Opinions

Migrant Voice Blogs

30/09/2014

Fanny Florémont: Harsh working conditions for migrant workers in the UK food industry.

Who produces the food you eat? Harsh working conditions for migrant workers in the UK food industry. The food sold in British supermarkets can be labelled either as ‘local’, ‘organic’, or even ‘fair trade’ when it comes from overseas countries, but no label guarantees that workers who produced, processed and…

24/09/2014

Petros Tesfagherghis: Where do the immigrants and Refugee stuck in Calais France go?

We are also Human beings. Calais, France has again been the centre of media attention over the last weeks. There is much discussion of the situation in the media, but I feel - as a British-Eritrean - that I want people to understand better the root causes that are creating…

18/09/2014

Jason Bergen: Polling change for the good?

I have never been a big fan of polls. In my personal, professional and academic lives I have seen how polls together with lazy/stretched journalism frequently become headlines, front page splashes, and then politicians' ‘facts’. Together these combine to influence public attitudes, feed anxieties, and even worse. The poll that…

20/08/2014

Emma Olsson: how detention affects you, listening to first hand experiences

Imagine leaving your home behind. Fleeing persecution or looking for a better life. You bring your history, your hopes and dreams. You travel far searching for freedom and when you arrive you get locked up in a detention centre. Just sitting there, finding a way to get through the day.…

18/08/2014

Nazek Ramadan: Absence of legal routes is the reason for Tilbury Docks tragedy

The Tilbury Docks tragedy is yet another sign of the desperation that drives many fellow human beings into taking unimaginable risks to move across borders. This tragedy is not the first and won't be the last attempt by individuals and families wanting to bring change to their lives and get…

18/07/2014

Selbin Kabote on: Delegates to the MV conference have highlighted the role of citizens on migration

Kiri Kankhwende,The special projects and development manager at the UK based Media Diversified organisation, has encouraged migrants to stand together and fight any anti migrant sentiments in the UK and the rest of Europe as a united front. Speaking during a 'Question time style' immigration debate entitled 'Migration, What’s all…

01/07/2014

Sofi Taylor: Why it is important to question the candidates standing for election at your door steps.

The importance of voting cannot be underestimated. Birch et al (2013) warned that any citizen groups, who can vote but chose not to, will contribute to political inequality for themselves and this is bad for democracy. Soroka and Wlezien (2010) had warned us that not voting can result in negative…

25/06/2014

Judith Vonberg: Perceptions of Migrants: The Individual and the Group

A statistic quoted at the annual Migrant Voice conference in London on the 6-7th of June got me thinking. According to an Ipsos Mori poll carried out in December 2013, 70% of Britons see immigration as a problem for the nation, while just 20% see it as a problem for…

30/05/2014

Paul: #VoteDenied - They come ‘ere n take our votes! OR shambles during EU elections

I’ve always been very keen on voting or participating in community-centred activities. I remember turning 18, getting my first ID and going to vote more or less around two weeks after my birthday… ’twas marvellous! By sheer coincidence they actually happened to be EU elections. There I was, back in…

22/05/2014

Eden Fessahaye on: Migrant Voice's Documentary Launch and European Election Discussion

With the impending European Parliamentary elections looming over us, opinion polls are indicating that far-right wing parties such as Ukip are heading for a victory later this month. What could this potentially mean for our diverse nation? Reportedly haunted by the impact of immigration, disillusioned voters are said to be…