Over 100 organisations, including the Methodist, Baptist, and United Reformed Churches, have sent a letter to the new Home Secretary, expressing concern about recent announcements about immigration and asylum policy. It calls for the government to stop contributing to the politics of division which scapegoats the most vulnerable, and instead halt hostile asylum policies, consult with those with lived experience of the asylum system, and focus on solving the real issues that will improve people’s lives. The full letter reads:
Dear Home Secretary,
We are writing to you on behalf of over 100 organisations working across different sectors to express our deep concern about the direction taken by the Government around immigration and further hostile asylum policies. The people we help, and hear from every day, are all impacted by politics of division rather than solutions. After years of these policies the asylum system is at a breaking point, and our streets have become scenes of violence. We are asking you now to unite communities and invest in meaningful solutions to prevent further damage.
The Government wants to deliver growth and renew Britain. This requires tackling issues such as growing extreme inequality, underfunded councils, lack of investment in quality housing, a crumbling NHS, the climate emergency and polluted waters. Targeting refugees will do nothing to tackle these structural issues or improve people’s lives. It only serves as a dangerous smokescreen to scapegoat the most vulnerable and distract from the very real dangers to our society.
Anger and division will never satisfy voters in the long-term. They cause tensions in our communities, dividing us and tearing the social fabric of our society. We have seen what happens when this is allowed to escalate, such as last year’s racist riots, this year’s disturbing demonstrations outside asylum accommodation sites and the most recent far-right rally in London promoting racism and hate speech, which record numbers attended. In her review of the Windrush scandal, Wendy Williams said that migration and wider Home Office policy is about people and should be rooted in humanity. By not changing approach, the Government is in danger of repeating the same mistakes.
Before taking further action, we ask you to engage with local authorities, frontline organisations and people with lived experience. These are the people who face the reality of the hostile policies and rhetoric every day. We understand what is working and where the system is breaking down. We live the real threats to our communities.
As the new Home Secretary, you now have an opportunity to turn the tide, and to end the scapegoating of migrants and performative policies that only cause harm. The Government runs the risk of this country accelerating along a dangerous path, and now is the time to urgently correct this and change course.
We look forward to your reply to our concerns and hearing how you will be working to unite communities, ease tensions and support solutions to improve people’s lives.
Yours sincerely,
Abigail Housing
ACAP (Ashton Churches Asylum Project)
ACH
Action for Refugees in Lewisham
After Exploitation
Anti-Slavery International
Asylos
Asylum Matters
Awesta Charitable Organisation
Baobab Women’s Project CIC
Baptist Union of Great Britain
BEMIS
Ben & Jerry’s
Beyond Detention
Boaz Trust
Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign
Care4Calais
City of Sanctuary UK
Community InfoSource
Conversations From Calais
EYST
Faith for the Climate
Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX)
forRefugees
Freedom from Torture
Freedom United
Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Global Justice Now
Good Chance Theatre
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
Greenpeace UK
Helen Bamber Foundation Group
Homeless Link
Hope at Home
Hope Projects
Humanists UK
Humans for Rights Network
Imkaan
Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA)
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
Justice Together Initiative
Kairos Housing
Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS)
Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network
Manchester City of Sanctuary
Maryhill Integration Network
Mental Health Foundation
Micro Rainbow
Migrants’ Rights Network
Mind
Music Action International
NACCOM
Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council
Oxfam GB
Parents for Future UK
PATH (Scotland)
PCS Trade Union
Penrith and Eden Refugee Network (PERN)
Race Equality Network
Rainbow Haven
Rainbow Migration
RAMFEL
RAS Voice
Refugee Action
Refugee Council
Refugee Futures
Refugee Support Group
Refugee Welcome Homes
Refugees at Home
Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership (REAP)
Rene Cassin
Right to Remain
Runnymede Trust
Save the Children UK
Scottish Refugee Council
Shelter
Simon Community Scotland
Solace
South East Integration Network
Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group (SWVG)
Southeast and East Asian Centre CIC (SEEAC)
Stop Trump Coalition
Stories of Hope and Home
Support for Wigan Arrivals Project
Tax Justice UK
The Methodist Church in Britain
The Poverty Alliance
The Racial Justice Network
The United Reformed Church
The Working Class Climate Alliance
the3million
Tipping Point UK
Ubuntu Women Shelter
Voices in Exile
War on Want
Waterloo Community Counselling
West End Refugee Service
West London Welcome
West Yorkshire Destitute Asylum Network (WYDAN)
Women Asylum Seekers Refugees & Migrants (WARM)
Women for Refugee Women
Young Roots