and Mohamad will soon become a fully qualified lawyer. He is probably the first Syrian refugee to achieve this goal in Birmingham, and likely one of very few in the country. Migration and asylum are one of his specialist areas.

“We left our country because of the war conflict and starting our life here was very hard,” Mohamad says. “I had to find the correct way to start my life. I needed to learn the language, find a job, enrol my children at school… And I didn’t know anyone.”

That’s why he decided to start volunteering, he explains, to help others in the same situation.

“I learned from my own experience and wanted to use my experience to help others. The same day I was granted my leave to remain I went to the Birmingham Asylum Seekers Centre and applied to volunteer at the Refugee Council.”

Mohamad volunteered there for three years, then, in 2015, he started volunteering at ASIRT (Asylum Support and Immigration Resource Team) and later at another couple of charities, helping refugees, asylum seekers and local communities.

In Syria he graduated in law and worked as a solicitor for 13 years; his wife studied philosophy and later worked as a teacher. They were happy and had a good life there before the war, but they lost everything, Mohamad says.

Despite his degree and long professional experience in Syria, Mohamed was not allowed to work as a lawyer in the UK. He had to re-qualify within the British system. He first did a Masters degree in Law at Roehampton University and, after first working as an Arabic teacher in a school, he started a job in a law firm in Birmingham under the supervision of fully qualified British lawyers.

“I can only work under supervision, because my Masters degree isn’t enough,” he explains. “I also need to take a Legal Practice Course to be fully retrained as a solicitor in the UK.”

Mohamad is currently attending that course and will complete it this year.

Since he arrived in the UK, Mohamad has been juggling his studies, work and volunteering. He is acquiring a lot of experience through his paid and unpaid work and helps as many refugees as he can.

“Many of them are from Syria as I have lots of connections with them,” Mohamad says. “But I’m working for everyone, as every refugee needs help. They face lots of difficulties: sometimes families are divided and it’s hard for them to be reunited because they don’t have enough documents or their children are already 18 years old or over and are not entitled to family reunification. I try my best to help them.”

Mohamad still has brothers and sisters in Syria and he’s worried for them. Leaving the country is not easy and they aren’t currently able to move to a safer place.

His family in the UK, however, has been able to create a good life. His wife recently completed a Masters degree in Health and Social Care and is now looking for a job in this sector, while working as a part time Arabic interpreter.

Their children are finding success too – their oldest daughter is an undergraduate student in Biomedical Sciences at Oxford University and the youngest daughter, who is only 10 years old, has been recognised as the best student in English at her school.

“Isn’t it amazing that she is the best student in English, which is not her mother tongue? I’m so proud of her!” Mohamad says. “Everything is going well now, and we also have a lot of friends – refugees and immigrants like us and British people. We are happy with how we have improved our lives.”

Irina Bormotova's advice to refugees and asylum seekers is, “Do not limit yourself”.

One of her clients, a qualified accountant, reported being told by the Job Centre that he must do cleaning jobs because his English isn't good.

“I say ‘So what? We are going to register you on an English and accounting course. Dream beyond your situation. Don’t accept something if you think you deserve better.'”

Irina also came to Britain with poor English and without a specific career plan. John, her husband, had applied to study in London and she came with him from Moscow, Russia in 1996, pregnant with her second child. Once here – and finding she was unable to complete her Cambridge advanced English classes because of the lack of childcare support – she spent her time raising her children.

Living in her husband’s Ghanaian community in London she was introduced to volunteering.

“One day I was feeding my child. Heard a knock on the door and standing there was this exotically dressed beautiful black lady. She looked like an actress from an African movie.”

The woman, a community recruiter, helped Irina sign up for free training in business administration, which came with the support of childcare facilities. 

This unexpected opportunity led to full-time employment and a Bachelor of Science in Career Guidance.

Now it seems her career, though not planned, has come full circle. Today she works with Groundwork Elevate, which offers free specialist advice to refugees preparing to work in the UK and supports businesses to employ refugees.

Theirs is a holistic care approach to supporting refugees. Most have issues with housing, accessing support from local authorities, opening a bank account, registering with a doctor and accessing English classes.

Irina’s role is sourcing and providing work experience, volunteering, training and employment opportunities for those interested.

She works not only with refugees but also people with discretionary leave to remain (DLR) and asylum seekers who have applied for permission to work.

She explains that even though asylum seekers have that option if they have been waiting for a decision for the Home Office for more than a year, they can only apply for jobs that are on a restrictive list and it’s very difficult to secure employment based on that list.

“There are so many things they have to go through before they are job ready,” says Irina.

“I think it is degrading that asylum seekers don’t have the right to work because they are keen on doing something. This affects them mentally. It’s very difficult to stay in a state of limbo doing absolutely nothing. It’s degrading. They have skills, they have education.

“Refugees suffer with mental health not only because of what they have been through in their past but also because of the Home Office process. They get stuck in a situation like being homeless. There are so many barriers they face before they can have access to employment or self-employment.”

But, she says, mental health problems do not have to limit a person. She recalls a client who was a successful businessman in Egypt before fleeing to the UK where he started struggling because of mental health difficulties. She supported him in finding his first paid job and referred him to an entrepreneurial network for refugees. Now he runs his own business.

Another success story is of an Eritrean woman wanting to work in tourism and travel. A work experience placement was arranged with a luxury travel agency and the woman was eventually offered the opportunity of being an independent travel advisor to the company.

“Her only issue is childcare,” says Irina. “It is difficult for women to move into successful self-employment because of childcare.”

Irina’s work ethic and determination seem to have rubbed off on her daughters. Her eldest works in property investment, her second for a bank in Manchester, and her third is in medical school. The youngest, at eight, is doing well in school.

Of her daughters’ mixed Ghanaian, Russian, British heritage, she says: “I think my children enjoy all cultures. My first three girls knew my parents before they passed away. They speak Russian – some more than others – Ghanaian and English. We are a diverse family and we are interested in different cultures.”

Though she has lived in the UK for over 20 years she is not confused about her identity: “I am Russian and I embrace British values. I like the tolerance of the society. I like the opportunities – you can do virtually anything here. If you work hard you can be really successful. UK is my home now.”

One day, she says, “I would love to manage the Elevate project and set up a social enterprise for refugees.”

Breaking bread and stereotypes at the same time is on offer at London’s Young Vic theatre as a company of Roma and Irish Travellers celebrate the culture, identity and traditions of the two communities.

The play, Me For the World, takes the form of a meal, with the cast of six non-professional actors sitting around a huge table with the audience.

The cast worked with writer Molly Taylor, so the script is a compilation of their stories and experiences, from the ignorance they encounter (“Roma? So you’re from Rome?”) to taking pride in their culture.

The Roma are one of Europe’s largest ethnic minorities (estimates vary but generally suggest 10-12 million) and the number of Irish Travellers in Britain is in the 15,000 mark, but both groups face racism and prejudice. The staged dinner is a chance to dish some of the stereotypes.

Assistant director Alessandra Davison, who is Romani, says that anti-Roma racism in Britain has risen in recent years, though “it’s very broad, but it’s not always purposeful or spiteful – there’s lots of ignorance.”

The negative stereotypes are so pervasive, she says, that many settled Roma do not “come out” at work or in public for fear of being blamed if anything goes wrong or being the butt of abuse.

The play is on stage for only two days, but Davison wants to keep up the positive work: “I will continue to do work with Roma communities in some way.”

Me For the World is at the Young Vic, 6-7 March. Info: https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/me-for-the-world

On Saturday mornings, a choir family of refugees and asylum seekers meet at a church crypt in Hackney to sing songs that echo the beauty of their homelands.

Mothers come with their young children, while others travel long distances to be here. On this particular Saturday, one member arrives despite feeling ill.

“I can’t not come,” she says, explaining how the group fills her with an indescribable sense of belonging as a refugee.

That group is Woven Gold, a choir made up of refugees and asylum seekers who have fled persecution and found safety in London. Formed in 2007 as a therapeutic arts program under the Helen Bamber Foundation, the choir sings original songs and compositions from the members’ home countries.

The result is a coalescence of sonic traditions and languages from around the world – Arabic, English, Persian, Kurdish, to name a few – sounding in harmony.

“There’s a river flowing in my heart and it’s telling me I am somebody,” they sing together in preparation for an upcoming concert. 

Ahmed, who has been a member of Woven Gold for eight years, was a musician in Iran before he was forced to flee his country and seek refuge in London at the age of 18. He arrived in the UK not knowing any English and without anyone to rely on. He felt alienated and alone in dealing with the systemic and mental challenges to being accepted as a refugee. 

“Going through the system puts you in a position that is, in a way, you’re trapped in it,” says Ahmed after a morning of rehearsal. “It’s this horrible circle that you go around and there’s no sense of relief.” 

For him, the process to be recognized as a refugee took nine years, a prolonged and frustrating period that involved poor National Asylum Support System (NASS) accommodation and an isolating relationship with the Home Office. 

Many refugees and asylum seekers arrive in the UK to an unfamiliar language, culture, and system. In fleeing their countries, they’ve left behind loved ones and spaces of familiarity, sources of reassurance and a sense of belonging.

In the UK, they are met with a complex asylum system that, in the year ending September 2019, only granted protection to 48% of its applicants. There’s been a sharp rise in the number of applicants waiting more than six months for a decision too, with many living in limbo for years.

“The way that the whole immigration system is in the UK, you’re hanging in the air for a very long time,” says Humera, a refugee from Pakistan and member of Woven Gold for 14 years.  

The rehearsal room inside the church crypt is home to refugees and asylum seekers who have battled through or remain suspended in the system. In spite of their situations, members feel safe in each other’s presence and encourage one another to push on.

Organizations like the Helen Bamber Foundation provide therapy to assist with trauma, but research shows that additional collective creative outlets like choir groups improve the well-being of refugees and asylum seekers throughout the process of building a new life. 

Angela, who joined Woven Gold in 2013 after her therapist advised her to do so, credits the group for keeping her afloat through the friendships formed here and the choir’s emotional support. 

“It’s given me a purpose for getting up every morning. Otherwise, I would probably stay at home and just be completely depressed all the time,” she explains. 

After joining with no prior choir experience, Angela prides herself in her newfound talent, writing songs for the group. 

Woven Gold has released two albums: “Much More Than Metal” in 2010 – its title inspired by Tree of Life, a sculpture made from weapons used in the Mozambique Civil War – and “Helen’s Song” in 2018. 

Of their music, no two tracks are the same. From smooth saxophonic openers to melancholic guitars, traditions from Burma to Kurdistan, their songs reflect the global beauty of the collective. 

Angela recalls the impact of the track “Mama,” written by member Aisha, when it first reached the group’s ears: “She just started crying because this song was about her mother and she just misses her mother and everyone started crying because we all have that shared experience. We miss people that we’ll never see again.”

Woven Gold’s singing is an outlet to express vulnerability and struggles past and present, but also an act of rebellion against circumstances that prevent refugees and asylum seekers from being in the UK, or being at all. 

Humera puts it best: “In that three minute song, I can cry all the tears I could never cry, I can scream all the screams I could never scream.”

TOP IMAGE: Woven Gold, credit: Woven Gold

On 27 February, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration published a report on the EU Settlement Scheme, following an inspection carried out between April and August 2019.

Read the report here.

This is what we said in response:

“We’re pleased that this ICIBI report shines a spotlight on some key concerns relating to the EU Settlement Scheme, such as the hidden costs of applying, a lack of transparency and detail in the Home Office data, and the need for consistency in how applications are processed.

“We know that the Home Office has been failing to fully recognise and respond to concerns regarding vulnerable EU nationals and it’s good to see the Chief Inspector advising the department to rectify this (although concerning that such obvious advice is still needed).

“Yet by focusing on the issues that arose in the first inspection – which took place in late 2018 – this report fails to acknowledge some fundamental problems with the scheme, explored in detail in our November 2019 report.

“That report, based on a survey of hundreds of EU nationals and their family members, found that many applicants are being asked to provide additional evidence where this shouldn’t be necessary, wrongly granted temporary pre-settled instead of permanent settled status, or experiencing technical glitches. Some married women and transgender applicants are facing problems proving their identity, while many third country nationals experience long delays in getting a decision, a worrying situation that the Home Office has so far failed to adequately explain.

“The relevancy of today’s report is also called into question by the long delay in its publication. The scheme has seen a big uptick in applications in the six months since the inspection ended and existing problems are likely to have been exacerbated (and new ones generated) in that time.

“The Home Office must urgently provide an explanation for this delay and commit to implementing the recommendations, both from the ICIBI and our November report.

“Most importantly, the message that EU nationals and their families are welcome here must be made a reality by ending this application scheme that will turn unknown numbers of EU nationals into undocumented migrants, and creating a simple registration scheme instead."

On Monday 17 February, Migrant Voice held a Media Lab Training session at Glasgow’s Samaritan House in Govanhill. People from different cultures and backgrounds joined to learn skills from professionals on camera work, interviewing, and making documentaries and zines. Everyone had the chance to pick and attend two of the four training sessions available throughout the evening.

Trainers were journalists and media professionals who volunteered to share their knowledge with attendees wishing to pursue a career in media or simply get some tips on engaging with journalists or being creative.

Snacks and refreshments were provided and everyone had a warm welcome from Amparo Fortuny, Migrant Voice’s Network Community Worker in Glasgow and Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, who came from London to join us. Nazek introduced us to Migrant Voice’s activities, impressing on us how important it is for migrants to be trained and able to tell their own stories, and not allow others to speak in their name: ‘WE NEED TO SPEAK FOR OURSELVES!’ was the message.

The event was informal and a great opportunity to meet and make friends with people from around the globe, while learning useful tips and insights.

In attendance were people from Scotland, Nepal, New Zealand, Germany, Honduras, Spain, Pakistan, Poland, and Romania, just to name a few. Some had a background in media, while others were just curious to learn about different ways to share their own stories with the world and make their voices heard.

Here’s some of what we learned…

Tips on interviewing from Catriona Stewart (journalist at The Herald):

• Try to build up a rapport beforehand with the person you are interviewing;
• It’s good to have a chat first - don’t jump straight to questioning;
• Be genuinely interested (people can tell if you are not listening or paying attention);
• You need to know your subject, so do your research beforehand;
• Try ice-breaker questions to make the interviewee relax and open up;
• Be time conscious and try to stay on the subject;
• Always think one step ahead!

Tips on documentary making from filmmaker Camelia Cazan:

• You can do your research online and in newspapers, but you need new stories, stories not done before;
• Once you have your idea, you need to create a proposal (a document to explain your idea), a treatment (a summary of what you are doing) and a teaser (a short video about your idea, similar to a trailer);
• When creating the script you need to have a direction, create a journey;
• You need access to contributors and they need to be honest and comfortable with you;
• You need a small crew – it’s easier for contributors to open up in front of fewer people;
• You need to stick to whatever you promised in the proposal!

This Government continues to treat migrants as a problem and panders to the unfounded fears of a minority of the British public, fears created and stoked by successive governments in a bid to win votes. This was made clear in the policy statement on the UK's future points-based immigration system, published on 19 February 2020.

The Government must stop presenting certain groups of migrants as a problem that needs to be solved and instead openly acknowledge the value – economic, social and cultural – that migrants bring to the UK.

They claim that the new system will be in the best interests of the British people. But how can this be, when this system will make our communities financially, socially and culturally poorer?

Those deemed “lower skilled” will be shut out, despite offering essential skills that our economy needs, skills that the construction, care, agriculture, hospitality and countless other sectors are crying out for.

You simply can’t run an economy only with so-called “highly skilled” workers – scientists, engineers and so on. Countless vital jobs in this country pay a salary of less than £25,600 and there are many migrants willing to do those jobs. Low wage does not mean low skill – and neither means low value. But these proposals leave those people currently doing these jobs feeling unwelcome and unvalued.

Furthermore, under a system that prizes English abilities and high-level qualifications, and does not allow for part-time work, those who will qualify are likely to be disproportionately male and from developed, Western countries – a further significant problem. Studies show that points-based systems are inherently racially, gender and age biased – a dangerous route for any country to take, posing a threat to values of inclusion and diversity, and diminishing the creativity and richness that come with diverse communities.

By doubling down on narratives that cast certain types of migration as a problem and migrants as a hindrance, this Government will struggle to attract even “the best and brightest” as they choose to seek work in countries with a more welcoming stance.

We want to see a work-based immigration system that doesn’t gatekeep based on any particular number, but is instead guided by the jobs and workers available. Such a system should be led by employers – it should not be this or any Government deciding which attributes are desirable or what salary or level of English is acceptable.

But more than this, we want to see an end to language that scapegoats migrants, and an end to crude assessments of migrants’ “value”, whether that’s a salary threshold or a points target. We want to see a system that recognises that a person’s value to this society goes far beyond their earnings, one that celebrates and protects the richness that comes from the UK’s diverse communities.

TOP IMAGE: Westminster, Chris Bird, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Hundreds of people are supporting the #IAmEspoir campaign, kickstarted by MV member Espoir Njei and staff members in Birmingham. 

Espoir is an LGBT activist who fears persecution in her home country of Cameroon due to her sexuality. She has applied for asylum in the UK and is waiting for a decision.

In an interview with Birmingham Live, she said: "I came to the UK three years ago from Cameroon because I was fleeing prosecution because of my sexuality. It is punishable by our legal system. You are imprisoned and have to pay a huge fine but it doesn't end there.

"If you are caught by your friends or family, there is a punishment called mob beating where you might be killed. Tyres could be put over you and you will be burned, but no-one says a word because you are a lesbian or gay and this is the rule."

Espoir has also spoken to ITV News about her experience as an asylum seeker in the UK, and the degrading conditions she is forced to endure while she waits for a decision.

Fellow human rights activist Peter Tatchell said: "I first met Espoir in 2018 when we attended a rally at Westminster abbey against homophobia in the commonwealth. Cameroon is unsafe for all LGBT people, especially for out LGBT people like Espoir."

Sign the petition and join the Facebook group to find out more about how to support Espoir in her fight to stay in the UK.

TOP IMAGE: Espoir with other Migrant Voice members and staff in Birmingham

We are excited to announce that Selbin Kabote, our Media Lab Project Worker in Birmingham, will be a judge for the One World Media Awards this year. The former journalist is one of four judges in the Refugee Reporting category.

The One World Media Awards celebrate the best media coverage of developing countries - "stories that break down stereotypes, change the narrative and connect people from different cultures".

They are open to journalists and filmmakers all over the world and entries are judged in 15 different categories, including New Voice, Short Film, Digital Media and Refugee Reporting.

Speaking about the opportunity to be involved in these awards, Selbin said, "Being a judge will enable me and my fellow judges to honour and recognize the best media coverage of developing countries by hardworking and talented journalists and filmmakers from all over the world. 

"I’m looking forward to this event as it chimes so closely with our work at Migrant Voice, which is committed to shining a spotlight on migrants and refugees who have stories to tell."

He also pointed out that he is well-qualified to judge the award, with “lived experience as a migrant journalist” and “a profound knowledge of refugee and asylum-seeker issues".

Entries have now closed and the judging will take place over the next few months. The awards ceremony will take place on 18 June 2020.

Follow news about the awards on Twitter or Facebook.

This week marks ten years of the journey of Migrant Voice from an idea to a well-recognised UK charity.

The idea was borne out of the anger, frustration and feelings of helplessness in the face of increasingly negative perceptions and behaviour towards migrants, and the decision to turn them into positive energy and a plan of action.

The lead up to the 2010 general election was a time and a space from which we were absent. A huge debate was taking place about migration, and everyone was talking about migrants except migrants. 

I personally felt that migrants were like a ball in a football game, kicked from one place to another by big players in order to compete and win. Migrants have always been used as a scapegoat for failed policies and the ills of society – the perfect vote winner – and this was happening more and more.

But what about us the migrants – the families, workers, neighbours and fellow citizens? It was obvious that we needed to speak out and engage, mobilise and organise, and claim back our rightful place in society and the country we now call home.

The idea was not an idea for very long. It quickly sparked a flame of passion and commitment to speak for ourselves and develop our knowledge and confidence to do so. People came on board, wanting to engage in the debate taking place about us without us and claim back the story of migration, our story, making this a safer and a fairer place for our families and community.

There was no time to waste. From small talks with individuals to larger meetings with migrants and British activists and supporters across London, Birmingham and Glasgow, our movement was shaped and refined – and so Migrant Voice was born. Many of us there at the beginning are still at the heart of the organisation today.

Our work mobilising migrants to speak out inspired a number of migrant organisations and groups around the world who have contacted us to learn from our experience.

And we migrants were not alone. Many Britons accompanied us on our journey and supported our work throughout. Among them are journalists, academics, students, artists, dentists, florists, neighbours and friends, and many others.

At times, I have been overwhelmed by the passion and commitment of the people who have joined, supported and worked for Migrant Voice. People are at the heart of the organisation; they make the organisation.

It is an emotional time for me and my colleagues to look back at the past ten years – the people who joined our experiment, the stories told, the connections made and the long-lasting engagement and friendship.

Ten years ago, I was very concerned about the direction of travel of the migration debate and the impact this was having and is likely to have on my family, my children and migrant communities. And I wasn’t alone – many others who joined our movement felt the same.

I wanted to change the direction of travel and there was only one way to find out if this endeavour could succeed – to do it. Even if I was not successful, I wanted to be able to look my children in the eye one day and tell them that at least I did my best.

Thousands of people have engaged with Migrant Voice, hundreds of stories have been told, hundreds of migrants have been heard and solidarity and friendships developed.

Amongst my proudest moments and activities is the annual Migrant Voice newspaper, which we produced over four years. This newspaper meant a lot to us. It is where we bared our life and soul, transformed them into ink and splattered them across the pages, then gave it to you (the public) from our hearts to your minds. It is where we carried our hearts and our stories in our hands and handed them over to the people on the streets – at train stations, universities, and even Parliament. This is where we wrote our own stories and told them without a middle man.

Perhaps Migrant Voice’s biggest achievement is that it has created a community, a space for people like me who at times felt like a stranger, to come and be who they are, to be heard without judgment and to be treated as the human beings they are. Migrant Voice is a community of people from around the world who became a family, a place to belong, and almost a home.

I am privileged to have met so many people who trusted me and shared with me their life story. I am honoured to have met so many people who have given their time, energy, skills, passion and commitment to help Migrant Voice and to make it the organisation it is today. I am grateful to all those who supported us, and humbled to have worked with great people who believe in changing the world and making it a better place, a place to call home.

At Migrant Voice we’re celebrating our 10^th anniversary! We want to say thank you to all of our members and supporters for your wonderful messages over the last few weeks.

Watch the video of your messages here.

We are also happy to announce that we are launching a fantastic series of short films today, made by our members who took part in the Feel at Home project last year. Through the project, funded by MoneyGram through the Participate.Integration initiative, we explored challenging ideas around integration, home and belonging.

See all the videos on our YouTube page here. And watch out for some of them on our Facebook page this week!

We also want to take this once-in-a-decade chance to say how brilliant it’s been working with you all over the last 10 years. We’re looking forward to many more years of media labs, campaigns and conferences – and ultimately, to many more years of speaking for ourselves!

The 10^th birthday celebrations will continue at our National Conference, which returns in London on 5-6 June this year. More details to follow soon, but please do save the date.

Migrant Voice is looking for a part time, temporary Campaign Organiser to help us develop advocacy and influencing strategies for our campaigning work to drive positive change for migrants.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 3 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

The deadline for receiving all applications is: 5.00pm on Thursday 13 February, 2020. Interviews with those short-listed will take place in the week commencing February 17, 2020.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

Please click here for the job description and here for an equal opportunities monitoring form. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org or 0207 832 5824

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK. 

Summary of project activities

Working closely with the Director, the Communications Officer and other staff at Migrant Voice, the Campaign Organiser will:

If you are an EEA national in the UK, or a dependent of one, you will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme in order to stay in the UK after Brexit. You currently have until 30 June 2021 to apply, but this could change. 

There are lots of advice and support sessions around the UK for EEA nationals looking for help to apply to the scheme. Here are some of the events coming up. We will update this page regularly.

LONDON

31 January, 5pm- 8pm

London

London is Open - supporting European Londoners through Brexit

City Hall, The Queen's Walk, SE1 2AA, United Kingdom

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/brexit-information-events-eu-londoners/london-open-supporting-european-londoners-through-brexit

1 February, 11am- 4pm

London

Buns 'n' Brexit - support with EU Settlement Scheme applications

ScandiKitchen Cafe, 61 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PP

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/brexit-information-events-eu-londoners/buns-n-brexit-support-eu-settlement-scheme-applications

11 February, 2pm- 5pm

London

EU Settlement Scheme - A guide to making applications

St Giles, Southampton Row, WC1B 5JX

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eu-settlement-scheme-a-guide-to-making-applications-tickets-88489565673?aff=ebdssbeac

12 February, 3pm- 4pm

London

EU/EEA Students - The EU Settlement Scheme and your Residency Status

Clement House, 4.02, WC2A 2AE

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eueea-students-the-eu-settlement-scheme-and-your-residency-status-tickets-92186972717?aff=ebdssbeac

13 February, 10am- 12.30pm

Barking

How to prepare for and Build Brexit Resilience

Barking Enterprise Centre, 50 Cambridge Road, IG11 8FG

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-prepare-for-and-build-brexit-resilience-tickets-87977967469?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

20 February, 6.30pm- 7.30pm

London

Brexit, settled status and you

Cranbrook Community Centre, Mace Street,E2 0QS

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brexit-settled-status-and-you-tickets-91045709167?aff=ebdssbeac

24 February, 5.30pm- 7.30pm

London

EUSS for Nordic Citizens – Swedish Embassy

Europe House, 32 Smith Square, SW1P 3EU

25 February, 10am- 12.30pm

London

Settled Status - event for Wandsworth voluntary and community sector

Tooting URC Church, Rookstone Road, SW17 9NQ

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/settled-status-event-for-wandsworth-voluntary-and-community-sector-tickets-91797232995?aff=ebdssbeac

25 February, 2.20pm- 3.30pm

Wimbledon

EU Settled Status for Norwegian Citizens – Settled and Norwegian School

28 Arterberry Road, SW20 8AH

3 March, 7.30pm- 9.30pm

London

EU Nationals - understand your options post-Brexit

Council Chamber, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD

17 March, 9am- 11am

London

Immigration- The Impact of Brexit (London Event)

David Lloyd George Room, the Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, WC2A 1PL

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/immigration-the-impact-of-brexit-london-event-tickets-89223619247?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

26 March, 2.15pm- 4.15pm

London

EUSS and Brexit – Settled

6 Harcourt Street, Marylebone, W1H 4AG

SOUTH

8 February, 10am- 2pm

Dorset

EU settlement Scheme

Wimborne Library, Crown Mead, Wimborne BH21 1HH

https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/libraries-history-culture/libraries/event.aspx?e=47ed3cc4-600f-4248-9732-325d4b48b468

22 February, 10.30am- 12pm

Dorset

About Councillor Surgery and Coffee Morning with an Advice Session about the EU Settlement Scheme

Portland Library, the Straits, Easton, Portland, DT5 1HG

https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/libraries-history-culture/libraries/event.aspx?e=39f23c3f-9faa-41d7-aee2-2332b87da664

EAST

11 February, 1.30pm- 4.30pm

Cambridge

EU Settlement Workshop- South Cambs

South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne Business Park, CB23 6EA

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-settlement-workshop-south-cambs-tickets-82808190527?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

18 February, 4pm- 5pm

Cambridge

EU Settlement Scheme Information Session

Student Services Centre, New Museum Site, Benet Street, CB2 3PT

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-settlement-scheme-information-session-tickets-91763383751?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

6 March, 1pm- 3pm

Huntingdon

EU Settlement Workshop – Huntingdon

iMET, Enterprise Campus, PE28 4YE

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-settlement-workshop-huntingdon-tickets-91982675659?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

MIDLANDS

5 February, 11am- 11.30am

Warwickshire

EU Settled Status Advice – Settled

2 School Road, Welles Bourne, Warks, CV35 9NH

5 February, 1pm- 3pm

Warwickshire

EU Settled Status Advice – Settled

2 School Road, Welles Bourne, Warks, CV35 9NH

NORTH

5 February, 1pm- 3pm

Rotherham

EU Settled Status – Clifton Learning Partnership

Unity Centre, St Leonards Road, S65 1PD

SCOTLAND

1 February, 10am- 5pm

Edinburgh

Free help with 'Settled Status' – EU Citizens’ Rights Project Scotland

Feniks. Counselling, Personal Development and Support Services Ltd, 151 London Road, EH7 6AE

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-citizens-apply-to-eu-settlement-scheme-registration-86343173757

15 February, 11am- 3.30pm

Elgin

EU Settlement Scheme information and support session in Elgin – EU Citizens’ Rights Project Scotland

Elgin Library, Cooper Park, IV30 1HS

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-settlement-scheme-information-and-support-session-in-elgin-tickets-91117897083?aff=efbeventtix

WALES

4 February, 6pm- 7.30pm

Cardiff

EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens and their family can access free application support and advice

Ely and Caerau Hub, CF5 5BQ

https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/resident/EU-settlement-scheme/Pages/default.aspx

Over the last few months, I’ve been reading and watching and engaging with the stories of migrants, told through many different media.

In that time, it’s the story of Judy that moved me the most. In November 2019 I went to a performance by Ice & Fire – an organisation that explores human rights stories through performance – at Westminster University. I was really astounded and moved by the actor who performed the life story of Judy, an asylum seeker from Uganda. I could feel the pain and cruelty that she went through throughout her life. The way she was raped and wasn’t allowed to see her daughter Kiya, but she did not lose hope and managed to escape to Europe. She claimed asylum, but her claim was rejected by the Home Office. However, she appealed and was later granted refugee status. Now she’s getting on with rebuilding her life and living peacefully.

All the actors were good, but with Judy’s story, it felt like we were hearing from her directly, not from an actor. I was able to empathize with her and have sympathy for her, while with some of the other performances, it felt like the actors were just reading the stories. It was therefore harder to engage with those stories emotionally.

Nowadays every individual enjoys watching television, but life is very stressful so the audience wants something that is entertaining as well as informative. There was a comedy show on Channel 4 last spring, created and written by Rufus Jones. ‘Home’ tells us how a war in an individual’s country can force them to take a dangerous step – in this case, climbing into the boot of a tourist’s car - without knowing the consequences. This show portrays Sami, a Syrian asylum seeker, in a funny way while not shying away from the sad and difficult aspects of his personal life, such as being separated from his wife and son, who are in Germany. The audience might come to the programme with different stereotypes that they attach to Sami, but at the end I was emotionally attached to his character, as he was funny yet broken at the same time, hiding the pain behind his smile.

The photographic exhibition that I went to was by Adiam Yemane, a refugee from Eritrea. It took place at Conway Hall in central London. It shared the stories of people who after spending ten or more years in the UK are making a positive contribution to communities across London. I learned about Adiam herself – how she escaped war in Eritrea and arrived in London where she came to know that photography was what she liked and it became her career.

I feel that wherever you go you cannot leave your culture behind – and this could be clearly seen in the photographs – in what the subjects were wearing and how they decorated their rooms. But at the same time, the photographs couldn’t tell me what each individual had gone through and what they’re doing now. For that, I needed the text alongside each photograph, which told their story. The photographs on their own had little impact on me. A refugee seeing these photographs might be able to easily relate to them because they have gone through something similar, but it’s difficult for other people. It’s also the case that only a very specific kind of person might visit this exhibition – someone who likes photography and is sympathetic to refugees – so these images might not reach the wider population. We therefore need different ways to engage and inform people.

From a Low and Quiet Sea is a novel by Donal Ryan, an Irish writer, that tells us the stories of three people with one thing in common – each of them experiences loss and sadness. I liked the story of Farouk, who is a doctor living with his wife and daughter in Syria. War was rising in the country so he was told to go to Europe, just because he was not an observant Muslim and his daughter was Westernised. They set out for Europe in a boat, but Farouk gets separated from his wife and daughter and doesn’t see them again. While it was sad at times, it was a positive book. It tells us that nobody has a perfect life. Every human being has their own faults and difficulties that they face. And since two of the stories are about Irish people, the book shows how it’s not only migrants who struggle – every human being is in some sort of unfavourable situation.

In general, it’s good to have lots of different portrayals of migrants’ lives as everyone has individual preferences. Some might enjoy watching television while others would love to go to exhibitions. I was entertained by the comedy show ‘Home’ as I was tired that day and wanted to watch something funny and peaceful at the same time. But on a different day of the week when I had some spare time I preferred reading a book.

I feel that showing migrants’ achievements in life and showing how they prosper after lots of bad days can have a positive impact on the lives of others, especially other migrants who might think that there is no hope or who have lost hope. These stories will motivate them that all these hardships are temporary and one day they will also achieve what they want. These stories can also break the stereotypes and grudges that people hold against migrants and encourage them to treat migrants as normal human beings.

A work-based immigration system matching the vision laid out in the recently published Migration Advisory Committee report would be a dismal one – and we call on the Government to reject these recommendations and design a system that truly works for all.

The report – the result of studies commissioned by the Home Office into the salary threshold and a possible future points-based system – recommends a post-Brexit system that combines these two approaches.

While we do welcome some of the MAC’s recommendations – such as lowering the general salary threshold (and taking it even lower for young workers), creating more flexible paths to settlement, and broadening the definition of “new entrant” – these represent the few (and far between) chinks of light in an otherwise bleak landscape.

If implemented, this system would see our communities become financially, socially and culturally poorer, and many of those eager to come and work in the UK and contribute to our society barred.

In the system envisioned by the MAC, those with a job offer would be able to come to the UK if their future salary is at least £25,600. This is a welcome decrease from the widely touted £30,000 threshold, but does not go nearly far enough. We want to see the salary threshold – which crudely reduces a person’s value to their income – abolished.

Furthermore, a threshold of £25,600 simply makes little sense in an economy where countless full-time jobs that need filling – in social care and agriculture, for example – pay around or just above National Minimum Wage (about £16,000 in salary terms).

The MAC defends its decision by arguing (wrongly) that salary thresholds mean workers can earn a decent wage and prevent undercutting in the labour market. But if the MAC are truly concerned about workers’ incomes, why not recommend raising the minimum wage rather than advocating discrimination against people who do these lower paid jobs?

Those doing vital, but lower paid, jobs in social care or elsewhere are unlikely to find a route to the UK under the second part of the scheme either, which awards points to people with good qualifications and scientific skills (among other things). This is the famed points-based system (or PBS), which would allow entry to people who don’t have a job offer, but who accrue a certain number of “points” based on criteria such as age, qualifications, English-language ability, and so on. Everyone who qualifies under the Government’s criteria would go into a pool, from which a lucky few would be selected in a monthly lottery to win the chance (still subject to further checks) to enter and look for work in the UK.

Such a system would be crude, discriminatory and self-defeating (we’ve written about this before here). Both the PBS and the salary threshold reduce a person’s value to their earning potential and are likely to – intentionally or not – favour migrants who are male, young and hail from a developed, Western country, an extremely troubling prospect.

The report acknowledges that the UK population and GDP would decrease if the recommendations are implemented – surely something that should give the Government cause for concern. But what’s barely mentioned is the surely devastating impact on the care sector, agriculture, construction and so on or the difficulties faced by employers who want to hire migrants but who face a complex, expensive process to become licenced by the Government to do so. The detrimental effect of these proposals on our communities, which would become less diverse, is ignored entirely.

The Scottish Government got it right in a recent report on migration, which describes a system based on salaries and points as “disastrous” and celebrates the contributions of migrants to Scotland’s cultural life and communities.

We call on the Government to look again at that report and embrace that broader view – to reject the purely points/salary/numbers-based immigration game and choose to see both the needs of vital sectors of the UK economy, neglected by the MAC, and the value of migrants to this country beyond the economic.

It is possible to create a system where people can come to the UK to do jobs that are wanted and needed, where they are paid fairly for their work, and where they are welcomed as human beings – that is the future we want to see.

TOP IMAGE: Immigration Arrival Stamp in Passport, Karn Bulsuk, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Migrant Voice is looking for a part time Campaign Organiser to help us develop advocacy and influencing strategies for our campaigning work to drive positive change for migrants.

Applications should be submitted by writing no more than 3 pages A4 outlining how you fit the criteria for the post and send this together with your CV and the completed equal opportunities monitoring form.

The deadline for receiving all applications is: 5.00pm on Thursday 13 February, 2020. Interviews with those short-listed will take place in the week commencing February 17, 2020.

All applications to be emailed to info@migrantvoice.org 

Please click here for the job description and here for an equal opportunities monitoring form. For more information contact info@migrantvoice.org or 0207 832 5824

Please note we are unfortunately unable to arrange work permits for people who do not already have the right to work in the UK. 

Summary of project activities

Alexandre Gondim is an artist and a life coach. But he’s not just that. It’s easy to identify others by their profession, or name, or who they represent in a certain situation. If we focus on his profession, Alexandre is an artist. Someone who has been helped with their life issues may see Alexandre as a life coach. Others may see him as a migrant.

Well, Alexandre is all these things – and much more. He is a man with an innate curiosity and need for answers – and a man who has dedicated a big portion of his life to art. Since his youth, art was Alexandre’s way to express himself. At one point he decided to leave his city Salvador to move to St Paolo, becoming the director of the company he had been working for. He was “climbing the mountain” of his career, he tells me.

But, although he was reaching the top, he soon decided to go back home and dedicate himself to art again. Alexandre was feeling confused, facing a life crisis. He recalls how his mind was like “a table full of pieces of Lego” that he had to reorganise to make some order in his life.

“Art was a way to take my emotions out, to express myself,” he says. “I was reborn from the ashes and I decided to paint abstract art to focus my energy in creating something rather than destroying myself.”

In this time of deep confusion, Alexandre made the first and most important of ten canvases, which he called ‘the eye of the phoenix’ to describe the process of rebuilding himself.

After a few years, he moved again, this time to settle in London, where the new company he was working for as a designer offered him a job.

“I fell in love with the city,” he recalls. “I got used to the rhythm of the city.”

London offered plenty of opportunity too. It took “a long while”, he remembers, but in 2016 Alexandre started exhibiting his work on a regular basis and he has since participated in 15 shows, three of them solo. He embraced the new culture in which he found himself, not forgetting his Brazilian roots, but doing his best to integrate.

veloso, by Alexandre Gondim

Alexandre is a man who challenges himself – and a man who has the courage to investigate his own soul and find answers for himself and for others. He has used this to help people find their purpose in life.

“At a certain point of my life I understood that I had answers that not everyone has,” he says. “I have this enquiring nature and I feel there is something else out there that needs to be discovered.”

A turning point was realising the importance of dialogue, particularly with oneself. Alexandre made a decision to stop being so harsh on himself – to “get rid of the dictator who was in him to hire a diplomat instead”, he tells me.

Alexandre is a man who wrote a book in a language that is not his, in a country that is not his homeland, and for people that may not have the same background as his. Alexandre is much more than an artist or a life coach or a migrant. Alexandre is an example: he is a courageous, resourceful man who has spent his life challenging himself, always seeking improvement – not only professionally as an artist or coach, but emotionally and as a person.

He is a man who realises that no change comes without effort. His strength and enthusiasm emerge through his art: colours and brightness in his paintings, passion and enthusiasm in his book.

Alexandre is a man of a thousand facets. He is the perfect example of a person who, although facing difficulties and obstacles, never gives up and recreates himself constantly. His purpose in life is to push people out of their comfort zone, to seek change and betterment. And he sets a good example – both in his art, and in his courage and recklessness in life.

“Everyone should get out of their comfort zone, which makes us conforming and stops you taking actions to improve yourself,” he says. “Everyone should try to get to the stretch zone, an intermediate zone between the comfort zone and the excellence zone.”

Like Alexandre, we should seek to overcome our mental obstacles and allow our strength and capacities to bloom, shedding ourselves of constricting labels and setting ourselves on a path to that zone of excellence.

Visit Alexandre's website here

Teka is a loving and engaging woman who has been fostering in London for 15 years, transforming the lives of more than a dozen children in that time.

Winning multiple awards, including ‘Foster Carer of the Year’ in 2014 (awarded by Lambeth Council), she has worked hard and passionately to improve the lives of the children and young people that have come into her care. Amongst them, many have been refugees and asylum seekers – an experience she can relate to, as she was herself a refugee when she arrived in London 29 years ago.

Having left Eritrea to escape the war, Teka arrived in London an alone and overwhelmed 24-year-old. She reminisces about her difficulty in trying to get to her cousin’s house after first arriving in the UK.

“I only had the address and I showed the black cab guy and he took me to the place,” she explains. “I didn’t speak any English, I didn’t have anything, so it was difficult to talk, to go places.”

She describes her experience of seeking asylum and her first impressions of London as “weird”, with life in the UK being entirely different to life in Eritrea.

“In Eritrea, we all know each other’s families and your door is always open, you can play outside,” she says, adding that in London “you always have to be careful.

“Back home we have freedom and you’re not scared of anything.”

It was also a new experience to be surrounded by a variety of people from multiple backgrounds and cultures, many of which were very different to her own. She had to adjust to this in order to create and maintain a life here.    

In 2004, Teka began fostering, initially working with a private agency for seven years. She holds one particular memory close to her heart from that time, of two young Afghanis who had recently arrived in the UK.

“I didn’t know their language and they didn’t speak English at all,” says Teka, describing how she would take them to a nearby shop where there was a friend of hers who could speak their language.

The feeling of being in a new country and unable to communicate was an all too familiar one for Teka: “I remember myself at the time. When I came to London, I was in the same position, and had the same problem.”

Since then, she has looked after a range of young people from many backgrounds and cultures, many of whom stay in contact with her long after leaving her care. She gleefully mentions that “one of them lives in France but still we are in touch. He keeps in contact with me – ‘mum’, he says.”

Teka is no stranger to providing help and giving back where she can, as she is also an active member of the Eritrean community in London. When she first arrived, the community was central in helping her become accustomed to the new environment and improving her English, through acts like translating documents for her. Now she participates in various ways, such as organising and making food for festivals such as the Independence Day and Martyrs Day celebrations that the community hosts every year.

Whilst maintaining strong ties to her Eritrean roots, Teka also feels integrated in London, regarding herself as “one of the people” here.

She finds being a foster carer challenging at times, but also highly rewarding. Simply knowing that she is making a difference in a person’s life satisfies her profoundly.

“I came as a refugee, and I see so many difficult situations, and minors. They need a place, a warm house, so I try my best to help anyone who has difficulties, as I did.”

“I keep asking myself, how long am I going to live like this?”

These are the words of Espoir, one of our members in Birmingham, who is originally from Cameroon and is claiming asylum here.

Like many migrants and asylum seekers in the UK waiting for an immigration or asylum decision, Espoir is subjected to long delays and an attitude of suspicion, and she’s forced to live an undignified life while she waits. These issues epitomise the chronic problems with the current Home Office and immigration system – problems of policy, structure and attitude – and remind us of the urgent need for fundamental reform.

As we head into a new year with a new(ish) government and a renewed determination to push for that reform, Espoir’s story – recently told to ITV News and the Birmingham Mail – can provide motivation for the battles ahead.

DELAYS

“Espoir Njei claimed asylum when she first arrived in the UK three years ago, but is still waiting for the 'life or death' decision to grant her refugee status,” wrote Kirsty Card of the Birmingham Mail in her December article.

Espoir is not alone in waiting so long. The Home Office scrapped its target of processing most straightforward asylum cases within six months in 2019 – but the number of cases decided in that timeframe had already been dropping for years. Only 1 in 4 asylum claims was processed within six months at the end of 2018 and some asylum seekers were found to be waiting 10, 15, even a staggering 20 years for a decision.

And this isn’t just a problem for asylum seekers – any migrant making applications to or seeking responses from the Home Office can find themselves in limbo for months or years, often unable to work or put down roots in the meantime.

It’s unacceptable that human lives can be put on hold for so long, and the Home Office must work urgently to speed up their decision-making, while also significantly improving the quality of those decisions.

SUSPICION

The Birmingham Mail article continued: “Since arriving in the UK, Espoir says she has been repeatedly interrogated about her sexuality by Home Office officials - including asking if she goes to gay bars.”

An attitude of suspicion has become embedded in Home Office processes and decision-making. Asylum seekers such as Espoir are subjected to “interrogations” – a type of questioning that should never be imposed on people seeking sanctuary – and questions that expose a painfully crude (mis)understanding of sexuality, identity and cultural difference (“if you don’t go to gay bars, you can’t be a lesbian”).

The processes for assessing immigration and asylum applications need to be thoroughly overhauled and attitudes of suspicion and distrust rooted out in favour of fairness and impartiality.

INDIGNITY

Speaking to ITV reporter John Ray through tears, Espoir said, “I keep asking myself, how long am I going to live like this? Is it the right place I choose to come to the UK?”

Living on around £5 per day, Espoir’s life is a degrading one. Unable to work, she struggles to survive – and with each new day spent in limbo, her prospects of building a fulfilling life in the UK if she gets a positive decision are cruelly diminished. As John Ray so aptly says, Espoir lives “an unappetising life in a hostile environment”.

Asylum seekers must be given the right to work, and the financial support for those unable to do so must be substantially increased to allow for a dignified life.

Like many other asylum seekers and migrants left in desperate limbo by the Home Office, Espoir has not let her status define her, pouring her energy into volunteering and campaigning. But her life is a painfully and unnecessarily restricted one – and this must change.

Those of us with time, energy and resources must seize the opportunities that come with a new year and a new government, and work to make 2020 a year of real reform so that people like Espoir can live dignified, fulfilling lives in this country.  

TOP IMAGE: kthtrnr, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

On 17 December 2019, Migrant Voice organised a round table debate in London in collaboration with Moneygram’s Participate.Integration initiative, to celebrate International Migrants Day.

The debate – ‘Integration: Everybody’s Business’ – brought together migrant and British academics, journalists, communications experts and successful business people to share their valuable insights and to challenge the pervasive assumption that integration is a one-way street.

Around 30 people attended from many different backgrounds and had the chance to contribute their own thoughts in what became a lively, challenging discussion.

Those attending were also treated to the first showing of several films made during Migrant Voice’s Feel at Home project – funded by Moneygram – where migrants and Britons came together to explore and make short films about integration.

Introducing the round table, Migrant Voice Director Nazek Ramadan said, “We work, we pay taxes, we follow the law, we have friends and neighbours. The one thing that stops us feeling part of this country is the rhetoric, the narrative.”

Dr Roza Tsagarousianou, Reader in Media and Communication at Westminster University, shared her thoughts next, urging us to interrogate “the terms on which migrants are being asked to integrate and how that is being measured”.

Maya Goodfellow, journalist and author of Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats, made the link between cuts to public services as the result of austerity and the difficulties some migrants face when trying to “integrate”.

"We need to look at what is in place to support people who have come to the UK whether that be access to language classes, public services, or whether it be community spaces for people to get to know their neighbours," she said.

Rafael dos Santos, migrant entrepreneur and founder of the High Profile Club, had a more positive message – that successful integration is in the hands of each migrant.

“Integration is about recognising that you belong, picking the best of each culture, celebrating your success, following the rules,” he said.

Dr Federica Mazzara, Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Communication at the University of Westminster, spoke next, focusing on those migrants who don’t have the chance to even make it to the UK and instead lose their lives in the Mediterranean or elsewhere on their journey.

"We are implementing policies that are causing deaths on a daily basis,” she said. “We can't talk about integration until that is changed. And for that to happen, we must change the discourse."

Kate Boguslawska, partner at Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, supports entrepreneurs in the UK, many of whom are migrants. She spoke about the resilience of many migrants.

“Migrants have to work harder than locals to prove themselves. That's why so many are so successful.”

The final speaker was Stavros Papagianneas, Managing Director of StP Communications and author of "Rebranding Europe". He said: "There should be more investment in communicating the facts on migration and integration to unmask fake news. We need more focus on real people, real stories.”

The event was just one of several organised by Migrant Voice to celebrate International Migrants Day. The discussion was followed by a Media Lab, where participants created positive messages for the day through photos and short blogs, and a party where dozens of Migrant Voice members from all over the world came together to share food, stories and music.

TOP IMAGE: Integration, Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

On International Migrants Day 2019, we are launching a Handbook for newcomers to Glasgow - a list of services and organisations useful to people who have recently moved to the Scottish city of Glasgow. These range from health services to community groups to legal aid.

Until now, lists of this kind have only been available for a fee, making them inaccessible to some. This means that many new migrants to Glasgow struggle to access vital services. For this reason, we at Migrant Voice saw it as important to create an accessible platform for people to share and find these services. We hope this project makes it easier for newcomers to settle into the Glasgow community.

Read the handbook here.

This handbook was created by a group of Migrant Voice volunteers in Glasgow, many of whom have first-hand experience of moving to the city and trying to find their feet. Thank you to those volunteers and to Sofi Taylor, our Scotland trustee, who supported and mentored the volunteers on this activity. The volunteers who compiled the list were recruited as part of our Volunteering for Change project, funded by Impact Funding Partners.

The handbook is a work in progress and we will continue to add relevant information as we find it. Equally, if you know of organisations or services that aren’t listed but should be, please write to us at info@migrantvoice.org to let us know.

TOP IMAGE: Pixabay / Creative Commons / Twitter: @JaneyGodley

International Migrants Day is here again! On 18 December, people around the world celebrate all that's good about migration. We asked our members to do the same, whether in short blogs, letters or photos.

Thank you to everyone who contributed - the outpouring of positive messages has been amazing!

You can see all the photo messages on our Facebook page here.

And read on for the letters and blogs below...

The words ‘give-up’ are simply not part of her vocabulary

I’m going to get into a lot of trouble for writing this, because the person I’d really like to talk about on International Migrants Day is my sister, Yvonne – and she’d hate it if she knew how mushy I was being about her! 

Like a lot of my family, Yvonne was born in Jamaica and came to this country when she was about nine. She had to fit into a family she hardly knew and a country she had only heard about.

There’s a lot I could say about how much my sister has achieved. How she’s Senior National Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. How she became the first independent Sales Director in the UK. How she’s led a team that makes over £1.5m in sales every year. 

But what I would really like to talk about is how supportive she is. Yvonne’s always been there for me, no matter what. She’s been my role model. She has been someone who I look up to – not only because of what she has achieved, but how she reacts when things go wrong. The words ‘give-up’ are simply not part of her vocabulary.

She is an inspiration - but not just to me. Yvonne’s supported and mentored hundreds of women across Europe who want to set up their own Mary Kay Business. When we think of migrants we often think of people who deliver public services: we think of NHS workers or care assistants. But Yvonne proves that migrants are also business leaders – and more than that, she’s a business leader who’s determined to open doors for others. 

She’s come a long way since she came from Jamaica, and she’s taking others with her.

Joy Warmington

Being a human starts from accepting and respecting other human beings

If you move from one country to another, you move as a whole person, with your culture, your religion and beliefs, your values and norms, your language and way of thinking.

Everything is difficult and new – the culture, the religion, the values, the language. You want to learn but you think, “If I become like them, I wouldn’t be me”.

But you gradually learn the language, you start to understand the culture, the values, the behaviours and way of thinking. And you realise that you don’t have to give yourself up. It’s like being in a room with two windows – one on either side – instead of just one. You can see more views and different aspects of life.

But all of this is only possible if you accept and respect the human beings in your new society, and if they accept and respect you.

Elamin Elyas

We suffer together, we celebrate together

On this year's International Migrants Day I want to celebrate CARAG (Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group).

I lived in Leeds for 8 years and I loved it there. I had a network of friends and support groups from church, from my country Malawi and from other social groups. Leeds was and still is my second home in that sense. 

In February 2016 when I moved to Coventry, it was a strange place and new. I was lost. It was just me and the world. It was very isolating. 

One day, one of my housemates Lilian explained to me about CARAG and she took me to Coventry Peace House, where CARAG is based. CARAG is run by people going through or who have gone through the UK asylum and immigration system.

I connected with amazing people from around the world. I was weak, CARAG gave me confidence. I no longer have feelings of loneliness because I've found support in CARAG. CARAG is my new family.

There is no better feeling than I belong. We suffer together. We celebrate together. Together we are CARAGers.

Loraine Masiya Mponela

Courage and resilience

At Together in the UK we have told stories of what it is like to migrate to the UK for the last three years.

We have learned that migration is tough but can also be exciting and exhilarating. We know that creating a new life takes courage and resilience. Courage to go out there, meet new people and work with unfamiliar systems. Resilience to keep trying and be optimistic in the face of disappointments and sometimes being misunderstood.

We acknowledge your courage and resilience and we know that we all have much to learn from each other.

Teresa Norman

International Migrants Day is a very significant date on our calendars

Dear Editor,

In October this year, 39 Vietnamese migrants were found dead in the back of a truck in Essex. Each individual who perished in that tragic incident had many dreams for the future after leaving their homeland to reach the UK.

As the world marks International Migrants Day, it is hard to imagine how many years it took these individuals to plan and to save their hard-earned money for their journey to the shores of the United Kingdom. Now the million-dollar question is: “How best can we describe the slow but surely painful deaths that were experienced by these 39 people in that refrigerated truck?”

When we look around today, we can see many migrants who came into the country by boats, lorries and other forms of transport. Many of these migrants are now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the severe hardships that they experienced whilst travelling to the UK after escaping political and religious persecution in their countries of birth.

On this day, I find myself filled with great sorrow as I remember the 39 Vietnamese migrants, their grieving families as well as the many other migrants with untold stories who have been swallowed by the seas while trying to get to the UK and to other European countries in order to seek political asylum and a better future.

As migrants, International Migrants Day is a very significant date on our calendars. It is one of those days when we remember migrants, because in the midst of our sorrow, living in an often hostile environment, the rest of the year appears dark, forgotten and lost in the sea. 

Bilal, Coventry

We need more bridging programmes for refugees

Dear Editor,

As I was one of the participants who benefited from the Refugee Journalism Project (RJP) this year, I consider myself very lucky. RJP has been set up by the London College of Communication (LCC) to help refugees and migrants get back into their journalism professions because, as is the case with most migrants and refugees, they get deskilled by ending up doing some menial jobs just to survive. This is a waste of the resource that many migrants are.

As the world marks International Migrants Day, I am calling upon other organisations similar to LCC or with the capacity to set up similar bridging programmes to help migrants get their UK careers off the ground by providing the necessary support.

In my view, this will also help migrants in their efforts to meaningfully and quickly integrate into their new society.

By providing refugees with retraining opportunities, skills and good education, refugees can start productive lives in their host countries.

The faster refugees can integrate into the labour force, the faster they can become productive members of society.

Loraine, Coventry

We all inhabit one small planet

Dear Sir,

Coventry has long been well known as a city that welcomes migrants from all over the world. In the face of an increasingly hostile environment in the UK, the city continues to offer this welcome.

Many of us have listened to migrants’ stories, and have come to respect and value the contributions, cultural and personal, that individuals bring with them. My own life has been hugely enriched by my experience of working at Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, where I have been in equal measure deeply moved by tragic stories and profoundly inspired by people’s resilience in dealing with adversity.

Despite some current perverse political attempts to reinforce barriers between nations, the reality is that we all inhabit one small planet, which, with technical advances, becomes smaller all the time. Continuing and increasing mobility of people is a natural corollary of this, and should be valued.

What have British people got to be afraid of? It is a constant source of shame to me as a British citizen that I have to watch increasingly hostile laws and practices being implemented against migrants, backed up by sensational headlines in certain parts of the press. Ultimately this led recently to the tragic murder of 39 human beings imprisoned in a truck in Essex – ordinary people who were travelling simply in hope of a better chance in life, but who were denied the opportunity even to set foot on British soil.

Jon, Coventry

We as a society still have much to do

Dear Editor,

As we mark the 19^th year of International Migrants Day in this country, I feel the need to reflect on how we as a society are dealing with migrants coming to this country.

In October, 39 migrants were found dead in a truck in Essex. The eight women and 31 men who were found in a refrigerated trailer attached to a lorry are innocent people who were looking forward to having a better future in the UK, but tragically, they did not live to see that happen. This leaves us as a society to think about how the world perceives this country, taking into consideration the fact that the 39 Vietnamese migrants had to risk their lives by going on a dangerous voyage in their attempts to come to the UK without even knowing if they would make it alive.

It can be noted that the hostile anti-immigration environment in the UK and the difficult asylum system implemented by the government have very much contributed to the tragic deaths of many migrants who have lost their lives trying to get to the UK in the most horrendous ways such as getting into trucks or sailing in dangerous boats on the seas.

Although to some extent much is being done in different UK cities to welcome refugees and migrants, we as a society still have much to do in regard to changing our perceptions of migrants and issues relating to them.          

Cynthia, Coventry

After this general election we stand in solidarity with our members and with all migrants in the UK, many of whom are already suffering the daily dehumanising consequences of current policies and may be fearing what lies ahead.

But we who believe in a fairer society, one where migrants and refugees are embraced as equal members of the community, where rhetoric on immigration is characterised by humanity and backed up with policies to match, and where opportunity and rights are not determined by skin colour or income level – we who believe in these things must continue to fight for that society.

We are concerned by some of the proposals that could become policy under this government.

Free movement could end after Brexit and all future migrants subjected to a points-based system – a system we believe is crude, subjective and deeply discriminatory.

The NHS surcharge could increase to £625 per person per year - an extortionate and unjustifiable figure that will leave yet more families impoverished.

The EU Settlement Scheme is likely to continue unchanged, the government failing to recognise that tens of thousands of people will be left without status as a result of it, and that tens of thousands of others are facing problems with applying.

On all these issues – and more – we will work with our members to raise awareness of the potentially devastating impacts on individuals and communities, and to challenge their implementation wherever possible.

But we must also simply continue the fight to be heard. Our voices remain one of our most powerful tools for change, and these have not been taken from us. We must speak loudest in places where we are rarely heard, reminding this government and all of the UK that we migrants are human beings, that we are part of this society and that we want to help make it one that works for everyone.

TOP IMAGE: Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge, Jorge Lascar, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

There’s an important election coming up. And no, we’re not talking about the one on 12 December.

Next May, London residents will go back to the polls to vote for the city’s next mayor. Sadiq Khan of the Labour Party is the current mayor – he was elected in 2016.

At Migrant Voice, we’ve been working alongside other charities and civil society organisations from across the capital – brought together by London Plus, a volunteering and civil society charity – to produce a series of powerful manifesto asks to put to the candidates standing in the election in May.

Now we and London Plus need your help to decide which ones make it to the final list. Read the asks and vote for the ones you think are most important here. Voting closes on Wednesday 18 December. This is another great chance to make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you in London.

We were invited to develop three asks relating to migration – and we presented these at the London Plus conference in November. Other organisations wrote and presented asks according to their expertise. Themes included youth and crime, green space and environment, older people, economic inclusion, health, transport, and domestic violence.

In developing our asks, we looked both at what powers the mayor has, and what present and past mayors have achieved. We were very aware that the mayor does not control immigration policy and that the majority of factors impacting migrants and refugees are not within the mayor’s power to influence. We therefore decided to look at action that was possible for a mayor to take, whether by using their direct powers, advocating for change at government level, or setting an example through their rhetoric.

As a result of these factors, the asks we developed are different to other calls for change that we as a charity might put forward in other contexts.

These are our asks:

1. Support the rights of London’s migrants during Brexit. Ensure that EU nationals have the right support to apply to the Settlement Scheme and do not face losing their rights or becoming undocumented.
2. Advocate for London’s undocumented migrants: for a national policy of regularisation and the development of policies that address the causes behind people becoming undocumented.
3. Use your powers to ensure refugees in London can build their lives here with the right support. Ensure better access to ESOL and better support during the 28-day move-on period for newly recognised refugees so they are able to access housing, open bank accounts, etc.

You can vote for the asks you think are the most important, across all of the themes. Make your choices here. Voting closes on Wednesday 18 December.

Don’t miss this chance to make your voice heard ahead of the 2020 mayoral election.

TOP IMAGE: London skyline, Sam Carpenter, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

The UK will soon have a new government. We want to see one that shares our vision of a society where migrants and refugees have full equality – where they are heard, respected, have rights, and are embraced as equal members of our community – and we need your help on this.

We have three specific asks at this election, and we’re writing to prospective parliamentary candidates across the country urging them to support those asks if they are elected:

1. End the injustice faced by thousands of international students wrongly accused of cheating on an English test in 2014 and stripped of their visas. Let them sit a new test or be interviewed and, if they pass or present a credible narrative in good English, restore their status so they can restart their lives.

2. End the discriminatory system of immigration fees that leaves ordinary families impoverished or priced out of legal status. Reduce all visa fees for adults to admin costs, make children’s applications free, and introduce a free, simple appeals process for visa refusals.

3. Bring undocumented migrants in this country out of the shadows and into the light. Work towards a regularisation scheme and scrap hostile policies and processes that wrongly leave people without status.

We call on the future government to implement these asks as part of a broader, wholesale reform of the Home Office and immigration system.

Migrants are not threats, but valued members of our communities. Migrants should not be judged by income, country of origin or arbitrarily designated “skill level”. Without migrants, our communities would be financially, socially and culturally poorer – and we are in desperate need of a government that acknowledges these truths, both in its rhetoric and its policies.

We urge everyone reading this to join us in our calls for change. One of your local candidates will be a Member of Parliament on 13 December. You can help make sure they share that vision of a society that respects and embraces migrants. Whether it’s asking them to reduce visa fees, give those international students their futures back, end indefinite detention, or give asylum seekers the right to work, your voice can make a difference.

And it’s easy to do – a simple email, tweet or conversation with a campaigner can go a long way. Take a look at our one-page guide, find your candidates here, and let us know how they reply.

Let’s take this chance to work towards a fairer, more just society for everyone.

TOP IMAGE: Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge, Jorge Lascar, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

“I know I should apply but can’t bring myself to do it. I’m furious, I have been here for 24 years, have paid my taxes for all those years, have three children who were all born here. This is my home! Why do I need to apply to stay in my own home? I still have hope it might all not go ahead, I guess that’s partly why I’m waiting […] The whole thing makes my blood boil.”
 
These are the words of one person who completed our recent survey about the EU Settlement Scheme – and their feelings are not unusual. Dozens told us they felt angry, ashamed or stressed at the thought of applying or during the process itself, and dozens of others have faced technical glitches, communication problems, delays and bad decisions.

We are calling on all UK politicians and all who have a role to play in the continued development and implementation of the EU Settlement Scheme to read our report on the findings of this survey, published 19 November, and to act swiftly on its recommendations.

All EEA nationals and their families in the UK must apply to the Settlement Scheme if they wish to continue living here after Brexit. Those who have lived here at least five years are eligible for settled status – a form of permanent residence – while those who have lived here for less than five years can get pre-settled status – a form of temporary residence that is valid for five years and can be upgraded to settled status.

Anyone eligible to apply to the Settlement Scheme was eligible to complete our survey, and we heard from 229 people of at least 36 different nationalities.

While the majority found the process of applying relatively easy, a significant minority did not – or have not yet applied due to fear they could be refused, anxiety due to the process involved, or anger at the scheme itself. One person told us that their mental disability made the prospect of applying so daunting that they are leaving the UK in order to avoid doing it. 

Dozens told us the experience or prospect of applying had caused significant stress, anxiety or even depression. One said the process had left them feeling like "committing suicide".

Several people faced problems proving their identity to the Home Office, including two women who had changed their surname when they got married, and two transgender people. One transgender person said they were "scared about applying".

Others had been told to provide evidence of their residence in the UK beyond their National Insurance Number when this should not have been necessary. "It's a slap in the face to pay taxes for 10 years and then find out that the state doesn't even have your records," one person said.

Given the huge scale of the scheme – an estimated 3.5 million people are eligible to apply – these findings are worrying. If a handful of people in our survey are facing a particular problem, it’s likely that thousands or tens of thousands of others are facing something similar.

We are also aware that many EEA nationals/dependents who are facing the most severe barriers to applying won’t have completed our survey, often for the same reasons that they haven’t applied to the scheme: they may be unaware they need to, they may not have access to or the ability to use technology, they may be physically or mentally ill, or they may not have strong English language skills. It is likely that the scale of the problems that are explored in this report are even worse for many of these groups.

There is an urgent need for a more efficient and accurate application processing system, for an end to the policy that will turn unknown numbers of UK residents into undocumented migrants, and for an expansion of support networks where these are needed most.

The message, repeated so often by our politicians, that EEA nationals and their families are welcome here must be made a reality through legislation that guarantees their rights, regardless of the outcome of Brexit, and through a declaratory or registration scheme that works for all.

Read the report here.

On Tuesday 19 November, we published a report on the EU Settlement Scheme, which all EEA nationals and their families in the UK must apply to if they wish to continue living here after Brexit.

The report, ‘Unsettling’, is based on responses to a survey that we conducted online in summer 2019, open to anyone eligible to apply to the Settlement Scheme, whether they had already applied or not. It was also open to organisations working with EEA nationals.

Read the report here.

The survey found that many applicants are facing serious problems in the application process, or delays and bad decisions by the Home Office. While the majority of those who completed the survey had a positive experience, a significant minority did not.

Some key findings (see pp.7-9 of attached report for full key findings):

• 49% of people who had applied found the process difficult (ranging from "slightly" to "very"). 35% said they faced complications in the application process.
• 38% of respondents had been asked to provide further evidence of their residence in the UK beyond their National Insurance Number. Many said this shouldn't have been necessary. "It's a slap in the face to pay taxes for 10 years and then find out that the state doesn't even have your records," one person said.
• Dozens told us they had experienced technical glitches and communication problems with the Home Office during the process. Several found the app didn't work even on a device that was supposedly compatible. One person described their dealings with the Home Office Resolution Centre as "a farce". 
• Several people faced problems proving their identity to the Home Office, including two women who had changed their surname when they got married, and two transgender people. One transgender person said they were "scared about applying".
• Dozens told us the experience or prospect of applying had caused significant stress, anxiety or even depression. One said the process had left them feeling like "committing suicide". Many are angry they are being made to apply to stay in their homes at all.
• 33% of respondents told us they hadn't applied (yet), with many fearful that they will face problems. One person said their mental disability made the prospect of applying so daunting that they are leaving the UK in order to avoid doing it. 
• Family members of EEA nationals are facing much longer waiting times. One respondent from Zimbabwe had been waiting more than three months, while their husband and daughter were granted status within a few days. It is "like there is some segregation of some sort," they said.
• There is widespread anger at the scheme's data policy, which allows the Government to share applicants' information with unnamed public and private sector organisations around the world, and at the lack of physical proof of their new status. One person described that as a "disaster waiting to happen".

 
 Our recommendations to the Government include the following (see p.10 for full list):
 

• Enshrine the rights of all EEA nationals and their families in the UK in law, ensuring their rights are protected whatever the outcome of Brexit;
• Ensure that no one becomes undocumented as a result of not having applied to the scheme, or not upgrading pre-settled to settled status after five years, by making this a declaratory or registration scheme that is not time limited;
• End the current data sharing policy and ensure that applicants' data is used only for the processing of their application and shared no further.

 
 
Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, said:

“These findings are deeply concerning, especially given the vast scale of this scheme and the devastating consequences for those who are failed by it or who do not apply before the deadline: the sudden loss of lawful residence in the UK and all the rights that go with that.
 
“While we welcome the fact that many people are finding the process a smooth one, it is troubling that so many people are facing significant technical problems, poor guidance, delays and a lack of communication. The severe impact on the health and wellbeing of so many of those applying or facing the prospect of it is equally concerning.
 
“We call on all UK politicians and all who have a role to play in the continued development and implementation of the EU Settlement Scheme to read this report and act swiftly on its recommendations.
 
“The message, repeated so often by our politicians, that EEA nationals and their families are welcome here must be made a reality through legislation that guarantees their rights, regardless of the outcome of Brexit, and through a declaratory or registration scheme that works for all.”

Read the full report here.

“It’s actually designed to isolate you, to bring you down, to make you want to give up and pack your bags and just go… You have to know your rights and without that … you’re headed for downfall.”

That’s Diana (not her real name) talking about the UK immigration system in a new book published by writer and researcher Maya Goodfellow.

Diana is a member of Migrant Voice – one of many who spoke to Maya during her research for ‘Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats’, and one of several whose voices and experiences are shared in that book (see an extract here).

It’s a necessary intervention – and could not have come at a better time. We are heading towards a general election – a time for real public debate on the issues that matter, and a chance for us all to speak directly to those standing for office and influence the actions and goals of the newly elected as they enter Parliament.

We urge every candidate in this election to read this new book about the hostile environment, to listen to the voices of its victims, and to make a pledge to fight for fundamental reform of the immigration system. If you are elected, we urge you to be a voice for migrants in Westminster, to lobby for the urgent dismantling of the hostile environment and the destruction of its foundations, and to help build an immigration system founded on fairness.

And to everyone else – seize this chance to make your voice heard. Register to vote if you’re eligible and use that vote (info here); go along to your local hustings and ask your local candidates what they will do about the hostile environment (or EU citizens’ rights, extortionate visa fees, the injustice facing international students, detention, right to work for asylum seekers, family migration); or if you prefer, write them an email.

We can all do something to make sure that those 650 MPs who enter the House of Commons in December understand the problems migrants are facing in this country and are committed to making real change happen.

Come to our training session on 14 November to find out what you can do, or get in touch with us by email or phone. Let’s make our voices heard this election.

There's a general election on Thursday 12 December. Voting is a great way to make your voice heard if you're eligible to do so.

In order to be eligible to vote, you must be: 

- 18 years old or above on the date of the election, and
- be resident at an address in the UK (or a UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years), and
- be a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.

If you are from a Commonwealth country, you must be resident in the UK and either have leave to remain in the UK or not require such leave. 

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday 26 November. It only takes five minutes and you only need your address and National Insurance Number. If you do not have a National Insurance Number, you can still register to vote. You can register here.

You can read lots more information on the Promote the Migrant Vote website. It's run by Migrants Organise, who are mobilising migrants across the country to register to vote if they're eligible and to make their voices heard during the election campaign.

Feven was 16 when she first arrived in the UK as a refugee.

“It was hard,” she says. “I felt alone, away from my family, all the long way from my country. You have to cross country, country, country, I was crying.”

She had travelled from Eritrea and arrived in the UK in 1993 with several other Eritreans known to her family. Feven was joining her older brother and older sister who had already settled in the UK. She spent much of her time at first with the Eritrean community in London, which helped her to settle in her new home. She soon became more and more involved and active in the group.

Within just a few years Feven founded a charity that has progressively expanded its activity and now helps many Eritreans and other African people in the UK and abroad.

“At the beginning I was receiving help from the community,” says Feven. “Then I became more active helping others. I was active 25 hours a day, denouncing persecution and suffering of people in Eritrea and helping refugees in the UK and in campuses abroad. For four years I was going up and down to Ethiopia with my children to help people in camps there.”

In 2004 Feven established the Eritrean Community Support Information Centre that later became the African Women Empowerment & Information Centre.

A passionate woman with a strong social commitment, Feven has promoted several petitions against the violation of human rights in Eritrea, where people are forced into indefinite military service, subjected to horrific abuses and where the government uses murder, persecution, imprisonment, rape and torture to control and instil fear in the civilian population. The situation has led hundreds of thousands to flee the country and seek asylum in other areas including Europe. Eritrea is one of the most common countries of origin for people seeking asylum in the UK, and has one of the highest success rates. In 2017, 80% of Eritrean asylum seekers were successful.

Over time, Feven and her colleagues from the charity have helped many Eritreans living in refugee camps in Ethiopia, Sudan and the French port of Calais.

“We offer them initial information and practical support,” says Feven. “We help them to meet their families and provide them with food, clothes, shoes, tents, sleeping bags, etc. We did this for three years in Calais.”

The charity initially only worked with Eritreans, before extending its activity to other Africans with a particular focus on women. This is emphasised in the African Women Empowerment & Information Centre website where all the pages have a subtitle quoting Nelson Mandela speaking about the importance of female emancipation: “Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression,” and “Our endeavours must be about the liberation of the woman, the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child.”

“We do a lot of activities with women, including training, events and regular meetings,” explains Feven. “We help them to improve their education and get access to work.

“I want them to become more confident in themselves. Every two weeks we have a meeting with groups of women on different topics and discuss how they can develop by themselves. We also celebrate our cultures, as we have very rich cultures.”

The African Women Empowerment & Information Centre has a small team but more than 200 people participate in their initiatives.

The charity recently started to work with several other African groups (including Sudanese, East Africans and Ethiopians) and the Refugee Council, particularly to help meet the particular needs of young people.

“We want to face new challenges and to do more to help people, especially women and young people, to improve their quality of life,” says Feven. “Every group has issues and if we work together we’ll get better results.”

Photo: Feven, by Migrant Voice

As a Polish-origin teenager in the United States, Camille Gajewski-Richards, often dreamed of escaping back to an idealised ‘old world’ brimming with urbane, colourful characters like artist Sonia Delaunay, a world her own parents had fled in the 1980s.

“The Europe I envisioned was an antidote to the drab realities of the Soviet Bloc and American suburbia,” she recalls. “It often took the form of London, or Paris, and characters like Delaunay.”

So Camille, who now works at the Tate Modern in London, was surprised to learn that Delaunay was herself an immigrant.

“Little did I know that Sonia Delaunay was born Sonia Illinitchna Stern to a Jewish family in Ukraine. The cosmopolitan image I’d marvelled at had a migrant identity at its core, and learning this changed the way I saw her work, and her persona—and helped me come to terms with my own.”

This story of how migrants often end up as integrated, successful members of their new society – even as exemplars of that society – is revealed in a fascinating initiative by Tate Modern, the country’s most visited tourist attraction (almost 5.9 million people in 2018).

“Migration is a prevalent theme throughout the artworks on display,” we read in an introduction to the initiative on the Tate website. “Artists either address it directly, or we can bring it to a work through our own interpretations.”

That was the thinking behind the new migration trail, which takes visitors through a series of artworks about migration or by migrants. It also offers an online tour of illustrations of paintings and sculptures with accompanying comments by the artists of Tate staff members.

Along with Camille Gajewski-Richards, contributors include Achim Borchardt-Hume, who was born in Germany, lived in Rome, settled in London; Alketa Xhafa Mripa, a London-based refugee from Kosova; Cina Aissa, French Tunisian, working in London; Michael Raymond, an ex-member of Student Action for Refugees (STAR) in Sheffield; William Dante Deacon, from Australia.

The work on which they comment covers an array of topics, including colonial migrants and the damage they wrought, the Mexico-US border, and the British Library, which inspired a piece by Yinka Shonibare showing hundreds of books with the names of people with direct experience of or involvement in the discussion around migration on their spines.

Others are chosen by Tate staff for the connection to their own experience, including an egg-like sculpture by Anish Kapoor.

“Speaking about Anish Kapoor as an artist who wasn’t born in Britain but came here to study and made London his home, brings me back to my own journey,” writes Alketa Xhafa Mripa.

Ryan Lanji writes powerfully about Marcel Duchamp’s famous urinal (“The Fountain”), and credits Duchamp for his own decision to migrate.

“I used to stare at … something the art world called one of the most significant works of the 20th century and what people around the world considered to be simply a urinal.

“Every time I look at it, it inspires me to turn what I think on its head and look for the other side. Maybe that’s what our forefathers did – search for a new meaning on the other side of our world. I thank Duchamp for making me migrate.”

The online tour can be accessed here. The physical walkthrough starts on Level 2 of Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG.

TOP IMAGE: Ishi's Light, Anish Kapoor by ThalesEGO, Flickr (CC BY NC-ND-2.0)

In early October, Stephen Timms MP received a letter from Immigration Minister Seema Kennedy regarding the tens of thousands of international students wrongly accused of cheating on an English test by the Home Office in 2014. Migrant Voice has been campaigning alongside the students on this issue for two years, and pressure from the 'My Future Back' campaign and from supportive MPs has led to extensive media coverage, damning reports by the National Audit Office, APPG on TOEIC and the Public Accounts Committee. The campaign also helped to signficantly shift the Government's position on the matter, with former Home Secretary Sajid Javid admitting in July that they had a "duty" to do more to help innocent students.

Stephen Timms raised the matter with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his first day in office in July and had been promised a letter to explain the Government's position on the issue. The Prime Minister asked the Immigration Minister to write to Stephen Timms on his behalf.

You can read the full letter here.

Frustratingly, the letter explained that a proposal by the former Home Secretary for a bespoke scheme that would allow students to have their cases reviewed had now been scrapped - and no new scheme or resolution was being offered in its place.

Seema Kennedy invited Stephen Timms to meet with her to discuss the matter further. Accordingly, on Monday 21 October, the two politicians met, along with two of the international students affected by the wrongful allegations, who have been living in desperate limbo for more than five years. The Immigration Minister seemed sympathetic to the situation, but no firm ideas for a much needed resolution were proposed.

Our statement on this development:

"While we’re delighted that two of the thousands of international students wrongly accused of cheating by the Home Office finally had the chance to speak directly with the Immigration Minister yesterday, we are deeply disappointed that this Government is refusing to offer any kind of solution for these students.

"Report after report has condemned the Government’s handling of this issue, with the latest by the Public Accounts Committee describing the Home Office’s behaviour as ‘shameful’. The former Home Secretary seemed to eventually admit some wrongdoing and said his Department had a ‘duty’ to do more to help innocent students – a welcome step for them after five years of misery.

"Yet the new Home Secretary has scrapped the plan for a scheme that would have allowed students to have their cases reviewed – a proposal that had finally kindled some hope for those people wrongly accused and living in desperate limbo. Neither she nor the Immigration Minister have offered anything to replace that scheme, apparently convinced that this staggering injustice will go away on its own.

"But the Government cannot evade this forever. We, the students and their advocates in Parliament, including the indefatigable Stephen Timms, will not rest until justice is done and these students get their futures back."

Read more about the campaign and how you can support it here.

“How can we even afford clothes to put on our children? And we still have to be finding these £3,000 to send off for paperwork.” (A support worker in Birmingham working 50 hours per week)

The costs of immigration in the UK are leaving ordinary people, ordinary families, destitute and pricing people out of their rights. Since early 2019, after hearing from many of our members about the devastating impacts of the fees, Migrant Voice has been working on a campaign to significantly reduce these costs. 

Many visa fees have risen tenfold in the last decade, while the NHS surcharge (now £400 per person per year) and the extortionate cost of appointments simply to upload documents adding hundreds of pounds to each application. 

A family of four has to fork out nearly £50,000 over the 10 years from arriving in the UK to getting citizenship. And that’s if everything goes smoothly. If there’s a small mistake in an application, or the Home Office wrongly rejects it, there’s no chance to appeal - the application must be re-submitted and the fee paid again. Many migrants also find the goalposts constantly moving and the rules becoming ever more complicated as they make their way through the system, making it almost impossible to plan or save effectively. 

The Home Office tries to rationalise the high costs by arguing that, this way, migrants can fund the entire borders and immigration system without the need for British taxpayer contributions. But we all benefit from this system and migrants already contribute through taxes. Furthermore, by choosing to outsource so much of the visa application system to private companies, the Home Office is also ensuring that large corporations are making huge profits from ordinary, hardworking migrants in this country. 

The result of these disproportionate and discriminatory fees is that tens of thousands of people are forced to destitute themselves just to claim their rights. Many parents are faced with the choice between feeding their children and maintaining their right to stay. 

Others are never able to claim their rights at all. They are priced out of citizenship, often priced out of legal status. Women are disproportionately affected, especially BAME women.  

The fee is waived if the applicant can prove they are destitute - but this is notoriously difficult to prove and if the waiver is not given, the applicant has just two weeks to find the full payment.

And the costs aren't just financial - many families suffer mental and physical health problems as a direct result of the financial pressure, which causes extreme stress and can mean that people have to choose between maintaining their status and feeding themselves. Thousands of couples and families are kept apart by the extortionate costs and Home Office delays or bad decisions, which have severe and lasting effects on their mental and emotional health and on the relationships themselves.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. A decade ago, fees in this country were much more affordable and our immigration system was no less functional. And we can learn from other Western countries, where fees have remained affordable. In France, permanent residence costs just £315, and citizenship £47 – compared to £2,389 and £1,250 in the UK. Permanent residence in Germany is even cheaper – just £115.

In April 2019, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration published a report on the Home Office's politics and practices on immigration fees. We responded with a briefing, which you can read here. We have also published two editorials, which you can read here and here. 

WHO IS AFFECTED?

A wide range of people are impacted by the cost of immigration fees in the UK. These include:

• Couples where one partner is not British
• Families where a child or parent is not British
• Students who are coming to the UK to study
• Refugees who have been in the UK for five years  
• Workers who come to the UK to take up paid employment
• Entrepreneurs who come to the UK to set up a business

WHAT CHANGES DO WE WANT?

• All fees reduced to admin costs for adults, free for children
• Reforms to the process, including: if an application is refused, the applicant must be able to appeal for free.
• Reform of the fee waiver process (details TBC).

WHAT DO WE NEED?

If you are directly affected by UK immigration fees, we would like to hear from you. This campaign - as with all of our work - is built on the voices of migrants and their families who are directly impacted, and we do not have a campaign without those voices. 

If you would like to share your story and join this campaign, please contact anne@migrantvoice.org to share your experience, answering the following questions:

• What type of visa(s)/immigration status have you applied for – including naturalisation?
• How much did you have to pay for the whole application process each time including any surcharges, appointment costs, etc.
• How was the process of applying for the visa?
• Are you currently applying or planning to apply and concerned about the cost?
• What impact is all the above having on you (and your family)?

If you are not directly impacted, but would like to get involved or be added to our mailing list for this campaign, please also email anne@migrantvoice.org.

TOP IMAGE: UK Sterling bank notes and coins: Mark Hodson, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

The famed “Australian-style points-based system” is being hailed by some at the top of the Government as the answer to everything (well everything related to work-based immigration anyway).

Without any details – which are scarce to non-existent – it’s difficult to judge this potential future immigration policy. However, we are concerned that such a system could wrest power away from employers and employees (surely those best placed to decide who should fill a job vacancy), handing it to a Government that has so far been hostile to all migrants who aren’t considered the “best and brightest”, and could lead to racial, gender and age discrimination.

Instead we need a system that does not gatekeep based on any particular number – whether that’s a salary or an accumulation of points – but one guided by the jobs and workers available, one where migrant workers have all the same rights as British workers and where those rights are enforced.

The UK does currently have a “points-based system” for migrant workers, but this is in name only. Points are awarded in different categories – English language ability, sufficient finances etc. – but every criterion must be met and the points are only symbolic.

In Australia – and Canada, New Zealand, Austria and elsewhere – aspiring migrant workers are awarded different amounts of points in different categories and must reach a designated total in order to (potentially) qualify for a work visa. In Australia, the categories relate to age (with young migrants winning the most points), English language ability, level of education and number of years of work experience.

The system – which can allow for someone with few qualifications but a lot of work experience and someone young but highly-qualified to enter – is more flexible than the UK, where every applicant must meet a rigid set of criteria.

And in its Australian form, it’s a system that allows much more freedom to the migrant too – unlike in the UK, where workers can only come if they have a secure job offer, people who meet the points requirement can move to Australia and look for work when they arrive, switching between jobs and employers as they wish.

But remarks made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel suggest there would be no such flexibility in a UK points-based system – migrants would have to meet the points requirements and have a secure job offer. One suggestion is that those who pass the points test would enter a “pool” of workers that could be searched by UK employers unable to fill vacancies from within the UK.

In the current system, the power lies mostly with employers – in a future points-based system, the Government would become the gatekeeper. And that’s a real concern, especially when we have a Government convinced that attracting the “best and brightest” is “in the best interests of Britain” (in the words of Priti Patel), seeming to ignore the needs of multiple industries crying out for construction workers, agricultural workers and nurses.

Surely it is employers and employees who know best who can do a particular job? And that person doesn’t always have a degree and top-notch English. The manager of an Indian restaurant desperate for a chef is unlikely to prioritise fluent English, youth or university-level qualifications – all of which earn a migrant big points in the Australian system. In such a system, the ideal chef for that restaurant wouldn’t even make it into the “pool”.

And that’s just the practical problem with reducing people to a number. It’s simply a crude, subjective and unhelpfully narrow way of assessing a person’s value. Migrant Voice has spoken out many times against any kind of salary threshold, which reduces a person’s value to their income – and a points-based system is little better, disguising the continued with income with a different set of categories, but a set that nevertheless means that those most likely to reach the magic number are those with the biggest earning potential.

Those people are likely to be disproportionately male, young and hailing from a developed, Western country – a further significant problem. Studies (see here and here) show that points-based systems are inherently racially, gender and age biased – a dangerous route for any country to take, posing a threat to values of inclusion and diversity, and diminishing the creativity and richness that come with diverse communities.  

The details of any UK points-based system remain to be seen – and we hope the Migration Advisory Committee will seriously consider all material submitted in response to their call for evidence as they develop recommendations.

But we fear for a future where migrant workers to this country are rejected solely because they fail to hit a points target in a system designed by a Government that is hostile to most migrants. This feels like a new and underhand attempt to put a cap on migration and an attempt to appease right-wing voters – not a progressive vision of a fair migration system. A points-based system also has worrying implications in the long term, making the UK a less viable and less attractive place to work.

A system where migrant workers can come to the UK to do jobs that are wanted and needed, where they are paid fairly for their work and treated fairly by their employers, where they have the power to leave their job and find another, where they are valued beyond their earning potential and welcomed as human beings into our communities – that’s the system that’s “in the best interests of Britain”.

TOP IMAGE: Test of Strength, Steve Snodgrass, Flickr, CC BY 2.0

The Public Accounts Committee - the committee of MPs responsible for overseeing the Government's expenditure - has today published a report into the Government's reaction to allegations that some international students were cheating on an English language test in 2014.

Around 34,000 students were accused of cheating and another 22,000 told their tests were questionable. Tens of thousands of students had action taken against them - their visas were revoked, many were detained, nearly 2,500 were removed from the UK. But many of them were innocent, and thousands have tried to clear their names through the courts. More than five years on, most are stuck in a labyrinthine, costly legal process that gives them little real chance of clearing their names and restarting their lives. Unable to study, work or access any public services, many are destitute and suffer severe mental health problems. Some have attempted suicide.

Migrant Voice has been working alongside the students since 2017, supporting them and campaigning for justice. We submitted two significant pieces of evidence to the Public Accounts Committee as part of their inquiry, and we worked with a number of students to help them submit their own evidence.

Today's report concludes that:

"The Home Office’s decision to revoke the visas of thousands of individuals before properly verifying evidence provided by ETS has led to injustice and hardship for many people...

"We are staggered that the Department thinks it is acceptable to have so little regard for the impact its actions might have on innocent people."

Later, we read: "It is shameful that the Department knows it could have acted against innocent people but has not established a clear mechanism for them to raise concerns outside of the appeals process." 

The report is deeply critical of the Government's failure to verify the evidence sent to them by the testing company, ETS, which they accepted at face value, acting immediately to strip thousands of students of their visas.

It claims the fraud was the result of a "systemic failure by a private company" (ETS), and that the Government's reaction - rushing to penalise huge numbers of students - was "flawed". 

Many failings are detailed in the report - the failure to get expert advice on the reliability of the evidence until 2016, the use of a licensing model that didn't allow for oversight, the failure to track costs of responding to the issue, which reduced the amount of compensation the Government could later claim. 

But the Government is still refusing to help those students who were the innocent victims of those failings, despite admitting in July that it is their "duty" to do more to help those people.

One of the recommendations reads:

"The Home Office should, within three months of this report, create and promote a fair and trustworthy means of helping all individuals who may have been wrongly accused to come forward and clear their names, including ensuring that all evidence from ETS is made available to them."

In response, Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, said:

The report follows a report by the National Audit Office in May and another by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on TOEIC in July.

Amidst the current chaos of UK politics, tens of thousands of international students watch in despair as their futures are suspended once again. They are amongst many groups in the UK who are losing out on their fight for justice due to the parliamentary paralysis. Their voices are not being heard, their problems are not being addressed – and this must change.

In 2014, nearly 60,000 international students were flung into limbo by the government amid a flurry of unfounded allegations and have been battling for more than five years to restart their lives.

Accused of cheating on an English test, their visas were revoked and they were told to leave the country. Many were innocent and the minimal evidence against them has been exposed as wholly unreliable, yet the Home Office continues to fight them in court, appealing almost every ruling in the students’ favour.

Ignored for years, the students finally found themselves at the top of the Home Office agenda earlier this year after fierce campaigning by the students themselves alongside Migrant Voice and MPs led by Stephen Timms.

Reports by the National Audit Office and the All-Party Parliamentary Group representing the students have exposed the true extent of the government’s mistakes (wilful or otherwise) on this matter, and a wave of media interest handed the students a metaphorical megaphone and a chance to finally be heard.

And the pressure paid off – in a tumultuous week at the end of July, as one government traded places with another, the Home Office shifted its position significantly (and for the first time since 2014), finally acknowledging that the government has “a duty” to do more to help those students wrongly accused, pledging no further action against students who never used a TOEIC certificate in a visa application, and suggesting possible concessions for students with children and other strong family ties to the UK.

Things were busy behind the scenes too, where we understand government officials were designing a system that would allow students to submit their cases to be reassessed by the Home Office.

The resolution we all longed for had not yet come, but it was a period of hope after five years of despair. But that hope is now fading, as the change of government and current political turmoil has left urgent matters of injustice, such as the wrongful allegations against these students, neglected.

Once again, they face the misery of watching from the sidelines as yet another university year begins without them. Even as the Government trumpets its “global outlook” with the very welcome return of the post-study work visa for international students, another group of students continues to suffer, largely unheard.

When politicians and journalists, those with the greatest power to make change happen in this country, become consumed by a single issue – however important that issue may be – other problems do not simply hover in a state of limbo. Often, they deepen. So it is for the students – with every passing day, their situation becomes more precarious, more unbearable.

We therefore call on policymakers and on those in the media with the power to make voices heard, to make an extra effort at this time to hear those who feel they are shouting into a void, to continue to address those vital issues in danger of being neglected, and to find just resolutions that will ensure everyone in this country can live dignified and hopeful lives.

In the case of the international students living in limbo, we call on the Government to urgently finalise and implement its resolution, listening to the students affected and to the recommendations of those campaigning alongside them in order to end their misery once and for all.

TOP IMAGE: In June 2019, some of the international students wrongly accused in 2014 delivered a letter to the former Home Secretary Sajid Javid on behalf of more than 100 students.

It was Eid last week. It’s an Islamic festival and the full name is Eid ul-Adha (the festival of sacrifice). I had a really great time but I was also depressed as I live in the UK undocumented through no fault of my own and I’m suffering the consequences of it. When my family gathers together for these festivals, and I have to answer questions about what I do with my life if I can’t study or work, it’s mentally disturbing.

The festival of Eid celebrates the time when Allah appeared to Ibrahim in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. The devil tempted Ibrahim by saying he should disobey Allah and spare his son. As Ibrahim was about to kill his son Allah stopped him and gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.

Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Adha on the last day of Hajj. The Hajj is pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. It comes at different times each year depending on the Islamic calendar.

Before Eid was Arafat day. This is the day when Muslims who do not go to Hajj fast to repent for their sins. So I fasted on this day and also cleaned the house, baked cakes and cookies with my mother for the guests coming the next day. It was hard work but fun to do.

Eid was Sunday 11 August. We went to sleep late and woke up early in the morning to get ready for Eid prayer. We had cousins and my sister coming to our house and we ate together and enjoyed the rest of the day. We went to my mother’s friend’s house as well. These days were the best and most joyful moments of my life. 

But at the same time, I had some bad times when I had to listen to everyone’s questions such as: What do you do all day at home? Why don’t you study or work? Don’t you get bored? Even when they know that I don’t have a visa, still they ask the same questions. These might be just ordinary questions to most people but they hurt me deeply. I think about them for days, sometimes I find it hard to go to sleep or eat food when I reflect on what I am doing with my life and what my friends are doing. Some are almost finishing their university degrees or doing jobs and earning money with which they can buy whatever they want.

I don’t have a visa and it might seem like a small thing to people who do have one or don’t need one, but I would like for them to sometimes ask someone who is deprived of this blessing what it is like. Being undocumented is like living in an imaginary prison where you want to do something but the main requirement is a visa so all the doors are closed for you.

Despite everything I have accomplished a lot during my time in the UK and once I get my visa, I can do a lot more. I have done my GCSEs and A levels and I’m looking forward to studying biomedical science at university. In the future I want to support and help young refugees, who may be experiencing the same kind of uncertainty as I am now and finding it difficult to build a life here in the UK.

TOP IMAGE: Eid Me, Imran Ali, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The announcement from the Home Office this week that freedom of movement will end on 31 October in the case of a no-deal Brexit is both callous and potentially catastrophic and the government must immediately and loudly withdraw this policy, even if it turns out that the announcement was no more than a particularly crude negotiating tactic.

In the last three years, the government has shown time and time again that it is prepared to toy with the lives and livelihoods of more than three million citizens in this country, EU nationals who may be our friends, neighbours, colleagues, partners or parents. Their rights are already being curtailed under the settled status scheme, but they could now find themselves deprived of those rights entirely under a proposal that marks a significant shift from earlier plans for a transition period.

We welcome reassurance from the Home Office, published this week, that if freedom of movement does end on 31 October, any EU nationals already residing in the UK at that point will still be here legally and will remain eligible for all their existing rights, whether they have applied for settled status or not. In that statement, they clarify that it is EU nationals who arrive after that date who won’t necessarily have all those rights – to work, study, rent a house, access secondary healthcare etc.    

But this statement falls woefully short of what is needed. There is no simply no way for employers, landlords and doctors – forced by the state’s hostile environment to act as border guards and check the immigration status of their employees, tenants and patients – to distinguish between those two groups. In that situation, EU nationals already resident here would be at risk of being fired from their job, thrown out of their home or denied healthcare. Then there are the potentially disastrous repercussions at airports across the country as EU nationals try to return home.

And to all those Twitter users who cry unfeelingly, “well, you should have applied for settled status earlier then, shouldn’t you?” we say: having status under the settlement scheme won’t even be much help in the scenario the Home Office is presenting. Settled or pre-settled status doesn’t come with a stamp in your passport, a residence card you can flash at a job interview, or any form of physical proof that you are a lawful resident of the UK. That was one of the criticisms of the scheme from the start. One person who told us about her experiences of the settled status scheme through our online survey described the lack of physical evidence as a “disaster waiting to happen”.

Others who responded to our survey have raised the same issue, with dozens more reluctant to apply over data privacy issues, concern about the lack of legislation underpinning settled status, and mistrust in how the Home Office will handle their applications.

And from a purely logistical perspective, it would have been impossible for more than three million people to apply for and receive the correct decision on their settled status application in the seven months between 1 April when the scheme officially launched and 31 October, currently Brexit day. We know from our members and from meetings at the Home Office that minor problems with the system are still being ironed out, and that there are a number of vulnerable groups for whom application will not be simple and who may not yet even know they need to apply, including those in care, pensioners, victims of domestic violence or exploitation, and Traveller and Roma communities. There are many good reasons for a long transition period on freedom of movement, and none at all for a cliff edge on Brexit day.

Indeed, given the scheme’s original launch date (1 April), it was clearly a scheme that was meant to be implemented post-Brexit (originally scheduled for 29 March) – only those applying in the pilot studies were meant to be able to apply before Brexit day; everyone else would have a significant transition period in which to clarify their status.

While we cannot know the thinking behind this extraordinary and concerning proposal to end freedom of movement on 31 October, there are two likely possibilities.

Either this government is once again exploiting EU nationals living in the UK as pawns in their ongoing game of negotiation, using this suggestion as a threat (but an empty one) to drive the EU back to the table.

Or it is being seriously considered as an option.

If the latter, we must all raise our voices and demand that the government drop this proposal and maintain freedom of movement until at least January 2021, after the deadline to apply for settled status. Under no circumstances must freedom of movement end before new rules have been put in place and clear guidelines for following those rules widely disseminated. We must demand that this government actively work to guarantee existing rights for EU nationals in the UK, back up the settled status scheme with legislation and ensure that no one becomes undocumented because they did not apply to stay in the country that is now their home.

And if this proposal is purely a negotiating tactic, we must demand exactly the same. For even if the government has no real intention of implementing this policy, and is instead using it as a spectacularly callous negotiating tool, their words this week will have impact. Employers left unsure of the rules and the legal status of their EU national employees may start to seek ways to let them go, and others may be wary of hiring them. In the same position, landlords may start to discriminate against EU nationals, NHS staff charge for treatment, and border guards refuse entry.

Put bluntly, ending freedom of movement on 31 October would be both absurd and catastrophic – and the government must act now to rule out any possibility of this happening, and to issue clear and fair guidelines to healthcare providers, landlords, employers and all other willing and unwilling, literal and metaphorical border guards to ensure that, come November, no person is unjustly denied their rights and their place in this society. 

A new government brings a welcome opportunity for a new approach to immigration in this country. And we certainly welcome what seems to be a shift away from migration targets that reduce people to statistics and equate success with fewer migrants.

But we’re concerned by some of the approaches suggested so far by the new Prime Minister and his Home Secretary, which are fundamentally incompatible with the realities of our modern world, and which perpetuate the anti-foreigner sentiment in which decades of UK immigration policy are rooted.

“Highly-skilled” migrants are welcome, “low-skilled” migrants not so much, was the central message of Priti Patel’s Daily Mail column at the weekend.

By reducing people to their skill level and income, and equating a person's "value" with their earning potential, we risk creating a cold and inhuman society where only the wealthy are welcome, where ordinary people, ordinary families are priced out. And to shut out so-called "low-skilled" workers is not only deeply discriminatory, but also self-defeating – we need these workers in our NHS, on our construction sites, in our service industries. These are the people who keep our society ticking over. 

And their "value" goes far beyond their labour too – migrants are our friends and neighbours, they bring new ideas and opportunities, they teach us to see the world differently. We ask this government to extend their "welcome" to migrants far beyond those with big pay cheques to include all who wish to build an honest life here. 

We're concerned too that in her first days in office, the Home Secretary has chosen to perpetuate that old and dangerous myth of the scrounging, criminal migrant. Truth is, migrants are much less likely to claim benefits in the UK than non-migrants.

We urge the Home Secretary to change course and to reform an outdated Home Office, to recognise migrants as ordinary, hard-working human beings, and to dismantle the hostile policies of the previous government that demonise migrants, punish the innocent, turn ordinary citizens into unwilling border guards and sow mistrust among communities. Only by taking such action can trust begin to be restored in a UK government that claims to value justice and the rule of law. 

But we need more than that. This country needs a Government that does not pander to the views of a xenophobic minority, but is brave enough to see migration for what it is – simply the movement of human beings in search of a better life. It’s a phenomenon that has existed since the dawn of humanity, and one that’s not likely to be thwarted by one government’s anti-foreigner policies.

And nor should it be. Not only is migration natural and normal, but it – and the people it brings – are to be celebrated.

What is more, the only consequences of such policies will be continued misery for tens of thousands of people unfairly punished for their choice (or need) to move, and a financially, socially and culturally poorer society here in the UK.                                       

We fully support many of the vital campaigns to change those policies – to end immigration detention, give all asylum seekers the right to work, abolish the income threshold that continues to separate thousands of families etc. – but we also need to recognise those policies as symptoms of a decades-old disease that paints migration as an obstacle and migrants as a threat.

Yes, this Government must make it their urgent task to dismantle the hostile environment, end detention, slash visa costs, reintroduce legal aid, bring justice for international students wrongly criminalised, the list could go on – but more importantly, this Home Secretary and this Government must root out xenophobia and transform this country’s view of migration. They must truly make this country one that works for everyone, whether you were born here or not, and build a Home Office that can deliver this vision and is in touch with today’s world.

And if they will not, we, the citizens of this country, must shout even louder, fight even harder, for a country where migrants have a voice, a stake and an equal place at the table.

TOP IMAGE: We'll come united - Demonstration/Parade Hamburg 29.09.2018, Rasande Tyskar, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Four beds are squeezed into a tiny room with dirty grey walls. There is hardly any space in the room. There’s also a shower and a toilet here, separated by a curtain. Sunlight illuminates the room through the bars.

This tiny room in a detention center in Russia was the first home for new-born Nabotov and the last for the severely ill Vephviya Sordiya.

The conditions in which foreign citizens and stateless persons are detained in Russia (the stated end goal being deportation) are often inhumane and violate national and international legislation. Migrants can be detained here regardless of their physical condition or family situation. The European Court of Human Rights has found serious human rights violations in the practice of immigration detention in Russia – yet Russian legislation and its implementation remain unchanged, often leading to tragedy.

A range of state bodies in Russia have the power to make decisions about the expulsion of foreigners or stateless persons, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Security Service and Ministry of Justice. There are 81 detention centres across the country with a total capacity of 8,000.

One of the most outrageous cases in the recent years was the detention of Dilafruz Nabotova, a citizen of Uzbekistan, who was 40 weeks pregnant when she was detained by migration officers in Saint Petersburg on 7 September 2015. Her two children – eight-year-old Sarvarbek and seven-year-old Makhbaba – were detained with her, but then separated from their mother and sent to an orphanage. Two weeks later, on 20 September 2015, Dilafruz Nabotova gave birth to a son – five days later, she was returned to the detention centre, the first home for her newborn child. Three weeks later, both were deported. When Dilafruz asked to be reunited with her two older children, migration officers refused, instead threatening to take her baby away from her. It was only three months later that Sarvarbek and Makhbaba were also deported and reunited with their mother.

Dilafruz was detained in violation of the Russian legislation that prohibits the detention of pregnant women and mothers of children younger than 14. What is more, the conditions she faced were unfit for a pregnant woman, a new mother, or a baby. These centres are overcrowded with no medical assistance available. The detention centre in Saint Petersbury where Dilafruz was kept, has a capacity of 336 people, but there are usually many more than that. The shower and toilet situated on each floor are used daily by a dozen people. Each detainee has around 2.5 square metres of living space and shares their room with three others. In some rooms, there is no access to drinking water. Due to poor hygiene, the detention center is infested with mice. According to the detainees, it is only the mice that are free in this institution.

Stateless persons are also kept in these detention centers. As with foreign nationals they are detained to ensure forced expulsion. But their deportation is impossible due to absence of any citizenship, and their detention is simply senseless. Stateless persons are often detained for months or even years waiting for deportation that is impossible to realize. At some point they are released, because they cannot be deported. However, from the perspective of Russian legislation, they continue to violate the law. They cannot leave Russia due to lack of identification documents, but the state refuses to issue these documents. Because of this, they are often detained for a second or third time on the same grounds. Detention for stateless persons becomes an indefinite punishment. For some, it lasts until the end of their lives.

On 8 October 2016 a stateless person, Vephviya Sordiya, died in the hospital in Saint-Petersburg. He had lived in Russia since 1998, but he did not have any citizenship or identification documents. In 2015 he was detained due to violating immigration legislation. Six months later, he was released, punished with a fine, and told by the court to leave Russia on his own. However, since he had no papers (and the authorities refused to issue him any) and could not cross the border, he was unable to leave. In 2016 he was arrested for the second time and sent to a detention centre because of his failure to comply with the court decision of 2015.

While in detention, Vephviya’s health deteriorated – his chronic diseases intensified and he began to suffer from unbearable physical pain. He was refused hospitalization and was not provided with any medical assistance in the detention centre. On 16 August 2016 the city court of Saint Petersburg rejected a request to release Vephviya due to his health problems. Nothing changed even after the intervention of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Hours before his death, Vephviya was released from detention and finally sent to hospital – but the intervention was too late.

In a high-profile case in 2014, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the detention of stateless persons in Russia violates the Convention on Human Rights and that the conditions in the Saint Petersburg detention centre were inhumane. The Court demanded that Russia take general measures to combat violations and prevent further violations of the rights of stateless persons. But the government has taken no such measures – the detention centres have not been improved and the legislative gaps have not been addressed.

Until the appropriate measures are taken at state level, the nightmare experiences of Vephviya, Dilafruz and others will continue – people will be born and people will die in detention, just because of their migration status.

With news of horrific conditions in detention centres at the US-Mexico border filling our newsfeeds daily, it’s time to say once again: immigration detention must be outlawed, globally.

We must work towards a world where no one is detained for immigration purposes. We must begin to view the detention of migrants – often simply because they are migrants – as a violation of human rights and an outrage akin to torture.

We call on the new UK government and the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, to make this a priority.

While the images of migrants imprisoned at the US-Mexico border are desperately shocking – as are the stories of detention in places such as Libya, Manus Island and Nauru – we in Europe cannot claim any kind of moral high ground. Nearly one third of the world’s detention centres are in Europe, and several European countries are actively engaged in expanding detention capacity. Indeed, most detention centres are clustered in countries whose own citizens bear some of the most powerful passports while the foreigners crossing their borders are treated with hostility and suspicion.

Undocumented migrants in the UK, for example, live in daily fear of being detained – just this week, we and Detention Forum are running an advice session for some of the international students whose visas were wrongly revoked in 2014 on what to do if you get detained. Sadly, many already have first-hand experience.

But how many of the world’s 1,255 detention centres go under the radar? How often do we scrutinise immigration detention in Russia, for example, where conditions in detention centres routinely violate state and international legislation?

Immigration detention essentially means imprisoning people without trial, without even a criminal charge. Sometimes these people are children, often they are imprisoned indefinitely. By allowing this to continue, we are bowing to the worst impulses in human nature. And by expanding our detention systems around the world, we are denying decades of (albeit slow) progress towards a more open, inclusive world.

It should shame us that children are being kept in cages. It should shame us that migrants in the UK can be jailed indefinitely. It should shame us that migrants in detention around the world are taking their own lives. But shame is not enough – nor even is outrage. There must be action.

Immigration detention is quite simply incompatible with civilised society. And there are plenty of well-researched alternatives – including legal migration routes, temporary statuses and case management in the community. So we must make a choice – do we wish to be civilised, or do we wish to continue caging and confining human beings for the crime of being foreign?

On 23 July 2019, the Home Secretary published a written statement regarding the tens of thousands of international students accused of cheating on an English test in 2014. We are deeply disappointed by its contents. 

The Home Secretary has been promising this statement for nearly four months and the lack of substance and refusal to offer any kind of solution is a severe blow to the thousands of innocent students waiting for a lifeline. As they wrote in a letter to the Home Secretary last month, the students are living daily in growing despair and have been looking to Sajid Javid as their last hope.

Recent reports – including by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (our response here), the National Audit Office (our response here) and Migrant Voice – have shown without doubt that the Home Office relied on worthless evidence to strip these students of their visas. The Home Secretary claims to have read these reports, but he has utterly failed in his response.

Comment from Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice:

“Yesterday, the Home Secretary finally acknowledged that the government has a duty to do more to help those international students who were wrongly accused of cheating by his department in 2014. Today, he let those students down.

“These are people who came to the UK believing in its education system, its democracy, its sense of justice. They were betrayed in 2014 – and they’ve been betrayed again today. 

“We’re deeply frustrated that the Home Secretary has failed to offer a solution. We had hoped that this Home Secretary – who said last year that the phrase “hostile environment” does not represent Britain’s values, and that this country should be a safe, open, tolerant home for all who live here – would be bold enough to acknowledge the mistakes of his predecessors and put this right.

“Instead, he has shied away from any kind of positive action, making only vague suggestions of possible future token gestures that will do nothing for those students who have had five years of their lives – and their futures – ripped from them.

“We say to the Home Secretary, there is still time to put this right before the recess. In your statement, you say this is “a complex matter” – no, it’s very simple. These students are innocent, the evidence you used to brand them as frauds was worthless, and they must be given the chance to sit a new test and clear their names.”

Sheikh Shariful Amin, one of the affected students and a co-leader of the students’ campaign for justice, said:

“This is a very very sad outcome. We were all expecting that the Home Office would make a helpful decision that can distinguish the genuine students from the non-genuine students – either a test or an interview. This offers us no certainty as to when we will get our futures back and no certainty when this saga will end. We are still in the same position.

“This decision gives me no positive hope to get my future back.”

He’s also frustrated that the statement focuses so heavily on the legal processes:

“We all need to come out of these court processes, because it is so expensive, it’s such a lengthy process and gives us no way to clear our names.”

We will continue to campaign alongside the students until they get the justice they need.

See more about the campaign here.

On Thursday 18 July, the APPG on TOEIC (All-Party Parliamentary Group on Test of English for International Communication) launched a report that reveals new evidence that the Home Office has taken rash and unnecessarily hostile action against international students accused of cheating on the TOEIC test in 2014, and that key parts of the Department’s response have been covered up.

The report also concludes that the evidence used by the Home Office to revoke the visas of tens of thousands of international students was “confused, misleading, incomplete and unsafe”.

The report is the result of four evidence sessions, where affected students, legal experts, technical experts and third sector representatives were questioned by members of the APPG. This included Migrant Voice Director Nazek Ramadan. (Migrant Voice is the Secretariat to the APPG on TOEIC, offering advice and administrative support.)

From the foreword by Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the APPG on TOEIC:

“One thing that struck me throughout our hearings was that evidence from ETS – the basis for denying visas to thousands of overseas students, often with catastrophic effects – quite simply could not be relied upon. The inquiry concluded that the evidence used against the students was confused, misleading, incomplete and unsafe…

“Some students have – at great cost – managed to clear their names. However, universities still see them as a risk due to the nature of the allegations made against them. As things stand, and without help from the Government, their futures remain bleak. This report sets out crucial steps we believe the Government must now take.”

Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice:

“This report reveals shocking new evidence that the Home Office ignored expert advice, relied on dodgy evidence and took action against students they claimed were treated fairly – and that the Department continues to cover up the full extent of those blunders.

“The result was that tens of thousands of people have spent five years living a nightmare. One student told the APPG that the allegation was like a cancer that had infected his whole family.

“We welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement that he plans to make a statement on this matter before the summer recess, and we urge him to read this report and its recommendations before he makes his final decisions. He does have the power to put this right.”

Some of the key new findings:

- At a confidential meeting of experts in August 2014, Home Office officials disclosed that they were unsure whether the evidence against the students was robust enough to stand up in court and asked whether it should be “shored up” or “redone”. This was after thousands of students had already had action taken against them on the basis of that evidence. The Home Office ignored the advice of the experts at that meeting and are still refusing to admit publicly that the meeting ever happened.

- The Home Office has relied extensively on a 2016 report by Professor Peter French, which concluded that the rate of “false positives” (individuals wrongly identified as having cheated) in the ETS checking process would be less than 1%. In evidence to the APPG, French stressed that his conclusion was only correct “if the results that ETS had given the Home Office were correct”. As detailed in the report, all of the experts questioned the reliability of those results, casting significant doubt on the usefulness of that statistic, used so heavily by the Home Office in their defence. French also cautioned against using his conclusion to argue that any particular student cheated, an approach the Home Office has used consistently.

- The Home Office has repeatedly insisted that ‘questionable’ students – those who may have cheated, according to the ETS evidence – had no action taken against them without being offered the chance to sit a new test. New evidence reveals that lists of students accused of cheating sent by the Home Office to institutions where they were enrolled did not distinguish between ‘invalid’ and ‘questionable’ students. They were all thrown out and therefore liable to removal from the UK.

- According to one lawyer – who has dealt with around 100 TOEIC cases – the Government “pioneered a process that made it as difficult” as possible for those accused of TOEIC fraud to clear their names, said Barrister Michael Biggs. They were left with “no effective remedy”.

- The Chair (Home Office official Peter Millington) of a working group designed to support students indirectly impacted by the TOEIC allegations refused to send a letter from members of the group raising concerns about the lack of support being offered “on the basis that he couldn’t write such a letter to his boss”. The concerns were never addressed and, before its termination just a few months later, the group helped just 300 out of 68,000 affected students.

- Students who have won their cases are still being denied access to UK education institutions, with rulings in their favour not regarded as “clear judgements” and their immigration records seen as a threat to the institution’s licence. At least one university has also refused help to a former student wrongly accused of cheating on the basis that to do so would be a threat to their licence.

The recommendations:

1. There must be no further detentions or forced removals of students accused of cheating in a TOEIC test;

2. People who lost their visas because ETS accused them of cheating should be allowed to sit a new, secure English language test, and, if they pass, their previous visa status (or today’s equivalent) should be restored without charge, valid for at least 12 months;

3. The immigration record of every person who passes the new test should make clear that the allegation of cheating no longer stands;

4. Higher and further education institutions should be advised that the TOEIC allegation, and related issues such as a break in studies, should be wholly disregarded in assessing applications from these students;

5. A working group should be established to support students and facilitate their return to study, to support those on work or entrepreneur visas to find new jobs or restart their businesses, and to monitor this support process, with representatives from Home Office, UKVI, Department of Education, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UCAS, relevant third sector and student support organisations, and students themselves;

6. Financial support should be provided to enable students who lost their fees as a result of a TOEIC allegation to complete their studies;

7. The Home Office should work with High Commissions in relevant countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, to ensure that those who have returned home or been forcibly removed are informed about these arrangements.

Read the full report here.

On Sunday 30 June, Migrant Voice staff and volunteers in Glasgow took a flag to the city's Queen's Park and flew it as part of a nationwide series of events, inspired by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, to celebrate 70 years since the Declaration of Human Rights. 

Ai Weiwei had created his own flag design and encouraged individuals, organisations and communities across the UK to create one too, with a message that would inspire people around the world to celebrate and continue to fight for human rights for all people.

The Migrant Voice flag, printed on silk, featured photos from the "Changing Lenses: Glasgow Stories of Integration" project and the slogan "Putting the world to rights". We invited anyone and everyone to help us fly the flag on 30 June, and it was a fantastic success. The initiative was reported by Scottish newspaper The National.

Nazek Ramadan, MV Director, said:

“Protecting our human rights is as important as it was 70 years ago. We live in an unequal world full of political instability and social inequalities where many people, including millions of migrants and refugees, are denied their fundamental rights.

“By flying this flag, featuring photographs taken by our members and the phrase ‘putting the world to rights’, we are showing the power of what can be achieved when people come together.

“We want to use this flag to inspire people across Glasgow, the UK and the world to join forces and keep fighting for human rights for every person on this planet.”

A huge and special thank you to volunteer Phyllis McGowan for developing the initiative and making this happen, to Miruka for the production, ShunHui Lam for the design, Karen Gordon for the photos and Solomon Bright for his powerful speech at the event. 

At Migrant Voice we are collecting experiences of migrants and their families on the impact of high visa fees in the UK. We would like to hear from anyone affected by the high costs of visas, citizenship, appointments for uploading documents, the NHS surcharge and anything related to the visa application process. This will help us understand how the costs of staying in the UK are affecting people as part of our new campaign on this issue.
 
You can read more about this issue and our work on it so far here. 

Please do email us at anne@migrantvoice.org to share your experience answering the questions below:
 
We would like to know what type of visa(s) you have applied for – including citizenship?
 
How much did you have to pay for the whole application process each time including any surcharges, appointment costs, etc.
 
How was the process of applying for the visa?
 
Are you currently applying or planning to apply and concerned about the cost?
 
What impact is all the above having on you (and your family)?
 
Do also send any other information you want to add. 

Migrant Voice are conducting a survey into the process for EEA nationals and their dependants of applying for settled status in order to monitor the process and lobby for migrants' rights.
 
If you are an EEA national, or a dependant of one please fill in this survey.
 
If you are an organisation helping individuals apply or working with individuals who have applied and shared their experiences with you, please also fill this in to share such case studies.
 
Migrant Voice sit on several groups to monitor the implementation of the settled status application (incl. one led by the European Commission Office in London, and one led by the Home Office).  We sit on these so we can feed any information about problems with the settled status application scheme to the policy making level.
 
We will only use the information you provide in this survey in statistical form or as anonymised case studies.
  
Please share widely with EEA nationals and their dependants.
 
Please follow this link to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MV_survey_settled_status
 
Deadline to complete the survey is August 1, 2019
 
Please also see here for our privacy notice and data protection policy for more information on how we use data and keep your data secure.

We’re pleased that another inquiry, this time by the Public Accounts Committee, has been launched into the Home Office’s actions in 2014 that led to tens of thousands of international students being stripped of their visas and robbed of their futures.

But we’re also concerned that the government could exploit this announcement to further delay a much-needed resolution – shrugging off their responsibility and handing it to the new Prime Minister and his government at the end of July.

Following the National Audit Office report in May, and the All Party Parliamentary Group hearings in June (report to follow soon), the Public Accounts Committee – a group of MPs that scrutinises how the government spends taxpayers’ money – has now launched its own investigation.

We welcome any and all attempts to get to the bottom of what happened and to expose the hostile behaviour of a government department desperate to reduce the net migration figures at any cost.

But what we and the students need, even more than another inquiry, is action. We already have mountains of evidence proving that this was an injustice on a vast scale; that tens of thousands of people were criminalised based on fundamentally flawed evidence; that innocent people have been denied the chance to clear their names; and that those who have battled through to win are still being prevented from restarting their lives.

Lawyers, technical experts and MPs have been shouting these facts from the rooftops for years – and only recently have they had the megaphone of the media to make themselves heard.

We welcome this inquiry, but we urge the Public Accounts Committee to conduct it speedily, and we urge the Home Office not to use this announcement as yet another excuse to delay justice, which has already been denied to these students for more than five years.

More than 100 of these students recently wrote a letter to the Home Secretary, also calling for urgent action, and delivered it by hand on 27 June. In it, they wrote:  

“The Department you lead ruined our lives and stole our futures. It branded us as frauds, forcing us to bear a lifelong mark of shame, while never presenting any evidence at all against most of us.

“Many of us are destitute, barely able to live from day to day. Many of us are on medication for stress or depression. Many of us have been rejected by our families, who are shamed by the allegation of cheating. Some of us have tried to kill ourselves.

“Home Secretary, you are our last hope and we need to hear from you. Please tell us what our futures will be. It is within your power to put this right.”

We echo their words. Home Secretary, you can and must resolve this, and you must do it urgently.

My name is Marta and I’m a migrant. I’m not seeking asylum. I’m just an ordinary girl who moved to the UK seeking better opportunities. Not that I was suffering or fleeing war. I’m from a small town in Italy, so no war, conflict or bomb was jeopardizing my life. But, as every other girl, or human being I had dreams: I just wanted to improve my life, finish my studies and find a good job.  And, so far, I can just thank God for all the blessings. I’ve almost finished my studies, I have a job, and no visa to think about.

But still, I AM A MIGRANT. I’m a foreigner, English is not my first language and my accent is still really strong. I’ve received prejudiced comments, but I still consider myself lucky. There is no deadline on my staying here, I have mostly the same rights as a British citizen: I can find a job, travel as much as I want, but first and foremost, I HAVE RIGHTS.

I know not every migrant is as lucky as I have been. Many people’s experiences are much harder than mine. Many people don’t have the same rights I do. They can’t work, or travel, or study. Many people didn’t have the same choices I did. Many people were forced to leave their country because of circumstances that they couldn’t control.  

Many people leave their country to seek refuge. We humans seem to need categorizations for a better understanding of reality. Therefore, although I don’t really like labelling a certain group of individuals, I’ll use the term refugee.

A refugee is, generally speaking, a displaced person who, due to certain dynamics, such as war or conflict, has been forced to cross national boundaries and who cannot return home safely.

Unfortunately, what should be seen as an act of escape or salvation, is now - due to hostility pursued by certain media channels and some members of society – often delegitimised and is seen as both a threat and a scam. As a result refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are often depicted in a negative and stereotypical way.

This is why Refugee Week has been established: to celebrate refugees' contribution to UK society, a cultural and artistic series of events to raise awareness about what pushes individuals to leave their countries, seeking refuge and salvation. Refugee Week should be a joyful week, in which the sharing of experiences and the exploration of diversity is enjoyed as a form of personal enrichment.

But now that Refugee Week is over, people seeking safety tend to be forgotten by most of us. We forget about the hell a person coming from a nation at war has been through, we forget why refugees or asylum seekers embark on those journeys which too often lead to death. According to Missing Migrants, which tracks deaths along migratory routes, 1,242 is the number of migrants’ deaths recorded in 2019 up to 27 June - many other deaths couldn’t even be registered. This means that the number of the victims is likely much greater.

So, why would a person leave her/his own house, town, country for an unknown place, with no food or water, jeopardizing his/her life in every step of that journey? Or risk being sent back without even reaching the destination?

Why would a man leave his wife, aware, before his journey is even started, of the possibility of being tortured to death?

Why would a woman put her kids in danger on an overcrowded boat, with no food or water?

Why would a young boy hide in the engine of a bus to cross a border?

Why would a young girl climb over a fence and risk being killed or shot at any time?

HOPE

Hope is the driving force that pushes all of us, the hope of surviving, hope for a better life, the hope of salvation.

People embark on dangerous journeys to escape wars, conflicts, and poverty, with hopes for their future, that of their kids or loved ones, people seeking refuge, although that journey might lead to their death.

Not all make it: some are left to die, some are killed, and some are sent back.

And those who make it, don’t encounter the welcoming dreamland they have been imagining. Instead, they find a hostile environment, in which indifference and silence reign.

Dreamland becomes a purgatory: a place of suffering and torment, a limbo in which, most of the time, those who should be supported and encouraged, are instead treated as criminals and kept in detention centres for an indefinite time for the “crime” of crossing a border to seek asylum, which is in fact no crime at all.

Aware of the risks, surely no one seeking a better life should embark on this dangerous journey.

But what are the other choices for an individual in that situation?

Wouldn't any human being try anything to save him/herself? And aren’t our own western countries partly responsible for their need to escape? Isn’t it because of our bombs that these people lost their houses, their jobs, their lives?

As long as we persist in looking through racist lenses, which allow us to have just a tunnel vision of reality, nothing will change.

As Plato observed in his myth of the cave, we are prisoners watching a projection of reality that doesn’t correspond to the real world. Media has played a great role in shaping that projection for us. If, still using Plato’s allegory, we don’t leave the cave and open ourselves up to a true understanding of the world, we will never be able to perceive reality in its true form. The sun is incomprehensible for someone who has never seen it, and we will never be able to understand other people’s reality until we abandon our current mindset and open up to a new understanding.

What I ask you today is to reflect just for a few minutes, on these questions: If I were in that situation, what would I do? If my kids' lives were in danger, wouldn't I try anything to save them?

The members of the public who came to the Wallace Collection on the 19-21 June 2019 had a unique experience and learned a lot through community ambassador tours led by refugees and asylum seekers.

This was also a unique experience for the community ambassadors themselves, for whom it was the first time being tour guides and engaging with the great gallery Hertford House, better known as the Wallace Collection.

The Wallace Collection put a lot of resources into successfully organising this project, which allowed 10 community ambassadors to present one of the works in the collection. These volunteer tour guides were refugees and asylum seekers who discovered the Wallace Collection through its project partners, the Jesuit Refugee Service and the Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants.

The Wallace Collection houses an extensive array of paintings, furniture, sculptures, porcelain, and other objects collected in the 18th and 19th centuries.

After three months of intensive training, including learning the history of the Wallace Collection - its buildings, its founders and objects – as well as learning how to construct a vocabulary on art history, the community ambassadors chose several objects and did research on them before choosing their favourite.

As a result of their research the volunteers delivered presentations to the public on their chosen objects during Refugee Week 2019.

“It’s really incredible,” said Vanessa Weibel, Senior Manager of Education, Community Program, at the Wallace Collection[U1] . “I can’t believe how brave the tour guides are, to be doing tours in front of so many people when English isn’t their first language! And they were so passionate about their objects, and so knowledgeable. It’s really inspiring.

"Thanks to intensive training and hard work, both at the museum and independently, […] they have built an impressive profile within the museum, and with our visitors.”

She continued: "They offered new perspectives, different skills and a new interpretation, which are welcome."

What next?

The Wallace Collection staff have worked with refugees and asylum seekers since 2012 and Vanessa is therefore very aware of the value that participants from these communities can add to programs and projects.

The goal is to continue to create and enhance a framework for ambassadors to develop communication, presentation and English skills, learn new things, meet new people, expand networks and to increase their well-being and their employability, where appropriate.

The second phase of the project will start from July before the great finale in December 2019. The Wallace collection will run a series of workshops to reinforce the skills built among the ambassadors who will also have the opportunity to continue their ESOL training.

Through this programme, refugees and asylum seekers are recognised as a group who can make an important contribution to the advancement of the United Kingdom.

The ambassadors said they enjoyed the experience of giving the Refugee Week tours very much and are ready to continue the activity.

One of them said: “For me it was a great experience. It was the first time to walk into a great gallery like the Wallace Collection. When I started the research about the painting I chose as my object I learned how many messages are in them and that paintings are an expression of life, of the mind of the artist and their environment.

“Giving the tour to the public was wonderful because it was my first time to speak in front of people in English, which is not my first language, and I felt very good that people listened to me. It was an occasion to develop my skills in public speaking.

“Finally I felt peace. The painting I chose addressed social order, the image of peace and the expression of nature and all these remind me of my country and the situation there and the expression of peace in this painting is what I want for my country.”

On Thursday 27 June, a group of the international students whose lives were torn apart by the Home Office in 2014 when they were wrongly accused of cheating on an English test will deliver a letter by hand to the Home Secretary, asking him to make the statement that he has been promising.

More than 100 of the students directly affected have signed the letter. They and thousands of others have spent the last five years trying to clear their names - an almost impossible task in the courts - and many have now lost hope. This letter is a personal plea to the Home Secretary to give his statement and tell them what their futures will be.

The letter has also been sent to the Home Secretary by post and email.

Here's what the students wrote:

Dear Home Secretary Sajid Javid,

We are some of the tens of thousands of international students unjustly robbed of our visas and our rights by the Home Office in 2014 after we were accused of cheating on an English test. We are innocent but the government gave us no real way to defend ourselves, so we’ve been fighting for five years just to clear our names.

The Department you lead ruined our lives and stole our futures. It branded us as frauds, forcing us to bear a lifelong mark of shame, while never presenting any evidence at all against most of us.

Many of us are destitute, barely able to live from day to day. Many of us are on medication for stress or depression. Many of us have been rejected by our families, who are shamed by the allegation of cheating. Some of us have tried to kill ourselves.

Home Secretary, you have said you are sympathetic. Twice in the last three months we have been promised a statement from you about the Government’s next steps, but you have chosen to keep silent. You were given a chance to defend your Department at the recent APPG hearings on this issue, but you did not come.

Home Secretary, you are our last hope and we need to hear from you. Please tell us what our futures will be. It is within your power to put this right.

Best wishes,

Imrose Mustafi

Mohammad Mohibullah

Md Solayman Bhuyan

Noman basher

Qadir Ali

Syed Shah

Rabi Aryal

Fatema Chowdhury

Asif khan

Sumon Ahmed

Munir Ahmad

Roni Mandal

Mohammed Mazharuddin

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Muhammed Shahadat

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Abdullah Al Khaled

Muhammad Rizwan

Muhammad Arsalan Umar

MD Janibush Shams Piyas

Naveed Khan

Ghulam Shabbir

Sheikh Shariful Amin

Md Kamal Hossain

Muhammad Umar

Sohrab Mahmud

Muhammad Hassan Shahzad

Asiya Gul Iram

M Rashedul Hoque

Dilip Halder

Chetan Bhavsar

Jibon Kumar Ghosh

Ahmer Mujtaba Tabassum

Masum

Sadaf Javed Jarral

Raja Noman Hussain

Meer Wais Islam

Wahidur Rahman

Robel Miah

Mohammad Sowkat Islam

Jolly Nath

Tanvir Ahmed

Dipankar

Shazidur

Kiran Uprety

Md Mosiur Rahman

MD Mazhrul Islam

Tuton Bhowmick

Mehedi Hasan

Mohammad Haque

Md Mojibur Rahman

Ubaid ur Rahman

Syed Waqar Hussain

Kamrudduha Rajib

Md Solayman Bhuyan

Kishor Khatiwada

Mudabbir Ali Khaja

Ahmed Waqas

Islamul Chowdhury

Waqas Jawaid

MD Wahidul Karim

S Shah

Syed Ahsan Raza Rizvi

Geeta Rani

Azhar Shahzad

Md Hossain

Ranjit Kaur

Saima Saleem

S M Ashiqur Rahman

Abdullah Al Khaled

Farzana Boby

Al Amin

Jalil Mollik

Sheikh Rasel

Ejaj Ahamed Beig

Md Jewel Ahammad

Muhammad Hanan Naqvi

Habibullah Chowdhury

Maruf Ahmed

Abu Gazi

Khaled Ahmed

Muhammad Zakria

Md Abdur Rahman

Bibi Rahima

Chowdhury

Vikram Kumar

Zul Afros Mozumder

Mahanaz Islam

Noor A Alam

Attique Ur Rehman

Md Forhaduzzaman

Md Rakib Ahamed

Om Bahadur Upreti

Muhammad Mohsin Raza

Mitangi Shaileshkumar

Mohsin Ali

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Imran Khan

Abdus Salam

Muhammad Usman

Sajjad

Faisal Iftekhar

Dilshad Shakoor

Md Lutfur Rahman

Muhammad Shebul

Adeel Chaudhry

Ahmed

Rameez Kadir

Abdul Ilyas Mohammad

Refugee Week is often a time to celebrate the lives of people who made it to safety. This year, we also wanted to remember those who did not.

Since the start of 2019, more than 1,000 people have died as they tried to seek sanctuary, half of them in the Mediterranean (and those are just the deaths that have been recorded). As rescuing people at sea is increasingly criminalised across Europe, those numbers are set to rise further.

During Refugee Week 2019, we gathered people’s thoughts for those who have lost their lives and messages to the world leaders who can end this tragedy.

Here are some of the messages you sent...

Letter to my neighbour, who is not my immediate family, from my continent, my country, but simply a human being like me.

My dear new neighbour,

Broken by my struggle to contribute to peace-making and reconciliation in my country, I had to flee from the regime in place. Forced into exile I undertook a perilous journey. The whole way I could constantly see in my mind the mutilated bodies in the fields of our once beautiful countryside. I can count around 2,000 people killed in this ugly asymmetric battle. Weak and unarmed, they are the victims of ambitions of power manifested by these clashes between different groups in several parts of Cameroon.

Arriving in the UK I find myself in an unexpected dead-end waiting for my asylum claim to be decided. In the meantime I can only wait as I am not allowed to work or study.

Far away from my own people and all that I know, my destiny is now based on a simple deciding judgement of the Home Office - as the immigration and interior authority is called here. Two possibilities will seal my fate:

• If my case is refused, I will be returned to Cameroon where I will end up in a dungeon for a dark end to life. Rest assured that if I am returned, I will be a new victim of these executioners.
• If I am given a positive decision on my case, it will be the beginning of a new life and integration in my adopted country.

I hope for a positive decision, but this decision is based on a logic that only the Home Office knows. How else to explain the obvious presence of dozens, even hundreds of people who are present in that long queue of asylum seekers and refugees at the doors of charities here? They are either looking for a counsellor or something to eat; looking for how to survive these unfortunate new circumstances of their uncharted lives in foreign lands.

How do you explain the homeless man who is roaming in the streets? Is he not everyone’s responsibility?

The refugee, is he not also a member of the society?

Does not the Universal Declaration of Human Rights give each country a charter to guarantee their security? Whether you were a minister before in your home country, a journalist like me, or a human rights activist, here you are what the society imposes on you and you have to deal with it.

Here the climate for a newcomer in search of refugee status is difficult. If you are not patient in your desire to become what you were in your country, you will sink under the load of the stress, the depression, the nervousness...

This Refugee Week, as an asylum seeker, I say to other asylum seekers: Do not give up. You are not the case that is with the Home Office, you are yourself. This society is not without difficulties, but be patient, there are also good things here that enable the living together of this cosmopolitan population.

This Refugee Week I say to you dear neighbour: Many good wishes for you. The world is certainly a global village. In reality, our societies cannot be cut off from each other, we have a responsibility to each other as human beings. 

TOP IMAGE: Terrace houses, Tottington Road, Tottington. Looking south. Toward Manchester, Ellen Thompson, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Twenty years in prison. Fines of 50,000 Euros. It’s 2019 and this is the shameful price of saving human lives on Europe’s borders.

Pia Klemp, captain of the NGO ship Iuventa, faces two decades in prison if convicted for her role in rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean, while a new law passed in Italy last week (seen as a barely concealed attempt to halt search-and-rescue operations) means ships that enter Italian waters after being banned from doing so can be fined up to 50,000 Euros. In the same week, a US man who provided migrants with water and food narrowly escaped a 20-year prison sentence.

Punishments usually reserved for the most serious criminal offences are now being meted out on ordinary people who refuse to stand by while human beings die. And as more and more humanitarian actions are criminalised, more people will die.

This Refugee Week we’re remembering those people who lost their lives seeking sanctuary – in the seas bordering our supposedly civilised continent, in the detention centres at the US-Mexico border, in the undercarriage of a truck driving from Calais to Dover – and calling on world leaders to take notice and to take action.

Not action to further criminalise rescue and solidarity, but action to end this senseless loss of life. Action to create safe, legal routes for people who need to move.

We need fundamental reform of immigration and protection policies, a new approach that fits with the values we claim to hold in today’s world.

Around the world – from Libya to Venezuela, Myanmar to Syria – people are fleeing horrors, only to find their path to safety blocked by walls, fences, naval ships and hostile legislation that criminalises their movement.

We say that it is unacceptable that anyone should have to risk their life in order to reach safety or move across borders.

We call on our fellow human beings to join our call for change. And we call on the international community to honour its fundamental responsibility to protect human lives by providing sanctuary and safe routes for migrants and refugees, and to stop demonising and scapegoating them for what is wrong in our societies.

A Home Office document on integration published on 3 June has provided some welcome and unexpected hope for us and for newcomers to this country.

The “Indicators of Integration framework 2019” outlines the factors involved in “successful integration”, what good integration looks like and how (if at all) it can be measured. Its tone and main messages are welcome – it’s about time that we focus on how integration is everyone’s responsibility and isn’t at all about assimilation or the loss of migrants’ identities.

There are also several pages of good advice on how local and national communities and institutions can help create diverse, cohesive communities – we urge anyone involved in local or national government or community work to read this document, and we urge the government to back up these recommendations with the funding that can make them a reality.

During our recent video-making project on integration called Feel at Home, participants – both migrants and non-migrants – voiced their concerns and hopes about integration.

We’re pleased to see many of these thoughts echoed in the new Home Office guidelines, including the idea that integration is not just a one-way process.

“It’s a two-way exchange, a two-way acceptance,” one Feel at Home participant said. “I agree you have to adapt, but I don’t agree you have to lose your identity in that process.”

“I think integration is when the migrant’s ways, the food that they eat and the music that they play and the airtime that they get on TV, it’s accepted – that’s integration to me,” said a second person.

The Home Office document opens with a foreword by Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes MP, where there are positive signs about the chapters ahead, including the acknowledgement that the guidelines were produced in collaboration with a number of different groups, including, "most importantly, migrants themselves".

- “For generations, people from across the world have come here to start new lives, and their presence has made the UK an immeasurably richer and more diverse place,” she writes later.

- “Our hope is for this framework to help those who choose to make this country their home to unlock their own potential and realise every opportunity the United Kingdom has to offer them,” Nokes continues.

It’s good to hear these words – we and others have long seen the goal of integration as not to subdue the “differentness” of newcomers in an attempt to appease locals, but to empower them and enrich the society in which they live. But the rhetoric must be backed up with action.

It’s also good to see a recognition throughout the document that there is no single or universal measure of integration, that it’s a complex, multi-layered process that works differently in every context, that “social bonds” between newcomers with a shared background is also a key part of integration, that equal access to work, education, healthcare, and public services are vital, and that integration requires “adaptation and change by all those involved without undermining their original identity”.

The report also addresses barriers to integration, offering a welcome acknowledgement that migrants can struggle to find work as their foreign qualifications aren’t recognised, that young migrants may struggle to catch up due to missed schooling, and that a lack of available housing may force migrants to move away from their social networks.

But there are barriers that aren’t mentioned. One Feel at Home participant explained that she sees the very concept of integration, and the use of that word, as a barrier. She wants to see a different focus entirely.

“Maybe we should more often speak about equality, access to rights and social cohesion, that would include all in the integration process,” she said. “That means people from the local (community) and the migrants.”

There are plenty of other barriers too – from disproportionate, discriminatory visa fees that leave many migrants priced out of full access to British society and a hostile environment that casts suspicion on those who look “different”, to anti-migrant rhetoric from too many politicians, whose scapegoating of immigrants is all too often amplified by the British media.

Coming from a Home Office whose messages on migration have been consistently negative, this document represents a welcome, if small, shift in the right direction. This government must now make the funding and resources available to implement the strategies outlined in the document, and ensure that this new positive approach takes root and inspires fundamental reform in UK immigration policy.

Refugee Week starts on Monday 17 June. During that week, when we celebrate the lives of people who made it to safety, we also want to remember those who did not.

Since the start of 2019, more than 1,000 people have died as they tried to seek sanctuary, half of them in the Mediterranean (and those are just the deaths that have been recorded). As rescuing people at sea is increasingly criminalised across Europe, those numbers are set to rise further.

For