Migrant Action

Empowerment Advocacy Justice

Migrant Action- continuing to support migrants during the Covid-19 lockdown

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Last Saturday, 25th April Migrant Action was in the community (Leeds and Bradford) responding to the emergency needs of vulnerable and destitute migrants/families.

Working in accordance to social distancing guidelines, we handed food parcels and vouchers but more importantly, our physical presence conveyed our #solidarity and #commitment to support vulnerable migrants in need.

Migrant Action remains committed to proactively responding to the ongoing effects of the #Covid-19 #lockdown, and developing new methods to support migrants during this time.

The Lockdown measures continue to disproportionately impact the most disadvantaged groups in society- this includes migrant families, who have no recourse to public funds.

📣 Migrant Action would like to pay particular thanks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their ongoing support, which enables us to continue to respond to the needs of vulnerable migrants and work towards offsetting the social and economic inequalities made worse by the effects of the pandemic.

🗣⚠️ Migrant Action welcomes any donations of dried and long-life products, so that it can continue to support vulnerable persons during this time- drop-off will be arranged in a ‘socially-distanced’ manner.

🗣⚠️ Alternatively, if you know of anyone who may benefit from such support, please get in touch via the Facebook messenger feature or email info@migrantaction.org.uk

Happy New Year from Migrant Action

Dear friends of Migrant Action,

In a few hours, we will be saying ‘good-bye’ to 2021 and ‘welcome’ to 2022. Thank you for your solidarity and support helping to strengthen Migrant Action’s advocacy and pursuit for migrants’ rights & justice in an increasingly challenging and complex environment.  The essence of our work is even more relevant now!

Context

BREXIT, the ‘New immigration bill which reinforces the ‘hostile environment’ policy targeting migrants, the Climate crisis, Covid-19, Systemic racism, negative press narratives fuelling anti-migrant sentiments by sections of the media, protracted conflicts, political violence, human rights violations, economic exploitation, and political marginalisation of the global south.   

These developments constitute a disturbing environment for migrant’s rights & justice.  Firstly, it engineers and sustains vulnerability and the precarious conditions that trigger more mobility of migrants across and within countries.   Secondly, it entrenches and exacerbates an infrastructure that undermine migrants’ capacity to access justice, deepen inequality, racial & social injustice and routinely negate migrant rights and dignity.  In essence, such an environment poses an existential threat to the dignity and humanity of migrants.

Our Response

Migrant Action is adapting and responding to this changing and complex context. We have expanded provision and adapted service delivery model to proactively support vulnerable migrants during the pandemic and beyond. We enhanced our delivery of crisis interventions to prevent homelessness & destitution, increased access to immigration advice for people with insecure immigration, increased integration support for new migrants, assisted more EU migrants to regularise their immigration status in the UK after Brexit.   Our advocacy work continues to promote equity of rights and justice for migrants. Essentially, Migrant Action continues to a lifeline and safety net for vulnerable migrants in this challenging environment.

Migrant Action has also strengthened its capacity and resilience in pursuit of transformational social change. The current context demands more urgency to challenge anti-migrant sentiments and policies, tackle structural inequalities, climate change, systemic racism, and social injustice. To this vein, our strategic advocacy through ‘Strengthening Hands’ partnerships to grow migrant ‘voice’, as well as our collaborative research, capacity building and campaign-based activities have been impactful.

Looking to the future

Migrant Action anticipates operating in an even more challenging context as it grapples with the issues undermining rights and justice. However, we have emerged from 2020/21 with more capacity and resilience to respond to present and future challenges working as a team with staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, funders and of course, those we serve- migrants.  Therefore, we look forward to 2022 with greater hope and fierceness commitment to rights and justice for migrants, a fair and humane immigration system and for a more equal, just, and peaceful society in which everyone including migrants can realize their full potential.

Dear friends, your solidarity remains invaluable and integral to our success, even more so, now!

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Fidelis Chebe

Director