Editorial: Post-election, we continue the fight
Editorial: Post-election, we continue the fight
After this general election we stand in solidarity with our members and with all migrants in the UK, many of whom are already suffering the daily dehumanising consequences of current policies and may be fearing what lies ahead.
But we who believe in a fairer society, one where migrants and refugees are embraced as equal members of the community, where rhetoric on immigration is characterised by humanity and backed up with policies to match, and where opportunity and rights are not determined by skin colour or income level – we who believe in these things must continue to fight for that society.
We are concerned by some of the proposals that could become policy under this government.
Free movement could end after Brexit and all future migrants subjected to a points-based system – a system we believe is crude, subjective and deeply discriminatory.
The NHS surcharge could increase to £625 per person per year - an extortionate and unjustifiable figure that will leave yet more families impoverished.
The EU Settlement Scheme is likely to continue unchanged, the government failing to recognise that tens of thousands of people will be left without status as a result of it, and that tens of thousands of others are facing problems with applying.
On all these issues – and more – we will work with our members to raise awareness of the potentially devastating impacts on individuals and communities, and to challenge their implementation wherever possible.
But we must also simply continue the fight to be heard. Our voices remain one of our most powerful tools for change, and these have not been taken from us. We must speak loudest in places where we are rarely heard, reminding this government and all of the UK that we migrants are human beings, that we are part of this society and that we want to help make it one that works for everyone.
TOP IMAGE: Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge, Jorge Lascar, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)