Asylum Matters

Text next to a megaphone reads "not in our name, 200 organisation unite to warn against the weaponisation of violence against women and girls"

Violence against women & girls is a hugely important issue - but it is being hijacked by people seeking to use women's pain for political gain.
We've joined 200 orgs urging the Government to reject this dangerous
weaponisation & take urgent action.

Read more here 👇
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Family of Southport stabbing victim criticise plan to reveal ethnicity of suspects Exclusive: Michael Weston King, grandfather of Bebe King, warns government against ‘kowtowing to the likes of Farage’

"The ethnicity of any perpetrator, or indeed their immigration status, is completely irrelevant"
This family have endured the unimaginable, and then seen their pain weaponised for despicable political gain. They should be the ones our Government are listening to.

Family of Southport stabbing victim criticise plan to reveal ethnicity of suspects Exclusive: Michael Weston King, grandfather of Bebe King, warns government against ‘kowtowing to the likes of Farage’

"I not only speak for myself but for all of the King family when I say that the ethnicity of any perpetrator, or indeed their immigration status, is completely irrelevant." Grandfather of Bebe King

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Headline from the Guardian newspaper that reads Disputed or debunked claims about migration and crime in the UK As politicians face criticism for promoting misleading data, here are some claims that do not bear scrutiny

Here's a story that shouldn't have to exist.

Senior MPs are spouting so many lies about newcomers to this country that we need long stories like this to correct them

Find out the truth about some of the numbers you might have heard here:👇
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Letter addressed to party leaders from the charity together with refugees. You can read the full text at: https://togetherwithrefugees.org.uk/far-right-response-aug-2025/

Divisive politics, racist rhetoric and demonising language are letting hate spread.

Our leaders must stop fuelling racism and build a country where everyone, no matter where they're from, can feel safe.

Proud to be one of the 200+ names on this, from @refugeestogether.bsky.social 👇

Today we join over 200 orgs to stand in solidarity with those affected by the recent anti-refugee protests, many of whom have already fled unimaginable horrors to try to find safety.⁠
⁠
Read the letter below 👇
@refugeestogether.bsky.social

Here’s the truth about Britain’s immigration hysteria: Starmer and co have whipped it up to get cheap votes | Nesrine Malik He is part of a political establishment that is fuelling a crisis way beyond the point that they can ever be seen to solve it. It’s a cynical, idiotic doom loop, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

🧵1/ Everyone has a right to due process, whether or not they were born in this country. Deporting people before they have had a chance to appeal denies people that and puts people at risk of major miscarriages of justice.

Expanding this scheme is only "fueling the crisis" and will cause harm👇.

Let's take a moment to celebrate the incredible @cityofsanctuaryuk.bsky.social movement.
While a hateful minority spend their time whipping up division, this network of thousands dedicate themselves to welcome and kindness.
These are the people who represent the UK that we're proud to be part of.

Our leaders have fostered a toxic political climate that's putting people seeking sanctuary at risk.
This can't go on.
It's time for the Government to step up and start keeping people safe.

The people hurling abuse and bringing violence to our streets want to create a country of strangers.
But we're so proud of the country we see every day: where communities work together to welcome newcomers and defend the right to seek sanctuary.
We know which country we'd rather be.

The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has posted a video on his social media showing people being detained under the ‘one in, one out’ deal with France.

Bragging about detaining individuals - who haven’t even had a chance to have their asylum claim processed - is nothing but shameful.

Meme from 'The Simpsons' cartoon shows a bus driver saying "don't make me tap the sign". Underneath, the sign in question reads "entering a country to seek asylum is never illegal".

We'd really love to stop having to tap the sign.

As this government confirms that people have been detained under the new "one in, one out" deal with France, watch our Executive Director, Leila Zadeh, share the tragic story of one of our service users. Their experience is a reminder of why we urgently need a kind and compassionate asylum system.

Tweet from Keir Starmer reads "I said that if you enter this country on a small boat, you will face detention and return. I meant it." Underneath is a video, which has been covered with a red box with the words "stop celebrating cruelty" written on it. We have covered up the footage because we believe it is deeply unethical to push cameras in people's faces at the terrifying moment of deportation, in order to create more stigmatising footage that demonises refugees. Whilst highlighting the Prime Minister's behaviour we do not want to have any part in sharing this footage.

Our Prime Minister should be ashamed of this vile video.
The human beings having cameras shoved in their faces while being detained deserve dignity and a fair hearing for any asylum claim.
Instead, the cruelty they're being treated with is being used for social media clout.

It's not a 'safe route' if it means someone else being robbed of safety.
The 'one-in-one-out' plan is yet another attack on the human right to seek sanctuary.

Text from Mirror newspaper reads: "Louise Calvey, executive director at Asylum Matters, branded it "yet another attack on the human right to seek sanctuary". She said: "It’s a grubby trade in human lives that will do nothing more than remove people from this country back into the hands of people smugglers. It will send them back to French shores where they’ll face escalating police violence: boats being slashed with families onboard, children being teargassed, violence which we know makes Channel crossings even more dangerous.""

'One in one out' goes hand in hand with more aggressive French police tactics. That means more boats slashed, more crowded vessels, more chaotic flights from shore - more people killed at sea.

It's a deadly attack on the human right to seek sanctuary.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Britain urged to let hero Afghans bring their families to UK after major data leak Exclusive: Yvette Cooper is warned that the ‘worst possible consequences of the data leak’ could become a ‘dire reality’ if Afghans cannot bring their loved ones to safety

53 organisations have joined RAMFEL to demand Yvette Cooper extend family reunion rights to those resettled under Afghan schemes. This is a vital step to fix the harm caused by the data breach, which exposed families to renewed risk from the Taliban. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

The families of people who've helped the UK are immense danger from the Taliban - but they've been abandoned without safe routes to protection here.
We've signed this letter to say it's time to let families reunite in safety.

A functioning asylum system doesn’t operate by guest list, but offers people seeking sanctuary the right to travel to the UK safely, have their claims processed quickly and gives them the chance to move on with their lives.

Safe routes for some shouldn't come at the expense of others. 3/3

Today, the government’s ‘one-in, one-out’ pilot comes into force. At the same time, violence and hate towards asylum seekers in the UK is at an all-time high. We’re left wondering - will the government ever learn that deterrence policies do not work? 1/3

Text reads: "This grubby trade in human lives will do nothing more than remove people from this country back into the hands of people smugglers. It will send them back to French shores where they’ll face escalating police violence: boats being slashed with families onboard, children being teargassed, violence which we know makes Channel crossings even more dangerous. We don’t need another convoluted Rwanda-style gimmick that forces some people to risk their lives while a select few are deemed worthy of protection. It’s yet another example of our government choosing to reinforce the criminalisation and violence faced by people exercising their legal right to seek asylum, instead of implementing the only policy that will save lives: safe and accessible routes for all who need them.” It is attributed to Nathan Phillips, head of campaigns at Asylum Matters

Another plan that punishes people for trying to seek safety. Another missed opportunity to save lives and create safe routes.
'One-in-one-out' is another attack on the human right to seek sanctuary.

Graphic reads "stop the deaths. The new UK-France border plan will ramp up violent police action against boats filled with people seeking sanctuary. We know this will cost lives. We're joining groups on both sides of the Channel to tell our Governments: work together to protect lives, not put them at risk. It is set above an image of children holding signs in front of their faces. One reads "I'm only 15, I don't deserve to be here. You call this country safe?"

No one should have to risk their life to find safety.
Escalating violence on our borders made 2024 the deadliest year ever in our Channel. The new '1-in-1-out' deal will do nothing to stop the deaths.
By denying most people safe routes to sanctuary it will keep forcing them to risk deadly journeys.

BBC news headline reads: "Government pledges extra £100m to tackle people smuggling"

If "smashing the gangs" works, why haven't years of violent border enforcement under multiple Governments stopped Channel crossings?
Another £100m won't make a failed idea work.
There's only one way to stop dangerous crossings: it's giving people safe ways to ask for sanctuary.

There's been lots of headlines this week about how many people have survived crossing the channel to seek sanctuary in the UK.
Here's a more important number.
Our asylum system kills people, but while obsessing about new arrivals, the Government doesn't even count their deaths.

This is the real-world cost of anti-women and anti-refugee politics A year after far-right riots raged across the UK, refugee women share their fears for their safety as protesters continue to target them.

A year on from some of the most visible racist rioting, hostility towards refugees hasn't gone anywhere - instead, it's been legitimised by certain politicians and media outlets.

Vital read from @4refugeewomen.bsky.social 👇

Screenshotted text reads: Some of the younger children, too little to grasp what was unfolding outside the hotel, were not as afraid. But the tearful, frightened eyes of a ten-year-old girl clinging to her father’s chest told a different story. The terrifying chants of young men echoing through the hotel – “Send them out!” – filled the air like an ominous drumbeat. An eight-year-old boy, fluent in English despite what protesters outside may have assumed, turned to his mother and asked: “Why do we have to leave? What have we done wrong?” It is hard to say how long it will take for these mothers and fathers to forget the voices that pierced the silence outside their windows, demanding “Show yourself!” No one stood there to tell the protesters that behind those curtains, there were no criminals – only frightened children and women.

These should be the last words on the vile demonstrations outside hotels. None of these people are 'protecting' children - they're terrifying them.

Thank you to this brave author, and @eastangliabylines.co.uk for sharing their vital words.

eastangliabylines.co.uk/immigration/...

Following last year's riots we interviewed some of those affected by the violence which was launched at migrant and marginalised communities.
A year on, as we continue to see hate and division still thrown at our communities, we are sharing the first podcast here 👇
www.spreaker.com/episode/ep-1...

‘Every human being deserves dignity’: asylum seeker in Essex hotel calls for understanding Man housed at hotel targeted in protests writes letter urging people not to resort to harmful stereotypes

Why do refugees come to the UK? (and why they don't come to the UK too!)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
#RefugeesWelcome @birmctogether.bsky.social @ctbi.bsky.social @churchesengland.bsky.social @publicissues.bsky.social @rcbirmingham.bsky.social @bvscbirmingham.bsky.social

Graphic reads "the detention like conditions at RAF Wethersfield are a racial justice issue."

Warehousing people in isolated RAF Wethersfield "amounts to racial segregation" @runnymedetrust.bsky.social says.
But instead of closing the camp, the Government now plans to ship hundreds more people there.
Tell your MP to demand an end to racist camps now 👇
actionnetwork.org/letters/stop...

Many survivors stay silent due to trauma, stigma & fear of retaliation. We must build trust, create safe reporting channels & remove barriers so they can seek help without fear.

On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we call for systems that protect & support survivors.

#EndHumanTrafficking