Migrant Voice

Migrant Voice

@migrantvoice.bsky.social

We are a migrant-led national organisation empowering migrants to speak out, challenge perceptions and change public debate, in the media and to policymakers. Offices in London, Glasgow and Birmingham.

3,743 Followers 518 Following 295 Posts Joined Nov 2024
15 hours ago
Mass Lobby Information — Praxis for Migrants and Refugees

Happening tomorrow @praxisprojects.bsky.social and the NRPF Coalition is bringing together organisations for a Mass Lobby event in London to tell MPs loud and clear that we will not sit back quietly while they push through harmful policies against migrants. 👇
www.praxis.org.uk/mass-lobby-i...

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2 days ago
Graphic saying: International Women’s Day
Policies designed to deter migration often place migrant women at greater risk of poverty, exploitation, and abuse.
💼 Work restrictions
Women on many visa types or with insecure status face limited access to work, increasing financial dependence and vulnerability.
🏠 “No Recourse to Public Funds”
Many migrant women cannot access basic support like housing or benefits, even when escaping abuse.
⚖️ Barriers to safety
Fear of immigration enforcement can prevent women from reporting domestic violence or seeking help.
👩‍👧 Impact on families
Migrant mothers are more likely to face poverty and instability due to restrictions on work and support.
On International Women’s Day, support and empower migrant women

Women are often disproportionately impacted by hostile immigration policies. They can leave them in poverty and at risk of abuse and violence.
This #Internationalwomensday show your support for migrant women by fighting for their rights.

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4 days ago
Graphic showing how asylum policies have shifted from protection to deterrence since the 1980's

The latest announcement from the Home Secretary follows a path of previous governments in creating ever harsher and more hostile asylum policies. What were once designed to provide protection and now created to prevent people getting it. There needs to be a change, with a focus back on protection.

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5 days ago
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Shabana Mahmood accused of mimicking Trump as she announces asylum plans Home secretary’s proposals to overhaul immigration system include end to permanent refugee status

The Home Secretary has made claims which are not true regarding migrants to push policies which will devastate lives, while increasing exploitation and people forced into becoming undocumented. These are not policies of "fairness", but instead of discrimination.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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6 days ago
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UK puts emergency brake on study visas for four countries’ nationals Shabana Mahmood says UK’s generosity abused as study visas halted for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan

In November this government announced plans to use more work and study routes instead of asylum ones. Now they're blocking people in need of asylum from using work and study visas. This is a move guaranteed to increase number of people forced onto irregular routes
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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1 week ago
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‘Treat us fairly’: skilled workers face having their dream of settling in UK snatched away As government mulls doubling requirement to 10 years, the uncertainty is putting many who came to Britain to work under strain

This government's proposals, particularly if implemented retrospectively, will have a devastating impact on people who have built lives, work, have families, here. We already know the financial and emotional toll of the existing system. This makes it so much worse
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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1 week ago
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The changes announced by the Home Secretary forcing people seeking asylum to resubmit applications every 2.5 years leave people in limbo, unable to rebuild their lives, left to face yet more stress and fear. We spoke to our members about how they felt, you can hear their responses here👇

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1 week ago
The Home Secretary's decision, without any attempt at consultation or oversight, to limit refugees to 30 months in the UK before having to have their claims re-confirmed is a cruel, inhumane, and ultimately unworkable policy. The Home Secretary has claimed it is necessary to tackle "legitimate grievances". There is nothing legitimate about denying those fleeing war and persecution the ability to rebuild their lives. There is nothing legitimate about leaving them in limbo, increasing the stress and trauma they are already going through, and reinforcing hostility and racism against them.
People seeking asylum often already have to wait years for their claims to be heard. Increasing the number of cases which the Home Office deals with is obviously never going to be feasible. The Home Secretary knows this. That is why she has pushed this through via the backdoor without any consultation. 
Instead of trying to grab headlines to appear "tough", this government needs to be ensuring that those who come here seeking safety are able to receive it faster, and more effectively. This latest PR stunt from the Home Office runs counter to any practical measures which are needed.

We are disgusted by the latest cruel and inhumane anti-asylum policy announced by the Home Secretary. Limiting refugees to 30 months before needing to re-apply undermines their ability to rebuild their lives, to feel safe and secure, all while increasing Home Office bureaucracy and costs.

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1 week ago
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How rightwing rhetoric has risen sharply in the UK parliament – an exclusive visual analysis In the past five years, MPs’ attitudes in the House of Commons towards immigration have swung harder to the right than at almost any other time in the last century

There has been a huge increase in hostile, and misleading, political rhetoric against migrants from politicians across parties. The toxic nature of this creates division and emboldens racism, putting migrants at further risk. It must be confronted and condemned.
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...

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2 weeks ago
The comments by Jim Ratcliffe are not only offensive and harmful but blatantly incorrect, and will stir further hate and division. Working with organisations such as Show Racism the Red Card, Migrant Voice has – as part of the -"Migration. Making Britain Great" campaign -highlighted that the diversity of the Premier League, and migrants playing in it, is a strength that is reflected in Britain's communities.

Immigration doesn't undermine a country's character; it enhances it. British culture, including football, is based on migration, on adapting and evolving to new ideas. That is something to be celebrated, not condemned.

Nazek Ramadan

Director, Migrant Voice

Our Director, Nazek Ramadan, speaks out about Jim Ratcliffe's racist and divisive comments.

"Immigration doesn’t undermine a country’s character; it enhances it. British culture, including football, is based on migration, on adapting and evolving to new ideas."

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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3 weeks ago
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Earned Settlement: A Cruel Betrayal of Migrants and the Promise… Earned Settlement: A Cruel Betrayal of Migrants and the Promise of Belonging

"This reform [earned settlement] risks not only the wellbeing of migrant communities, but the fabric of British society. A system that rents belonging rather than grants it corrodes trust, weakens families and devalues people based on narrow definitions of worth"
www.migrantvoice.org/home/editori...

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3 weeks ago

Earned settlement consultation closes today. If you haven't completed it already please do, and tell this government that migrants should not be treated as second class and magic money trees.
These proposals will destroy lives, and push more people into poverty. Make your voice heard and oppose them

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3 weeks ago
Our statement: 

'It is a 'bold", by which we mean offensive, move for the co-owner of Manchester United to state such blatantly racist and incorrect information about migrants. The Premier League is a wonderful example of how diversity and immigration can bring strengths and benefits to wider groups. The same is true of immigration as a whole. We are stronger together than divided. We are stronger when we don't discriminate. 
When we come to the UK we integrate, we form bonds, we are part of communities. Those spreading racism and hate want to see communities divided, but we know that more people stand united"

With screenshot from Sky News saying:
"'UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
In an interview with Sky News's Ed Conway, Sir Jim says Britain faces profound political, social and economic challenges, among them an unprecedented rise in immigration in recent years."

The Premier League is a perfect example of how diversity and immigration can make us stronger.
We are disappointed to see unfounded, and untrue, statements like this being repeated.
Rather than spreading misinformation about migrants we should all stand united.

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3 weeks ago
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UK: Charities reject government proposal to make volunteering prerequisite to migrant settlement The majority of UK charities say they oppose government plans to make volunteering a prerequisite to long-term settlement in the UK. This runs counter to plans that were proposed by the UK government ...

Reality of Home Secretary's proposals are that migrants will be forced to "prove themselves" in ways no-one else would accept, while being treated as second class and magic money trees.
"Mandatory volunteering" goes against the very principle of volunteering.
www.infomigrants.net/en/post/6976...

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1 month ago

🚨Earned settlement consultation ends Thursday🚨
Proposed changes risk pushing hundreds of thousands of children into poverty and destroying lives.
We have created guidance on how to tell the government we need a genuinely fairer system.
www.migrantvoice.org/img/upload/J...

www.gov.uk/government/c...

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1 month ago
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300,000 children face 10-year wait for settled status under UK plans, says IPPR Thinktank analysis says proposed ‘earned settlement’ changes could trap families in prolonged insecurity

Proposed changes to the immigration system will force hundreds of thousands of children, along with adults, into even more precarious situations.
Existing ten year routes are already shown to increase deprivation and poverty. These policies will destroy lives.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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1 month ago
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Shabana Mahmood defends immigration reforms amid Labour opposition Around 40 Labour MPs have raised concerns about the impact of the government's proposals.

The proposed changes to immigration rules would be devastating, not just for migrants but also the whole country. They risk creating an entirely unworkable and discriminatory system which would push even more migrants into destitution and undermine whole sectors.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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1 month ago

If you want practical support for answering the consultation, we together with a host of other orgs ( @migrantvoice.bsky.social, @ramfel.bsky.social, @ilpaimmigration.bsky.social @migrantsrights.bsky.social) prepared a guide to help you prepare your responses👉 reunitefamiliesuk.co.uk/wp-content/u...

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1 month ago
Attendees and trainers for today's session on public speaking training

It has been an absolute pleasure to team up with @care4calais.org today to provide training on public speaking. It is so important that migrants are able to ensure that our voices are heard, and listened to

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1 month ago
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Spain plans to give 500,000 undocumented migrants legal status The process will be available to foreign nationals without a criminal record who can prove they lived in Spain for five months prior to 31 December 2025.

We're seeing a dramatic increase in immigration enforcement in the UK. While it may not have same attention as ICE raids in UK, it still sees families ripped apart and vulnerable people detained. Spain shows regularisation for undocumented migrants is a better option.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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1 month ago
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Glasgow network meeting on Hate Crime Migrant Voice invites you to our next network meeting in Glasgow on Wednesday 4 February from 6-8pm to follow up on our October discussions on hate crime.

On 4th February Migrant Voice is hosting a meeting to address issues of hate crime in Glasgow.
This meeting will be an opportunity to hear from the police and local authorities about their response to our recommendations on what they can support our communities.
www.migrantvoice.org/whats-on/gla...

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1 month ago
Participants sitting at our session in Birmingham

We are delighted to be in Birmingham today organising two workshops together with the university of Westminster for refugees and asylum seekers to share their views on settling up a refugee archive.

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1 month ago
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Earned settlement The government is consulting on how the current settlement system should be reformed and how those reforms should be implemented.

We already see the harm current settlement routes can cause individuals, including mental and physical health issues, destitution and separation from families. All issues liable to increase under the current proposals.
Please complete the consultation if you are able. 2/2
www.gov.uk/government/c...

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1 month ago

The government's "earned settlement consultation" into proposed changes for migrants wanting to settle in the UK ends on February 12th. Together with a number of other organisations, we have created some guidance for possible ways to complete the questions. 1/2
www.migrantvoice.org/img/upload/J...

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1 month ago
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Response to 2024 summer riots failed to address root causes and links to racism, report says Institute of Race Relations says violence in Southport and elsewhere often reduced to ‘mindless’ thuggery

Following the 2024 riots we held meetings across the country for people to talk about their experiences. The fear which marginalised communities faced was clear, as was the need for better understanding to tackle hate crime, which still does not exist.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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1 month ago
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Exclusion by Design: Digital Identification and the Hostile Environment for… Together with Derya Ozkul (University of Warwick) and Marie Godin (University of Leicester) and Open Rights Group, Migrant Voice have produced the report ‘Exclusion by Design: Digital Identification a...

With this government reportedly rethinking plans to introduce digital id to check for the right to work, through our work on this report we helped identify a number of issues with the existing digital immigration system, and the exclusion it creates.

www.migrantvoice.org/resources/re...

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1 month ago
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Two-thirds of UK voters wrongly think immigration is rising, poll finds Exclusive: Voters say they have little confidence that government can control borders despite sharp falls in net migration

Continued hostile rhetoric, and policies, from politicians and in the media creates severe misconceptions surrounding immigration, which often overlook not just the facts surrounding it, but also the experiences of migrants.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

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2 months ago
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🚨Support Migrant Voice today and ensure diverse voices are heard🚨
Migrants are part of communities. We work and live alongside everyone. Together we help make the UK stronger.
Even so our voices are ignored time and time again.
📣Donate today to help get us heard.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-comba...

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2 months ago
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This evening’s panel discussion is ‘Hope out of Hostility- shifting the narrative’ with speakers Mihnea Cuibus, Migration Observatory, Bekele Woyecha, Together with Refugees, Sara Shamsavari, artist and lecturer, Jennifer Ariowa Obaseki, Centre for Youths Integrated Development

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2 months ago
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Dr Aanka Batta reads her poetry and Sylars inspires with a musical performance

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