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Celebrate International Women’s Day with Migrant Action and Eritrean Community Leeds & Surrounding Areas

5th March 2024 by ficheb

When: Friday 8th of March – 5-8pm – but feel free to come and go as you wish

Where: 29 Cromwell Mount, LS9 7GB 

This Friday, for International Women’s Day, we are collaborating with Eritrean Community Leeds & Surrounding Areas to deliver an event which celebrates migrant women and brings people together as a community. 

Food and soft drinks will be available, but feel free to bring along some snacks if you wish!

During this event, we will have a small talk focused on postnatal depression. We will be explaining what postnatal depression is, how it impacts migrant communities, where you can get help, and how you can help someone who you think may be struggling. The aim of this small talk is to help destigmatise postnatal depression – there will be no judgement in this space. 

Filed Under: frontpage, frontslider, Our Activities Tagged With: community engagement, International Women's Day, Migrant Action

Community Resilience: Reflections on our Preparing for the Illegal Migration Act Workshop

14th February 2024 by ficheb

By Fidelis Chebe and Georgia Hawthorne

On Tuesday the 6th of February, Migrant Action and Right To Remain co-hosted a workshop event discussing the Illegal Migration Act (IMA), how it is being enforced and how it is impacting our community. This event brought together a collective of different charities, organisations and individuals who are seeking to challenge the hostile effects of the IMA, and who support migrants within the local area. Events like these remind us of the importance of community, collective action and collective power. It is through coming together and collaborating that we can better address the unjust impacts of migration policies and support those who are vulnerable within our society.

A Note on Language: 

The Illegal Migration Act is problematic in its coding of human beings as legal or illegal. This following quote from Right To Remain details their difficulty with this term,

[The term “illegal”] is clearly dehumanising and apathetic to the experiences of people seeking sanctuary or a better life, whose journey to the United Kingdom (UK) was dictated by nothing more than an accident of birth. Second, it is factually incorrect. The act of migrating is not inherently illegal – not under entrenched principles of international law and policy. People move; we always have, and we always will. Third, it is grammatically incorrect. In any other arena, if an individual commits a crime, they do something illegal, they don’t become something illegal. In this way, our well-known belief that #NoOneIsIllegal has become increasingly poignant and urgent. [1]

What is the Illegal Migration Act?

In short, the IMA is a piece of legislation which aims to stop migration to the UK by irregular means: whether that’s small boat crossings, travelling clandestinely, or using false documents to arrive and remain in the UK. The Illegal Migration Bill passed into law in July 2023, thus becoming an Act, but not all sections of the Act have yet been enforced. 

In the workshop presentation, the Right to Remain legal education officer Leah Cowling, set out the legal technicalities of the Act. The presentation highlighted what parts of the Act have and have not been enforced, which sections are workable or unworkable, and the currently not-enforced lynchpin of the Act.  This Right To Remain blog explicitly unpacked the legal technicalities of the Act: link.

The IMA goes against the Refugee Convention of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and is incompatible with both the European Convention Against Trafficking (ECAT) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In the workshop discussion, it is acknowledged that deterrence is largely ineffective at stopping the flow of migration and rather, exacerbates the risk and danger of unsafe routes to the UK.  Also, the potential criminalisation of asylum would likely result in more poverty, destitution and vulnerability to exploitation, abuse and other forms of migrant injustice within the UK for precarious migrants with insecure/irregular migration status.  

See Right to Remains’ blog post that provides a good summary of this: Link.  These migrant vulnerabilities and injustices are confronted through Migrant Action’s advice and casework whereby we provide a range of support interventions with limited resources.

The Impact of the IMA on our Communities

Through a panel discussion and group tasks, we spent time examining the impact of the IMA on our communities. Key themes of fear, anxiety and distrust were voiced, with it being emphasised that such a hostile Act impacts everyone not just migrants. The increased pressure felt amongst volunteer groups seeking to fill gaps in current UK welfare provision was also noted, with the opacity and fluctuating nature of the Act making it difficult to keep up with, to understand, and to challenge in this sector. 

Main Takeaways

  • The importance of collaborative and a collective effort – we are stronger together.

The collective organising of campaigns allows for creativity and endurance in tackling social injustice and in supporting those who are vulnerable in our community. Connections between groups should be fostered and encouraged through more events like this workshop. 

  • It is time to ‘mainstream’ issues of migration (in)justice. 

We need to stop discussing and treating issues of migration injustice as niche problems that only impact a portion of our community. Issues facing many migrants in the UK – such as destitution and homelessness, mental health struggles, inaccessible healthcare – overlap with issues faced by all of us. Bridges need to be forged between migration charities and other sectors, in turn strengthening our potential power as a collective. 

  • More public education

Awareness and understanding of complex migration issues (legislation, policies, context and impact analyses etc) in order to prevent harmful narratives/practices and effective organising for positive change requires public education and community engagement.

Conclusion

Migrant Action is a rights and migrant justice organisation supporting vulnerable migrants including, but not limited to, people confronted by insecure and irregular immigration status. We anticipate that IMA will force more people into this category who will reach out for support from Migrant Action. In preparing for the Act as part of a wider network and support infrastructure, we will continue to develop learning and community organising partnerships with other organisations to strengthen public education and building capacity for system change. 

   

Filed Under: frontpage, frontslider, Our Activities, Uncategorized Tagged With: community engagement, community resilience, Hostile environment, Migrant Action

Migrant Action: 2023 Review!

26th January 2024 by ficheb

By Georgia Hawthorne, Volunteer

2023 was a huge year for Migrant Action, with lots of successes, collaborations and an expanding awareness of the essential work that we do.  There have also been some enduring challenges, with state hostility and austerity measures negatively impacting migrant communities and placing pressure on our resources and capacity as an organisation. Going forwards, we will continue to challenge systemic injustice, maintaining resilience within our organisation and the communities we support whilst driving forwards transformative social change.

Check out the complete report for more details:

Migrant-Action-2023-ReviewDownload

In 2024, we will continue advocating for migration justice, humane migration, and a liberating future for migrants. 

Filed Under: frontpage, frontslider, Our Activities Tagged With: community resilience, Migrant Action, migration justice

Preparing for the Illegal Migration Act: Workshop discussion with Right to Remain

19th January 2024 by ficheb

Join Migrant Action and Right to Remain for a workshop discussion and networking event focusing on the impact of the Illegal Migration Act on migrants and our communities.

Tuesday 6th of February – 12.30-3.30pm – Middle Floor, 23-25 Wharf St, Leeds, LS2 7EQ

The Illegal Migration Bill became law – and therefore an Act – on the 20th of July 2023. The stated aim of this Act is to prevent and deter ‘unlawful’ migration by those using unsafe routes. The Illegal Migration Act changes the law so that those who arrive in the UK illegally will not be able to stay here and will instead be detained and then be liable for removal.

Right to Remain and Migrant Action will be co-hosting a discussion in Leeds with the aim to enhance our understanding and prepare our communities for the impact of the Act. See the link below for more information and details on how to get tickets:

6th February 2024 Leeds: Preparing for the Illegal Migration Act – Right to Remain

The workshop offers a good networking opportunity to build links for future collaborations whilst strengthening our collective solidarity and resilience for migration justice.

You can either register directly using the link or email info@migrantaction.org.uk

Filed Under: frontpage, frontslider, Our Activities

Galvanising resistance against increasing visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge: The power of collaboration

3rd January 2024 by ficheb

By Holly Mogford – PhD student at Swansea University and Patients not Passports (PNP) campaigner.

In recent years, and amidst the hostile environment, immigration and nationality fees have broadened in scope and increased in amount. In doing so, the lives of many migrants have become extremely challenging. As documented by Migrant Voice (n.d.), the financial burden, for many, is combined with “mental and physical health problems, with some sacrificing food, heating, and electricity to save up for their visas”.

At the time of writing, there are a total of 168 immigration and nationality fee categories listed by the Home Office (UKVI, 2023). Among these categories is indefinite leave to remain (ILR) – main applicants and dependents, which is currently set at £2,885. In setting the fee at this rate, a significant profit is made. In October 2021, for example, when ILR was set at £2,389, the unit cost was £243, this resulted in profits of 883% (see Migrant Voice, 2022, p. 18).

In the summer of 2023, the government announced plans to increase visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge to fund part of the public sector pay offer. The Immigration Health Surcharge is a requisite component of visa and immigration applications. It was introduced in 2015 and was initially set at £200 (Burnett & Chebe, 2020). It has since increased to £624 and is again set to increase at the start of 2024 to £1035 (McKinney et al., 2023). This proposal has encountered significant resistance from public sectors workers, migrants, and campaigners, among many others invested in migrant justice.

Resistance against extortionate visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge existed prior to this recent juncture. Migrant Action respond directly to these fees. Hence, it was within this existing pursuit of migrant justice that Migrant Action joined the National Day of Action called by Migrant Voice, pursuing efforts of structural change.

On the 31st of October, Migrant Action joined in solidarity with individuals and organisations across the United Kingdom to resist the announced increases to visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge. The date of the event, Halloween, was aptly symbolic of the devasting impact of visa and immigration fees.

In hoping to spread awareness of this impact, Migrant Action organised a sign-making session at Leeds University followed by a series of presentations which focused on related research. The first speaker was Holly Mogford, a PhD student at Swansea University and a Patient’s not Passports campaigner. The presentation documented the socio-legal framework of NHS (sur)charging which has eroded the principle of universality in the NHS (Potter, 2018). This was followed by a presentation delivered by Dr Jon Burnett, a lecturer at the University of Hull. The presentation reflected upon a report by Migrant Voice (2022), in which Jon contributed by situating immigration fees in 21st century Britain, highlighting the profit made from certain immigration fees and visas. These presentations initiated discussion around the distinct, but inevitably related implications of NHS (sur)charges, immigration and visa fees. This was followed by an informative stall and demonstration in Leeds led by students.

The National Day of Action showcased the unity and support in resisting increasing visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge. This action powerfully cut across a vast array of organisations and individuals working towards migrant justice. It was a significant moment in time, yet, crucially, efforts to prevent the suffering imposed by extortionate visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge continue each day, whether this be by spreading awareness, lobbying to MP’s or providing direct support and advocacy to those impacted by these fees.

References

Burnett, J., & Chebe, F. (2020). Towards a political economy of charging regimes: Fines, fees and force in UK immigration control. The British Journal of Criminology, 60(3), 579-599. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azz070

McKinney, CJ, Meade, L., Sturge, G., & Barton, C. (2023). UK Immigration Fees. UK Parliament. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9859/#:~:text=Application%20fees%20recently%20went%20up,and%20student%20visas%20by%2035%25.

Migrant Voice. (n.d.). Our campaign against the extortionate cost of visas. https://www.migrantvoice.org/visa-costs-campaign

Migrant Voice. (2022). Destroying Hopes, Dreams and Lives: How the UK visa costs and process impact migrants lives. https://www.migrantvoice.org/img/upload/Visa_fees_report_-_digital_final_to_upload.pdf

Potter, J. (2018). Patients Not Passports-No borders in the NHS! Justice, Power and Resistance, 2(2), 417‐429. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327252907_Patients_Not_Passports-No_borders_in_the_NHS/citations

UKVI. (2023). Home Office immigration and nationality fees: 25 October 2023. Home Office. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-25-october-2023

Filed Under: frontpage, frontslider, Our Activities Tagged With: Day of Action, demonstration, Health Surcharge, Hostile environment, Migrant Action, NHS, protest

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MIGRANT ACTION is a registered Charity. Charity Number: 1207941

Office address: Roundhay Resource Centre, 233-237 Roundhay Road, Harehills, Leeds LS8 4HS

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