Bring Irene Clennell home

Editorials

Bring Irene Clennell home

Irene Clennell, a grandmother from County Durham, was forced onto a plane last Sunday (26 February) with just minutes to say goodbye to her family. Irene is a friend of ours, who contacted Migrant Voice last year to tell her story. At that time, it was a story of inflexible bureaucracy. Irene had jumped through hoops to complete complex application processes, only to be told on more than one occasion that she’d been provided with the wrong form. Finally, her leave to remain was revoked. A few weeks later, without…

Irene Clennell, a grandmother from County Durham, was forced onto a plane last Sunday (26 February) with just minutes to say goodbye to her family. Irene is a friend of…

Our toxic migration debate must change

Those who have worked to create a vicious environment for migrants over the last years may be getting what they want – new figures show Europeans leaving the UK in record numbers. And they failed to think about the consequences of their actions. This is not just about the Brexit vote. It would be perfectly possible to leave the European Union in a way that didn’t throw resident Europeans into turmoil, risk fragile local economies and slam our doors shut to the rest of the world. But there has been…

Those who have worked to create a vicious environment for migrants over the last years may be getting what they want – new figures show Europeans leaving the UK in…

One Day Without Us

Monday 20th February is “One Day Without Us” - a national day of action on 20th February 2017, in support migrants living, working, and studying in Britain. The broad group behind the event is organising migrants to celebrate everything that we bring to Britain, and asking everyone to imagine a world without migrants and migration. Like others, this nation was built on migrants. And like many other nations, there have always been people willing to welcome new migrants, from Huguenot refugees in the 17th Century to those who gathered…

Monday 20th February is “One Day Without Us” - a national day of action on 20th February 2017, in support migrants living, working, and studying in Britain. The broad group…

We call for improved asylum housing

Migrant Voice’s research into the housing conditions of asylum seekers reveals reports of routine disrepair, lack of hygiene, and inappropriate behaviour from housing officers. Our report, centring on dozens of respondents in Birmingham and the West Midlands, shows over half of respondents stating that their accommodation was unclean, and they were not provided with cleaning equipment. 44% reported infestation including mice, rats and bedbugs. 50% recorded delays in response to repair requests, including repairs to the electricity and water supply. Only 22% said they felt satisified with their accommodation, and…

Migrant Voice’s research into the housing conditions of asylum seekers reveals reports of routine disrepair, lack of hygiene, and inappropriate behaviour from housing officers. Our report, centring on dozens of…

Scotland's Stance on Migration is Welcoming

Scotland’s positivity about migration is welcoming, and particularly so, following a difficult year for migrants. It was with the support of Scottish government ministers, councillors and a university that last weekend (January 21st), Migrant Voice held our first conference of the year in Scotland. Those who came heard talks from experts, academics, politicians and activists, whilst taking part in interactive and practical skill-sharing workshops from media relations to reporting hate crime. The conference heard from Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, the Scottish government’s minister for International Development and Europe,…

Scotland’s positivity about migration is welcoming, and particularly so, following a difficult year for migrants. It was with the support of Scottish government ministers, councillors and a university that last…

Integration is a two-way street

The new report on migration and integration from the All Party Parliamentary Group on social integration is to be cautiously welcomed. It recognises the urgent need for a national strategy. It acknowledges that integration is a responsibility shared between host and newcomer, and that local, regional and national government have a duty to promote and maintain harmony. It is neither fair nor sustainable to expect newcomers to integrate unaided in the face of considerable social, cultural, and economic barriers. This is why we remain critical of proposals to force migrants…

The new report on migration and integration from the All Party Parliamentary Group on social integration is to be cautiously welcomed. It recognises the urgent need for a national strategy.…

Migrant benefit cuts plan is unfair and unworkable

It is deeply concerning to see plans to block in-work benefits to EU migrants apparently re-emerging. It has been reported that the government plans to stop EU migrants from claiming benefits as part of Brexit negotiations. Such plans have been discussed before – and it’s a shame to see them come up again. It would be an affront to a basic British sense of fair play for migrants to have to pay tax and national insurance but not be able to draw on support in tough times. Recently-arrived migrants were…

It is deeply concerning to see plans to block in-work benefits to EU migrants apparently re-emerging. It has been reported that the government plans to stop EU migrants from claiming…

Stand up and be heard

June’s Brexit vote created widespread uncertainty for people across Britain – particularly EU migrants unclear about their futures and livelihoods. And the referendum result was taken advantage of by a small minority desperate to use the vote as an excuse to peddle an agenda of hate. 1,900 hate crimes were reported in the last week of July, the worst this year; prompting us to work with a broad range of organisations to run the #StandTogether campaign against hate crime – backed by politicians, faith leaders, trade unions and NGOs. Across…

June’s Brexit vote created widespread uncertainty for people across Britain – particularly EU migrants unclear about their futures and livelihoods. And the referendum result was taken advantage of by a…

‘I will not tolerate hate crime’

The 12-18 December #StandTogether campaign launched by Migrant Voice is off to a flying start: the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has sent us a written pledge that he will not tolerate racist, xenophobic abuse or hate crimes of any form, anywhere in London. “My pledge is to do everything possible to strengthen London’s social fabric and tighten the bonds between Londoners from different backgrounds. “I’m committed to make London a fairer and more tolerant city, open and accessible to all, and one in which all can live and prosper…

The 12-18 December #StandTogether campaign launched by Migrant Voice is off to a flying start: the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has sent us a written pledge that he will…

No place for hate

Migrant Voice’s series of meetings, Migrants and Migration Post-Brexit; finding our voice to influence the new landscape, is an urgent response to the rise of hate crime and of the far Right. When we held meetings on these topics in Glasgow and Birmingham earlier in the summer the landscape was already disturbing, with the police, politicians, unions, activists, migrants and various minorities reporting verbal and physical attacks around the country. Intemperate language and wild claims targeted migrants during the campaign for the referendum on membership of the European Union, and…

Migrant Voice’s series of meetings, Migrants and Migration Post-Brexit; finding our voice to influence the new landscape, is an urgent response to the rise of hate crime and of the…

Bring Irene Clennell home

Editorials