Some quick thoughts on asylum refusals, removals & detention. Under the last Lab gov we saw very high figures on all three & all signs are we’ll see these again under this gov, which will no doubt please the anti migrant fanatics. Refusals. Immigration representation & support is crippled, around 50% of new asylum claims can’t get representation. That will be made MUCH worse by the reopening of the asylum system & the people that were stuck in the IMA limbo.

What would good, from an asylum perspective, look like from Labour;

1. Scrap Rwanda, which they’ve pledged to do. Take all offshore processing & ‘third safe country’ processing off the table. 2. Open the asylum system. Thousands of people trapped without a route to status, most of which are refugees, locked out of work, trapped on £8.50 a week, in barracks. Close the hotels by processing claims. Theres enough community accomodation if they processed claims.

In April 2023 government announced plans to put people in a barge, and carefully choreographed announcing the barge’s arrival in British waters for the 3rd May 2023.

On 4th May 2023 Local Elections were held.



18th July 2023 the barge leaves Falmouth where it was moored for a refit & docks in Portland.

20th July 2023 there were three by-elections; Selby & Ainsty, Somerton & Frome & Uxbridge.

Labour pledging to end the Rwanda pantomime is welcome.

But Rwanda is just one of the human rights abuses we’re inflicting…

We’ve banned asylum seeking - Refusing to uphold the Refugee Convention. We’ve closed the slavery support mechanisms to migrants. Opened human warehouses in Napier, Wethersfield & Manston. Put people on a prison ship.

Make people live on £8.80 a week.

We’ve effectively closed refugee resettlement & family reunion.

Legal advice has collapsed. Asylum support & Integration support is rock bottom.

Messages from frontline asylum charities wondering what to do in face of gov claiming start of asylum arrests tomorrow:

1. People are frightened, be careful not to allow our fear to spread further to them. Be calm. Remember your role is to listen, present options, don’t direct. 2. Make sure people know a phone number to call to say they’ve been arrested.

3. Check to make sure you know people’s legal reps if they have them

4. Make sure your team knows detention specialist organisations

I’m scheduled to do an interview with Sky News later this afternoon on this story. It was such a sad piece that really explored the lived reality of the struggle through the asylum system, with one woman having fought for status for 18 years.

news.sky.com/story/over-hal… But rather than ask why we aren’t removing more people we should be asking why we still have such an environment of hostility that leaves people without status & working rights, NRPF for 18 years. Why is decision making so bad that people are having to appeal at these rates?

Not enough people know about Ibrahima. As a child he wanted to claim asylum in the U.K. he didn’t have the money to pay smugglers. They did him a deal, tiller the boat - travel for free. That way if anything goes wrong smugglers don’t die or get arrested - not even on the boat. He did the deal. He tillered the boat. The boat got into difficulty and at least 4 people died. Ibrahima was a child & frightened. He tried to help & his efforts saved lives according to survivors.

He was arrested. Charged with manslaughter. Put in an adult prison.

Process asylum claims. It’s what they should’ve been doing for the last 3 yrs. But they didn’t. Now with scrutiny ratcheting up they’re starting to ‘withdraw’ claims & have reduced move on to 7 days - they’re bouncing people out of the system into homelessness en mass. 3 years worth of asylum claims, positive & negative are about to be without support or homes. They’ve warehoused people & now want to dash through them & spit them out.

How can you help? If you’ve spare room & are willing, host. @RefugeesAtHome @_hopeathome_ are 2 fab ones

Deep breath. ‘It’s not racist to want border control’. I’m not interested in engagement with extremist views but this comes up repeatedly under the guise of civility in the context of extremist policies like Rwanda. I find it extremely uncomfortable. But… Firstly. Borders are the scaffolding of capitalism. Racism is a tool of supremacy which serves the master of capitalism - asset protection & power. It’s a toxic, violent, codependent relationship. These forms of borders designed to ‘keep people out’ are racist.

People in the refugee & asylum sector use this platform to try & cut through the lies & rhetoric to the true existence of someone forced to flee.

The unparalleled poverty of life in the UK asylum system, living in cramped conditions in a hotel, in barracks. And now boats… For months, years on end. On £9 a week. Life in a regime. No cooking, no shopping, no working. Just survival. Endless waiting for status that may never come.

Or for someone trying to get to the UK; a choice of waiting in a 3rd country already overcrowded with refugees.

So many difficult conversations in Refugee & Asylum Service providers right now around the awful legislation being pushed through by this Gov. Sharing some insight on here so that people can really understand just how truly awful this gov are... People arriving from early March will likely have their asylum claims thrown out. So people here, right now, those arriving today, tomorrow, next week, will be unable to claim asylum or receive protection from the NRM (National Referral mechanism) as survivors of trafficking

So we’re going to evict Afghan refugees from hotels we put them in 18 mths ago.

These are the few Afghan refugees we’ve offered help to, 8500 were made to travel be small boat last year & are in the asylum system instead.

theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/m… The HO have used hotels in areas where there’s no homes, cities like London, Manchester.

They dumped people there 18mths ago with very little integration support, didn’t map where people needed to be for work, family, education.

I get a few messages from lovely people asking for basic info to counter hostile anti migrant narrative. So I’ve pulled this together to try and cover the typical points - hopefully it helps with those awkward dinner discussions or difficult family members. 1. We can’t help everyone. This is often said by otherwise liberal people. And it’s because this gov & their media propaganda have done a really good job in planting seeds of ‘invasions’. They’ve frightened folk, The reality is numbers are very modest.

I was asked a question on Novara this evening on modern slavery & the concerns re gov proposals to close support to people crossing irregularly.

Inevitably I’m kicking myself for not sharing the experiences of one family that demonstrate the problems… A woman found by the roadside in the U.K. with her young son. Taken in by a couple and presented to a service for help. Mum was confused, unable to retain info, disorientated. Things just weren’t ‘feeling right’ for support worker - often 1st indicator of trafficking

Some comments on here around migrants are so vile - I’m venting in a take down of the top anti migrant ‘gotchas’… God help me.

1. We need security checks!/people in the asylum system are criminals, drug dealers, terrorists blah blah The asylum system takes years. You think gov aren’t doing background checks in that time? WTF they doing? And your typical drug dealer or terrorist doesn’t merrily cross by small boat, March up to authorities & intro themselves. Statistically- they’re born here, we make our own.

What can LA's & support providers do to reduce risks around Hotels?

A question that's come up a few times this week so sharing some thoughts, not definitive just some of my experience, do add any thoughts from yours - sorry for long thread - LOTS of issues. Police - Keep good frequent dialogue including residents. Build confidence from residents in police & help police build warm dialogue rooted in needs & through lens of trauma. Many will have damaging experiences of police in home country & will be fearful.

People that send Multiple messages