By Nova Jaszkiewicz, Intern at Migrant Action and event organiser
The ‘Hostile Environment’ policy was introduced in 2012 by then Home Secretary Theresa May MP with the stated purpose of creating a hostile environment for undocumented migrants in the UK, while acting as a deterrent for’ ‘illegal’ migrants moving to the UK. The hostile environment policy provides a framework for a relentless migration policy instrument which continues to have wider implications. not least fostering an environment which is unwelcoming, discriminatory, and unsympathetic towards migrants as a whole.
The operationalisation of these policies has engaged the activities of global corporate outfits as well as public services, local businesses and individuals (such as landlords) who are increasingly involved in various ways in border security and immigration controls. The workings of these policies have a direct impact on the day-to-day living of migrants as well as migrant communities.
The hostile environment is enabling a harmful environment whereby exploitation, discrimination, poverty and destitution, misinformation, confusion, incarceration, fear and anxiety, exclusion, restricted and inequitable access to services, poor integration and much more are systemically reproduced and reinforced. As such, it has become increasingly important to raise awareness of these policies and understanding of the day-to-day reality of the impact of these policies on migrants, empower and support migrants, work collaboratively and in solidarity to advocate for humane policies and reduce harm.
Discussing and understanding personal experiences of the Hostile Environment, and the effects it has on daily life of migrants and migrant communities, is essential to challenging the hostile migration narrative underpinning these policies and working to transform the hostile migration environment into a welcoming, supportive and safe environment for migrants. In light of this, Migrant Action held a public education/community awareness workshop event in collaboration with Divest Borders Leeds led by a panel of people with lived experience of the hostile environment, researchers and advocacy/campaigning organisations.
The Event
The panel event was developed with the aims of both raising awareness on the Hostile Environment and its effects, and developing that awareness into action by encouraging personal and group reflection on counter strategies to hostile environment policies. The panel consisted of four individuals with lived experience and/or research and activism expertise on the Hostile Environment, and the first half of the session allowed the individuals to share their experience and expertise whilst maintaining a space for audience participation and open, analytical discussion. This allowed the community to gain much insight and analysis from different features of the policies – addressing issues including detention, healthcare surcharges and sponsorship requirements for employment. The second half of the session moved into a further interactive and collaborative workshop in which the panellists joined small working groups with participants to discuss and collaborate on ideas for how to combat and resist the Hostile Environment in our community and daily lives, and on a more political and policy level. This allows for the development of awareness and insight into action.
Key Messages and Discussion
The panel event and subsequent workshop enabled a space for insightful discussion on many topics surrounding the Hostile Environment, and some key themes shone through in these discussions.
Naturally, there was an emphasis from the panel on facilitating visibility of the Hostile Environment by centering and hearing the stories of those with lived experience. It was acknowledged how this not only centres migrants in migrant justice, but also allows for the creation of empathy through personal understanding – which can work to foster a community environment equipped to challenge the policies on a daily and political basis. Panellists emphasised the importance of this particularly with the upcoming election, and the hyper-politicisation of migration in the media and government. The group discussed the importance of challenging the harmful narratives and rhetoric around migration presented in the media, and how sharing lived experiences can create a ‘positive case for migration’ which works on a larger scale to counter the justifications behind the Hostile Environment and encourages others to resist them.
Linked to this, one of the key reflections undertaken by both panellists and participants of the session was considering why these issues matter to us. Stemming from this discussion, alongside natural empathy for others and personal stories of friends or families with lived experience which fostered passion for migrant justice, was the understanding of collective liberation. Panellists and participants acknowledged how other oppressed groups’ struggles, barriers and experiences connect to those with migrant identity – particularly under a capitalist system which inherently embeds a racialised hierarchy. This discussion developed into connecting current global issues to migrant justice, and the importance of countering de-sensitization of these issues in such an online world.
There was also in-depth discussion about institutions and the role that they play in countering or contributing to the Hostile Environment. This included discussions about sponsorship and right-to-work requirements in corporations, as well as insight about how many UK universities have financial ties to companies that profit from the UK’s violent border industry, even Universities that have been awarded ‘sanctuary status’. When talking about turning awareness into action, the conversation around institutions centred around students and unions organising to demand divestment within their institutions, and campaigning for more support for migrants within their workplaces and universities.
Community Resilience
The overarching message from the panel event was one of community resilience. When the interactive workshops were discussing ways to counter the Hostile Environment on a community and political level, a key point emerged – the fact that national and political organising often emerges from community or daily operations. This emphasised how you may not be able to separate community and political work, because action is interconnected. There was also insightful analysis from one of the panellists that this involved establishing a wider meaning to the word community, and creating common enemies which in turn would combat the scapegoating of migrants within such a community. This would also take the onus off of migrants to be the only ones fighting for their rights, whilst keeping their experiences at the centre.
With this in mind, panellists and participants re-emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing, but extended this to also uplifting, supporting and collaborating with community organisations already doing great work to counter the Hostile Environment, especially within Leeds. In the interests of this, at the end of this blog there will be signposts to upcoming Leeds events that contribute to this community resilience.
Part of the discussion around fostering community resilience also concentrated on acknowledging that there is individual work to be done as part of the community. This included self-reflection on your unconscious biases and what you see in the media, and being able to both understand and utilise any privilege you possess (particularly for British citizens) – which includes learning how to spot and resist raids, for example.
Conclusion
Overall, the panel event was an informative and collaborative environment in which insight into the Hostile Environment was explored, as well as discussions of further actions for resistance. Migrant Action and Divest Borders feel immense gratitude to our panellists and participants who continue to help foster an educational, welcoming and passionate community that will help achieve migrant liberation.
Migrant Action supports migrants navigating complex procedures with 1-to-1 advice whilst also challenging inequalities through research and community engagement events like this one.
Further Resources
‘Understanding the Hostile Environment’ visual resource
Divest Borders website with downloadable action guide
