The Prime Minister said something today to the @CommonsLiaison that was both incredibly important and utterly shocking. He admitted that he does not know migrants and their families are unable to access public funds. His emotional response was, rightly, disgust.
Most people are unaware that many migrants are unable to access Government support right now during a pandemic due to harsh visa conditions. At a time when it's clear to us all that support from the Government is the difference between life and death.
As a result, many have been forced to continue working in unsafe conditions or have been made destitute and homeless. They cannot self-isolate without a safety net to catch them. @childrensociety believe it affects up to 100,000 children.
The High Court found just a few weeks ago that the policy is unlawful. An amazing legal challenge brought by @UnityProjectLdn. Organisations of all kinds too wrote to the Govt. at the beginning calling on them to scrap the rule. jcwi.org.uk/protecting-mig…
The Government has just re-introduced an Immigration Bill which could be amended to reverse this hideous rule should there be enough outcry against it. @libertyhq have one ready and waiting.
It's clear from the last week of U-turns that this could be another turning point. The public is no longer in favour of all the terrible policies placed on the people who are keeping us safe, many of whom are migrants. It's time for change. Reversing this rule is a massive step.
We'll be holding @BorisJohnson to the commitment he just made to look into this rule and help the people that it affects. We'll also be following up with MPs to ensure that they know they have constituents who are being pushed into dangerous conditions.
Wrongly linked to a Canadian org! It's @TUPLDN who brought this amazing challenge. See here: unity-project.org.uk/suspend-nrpf
