NEWS & BLOG

If the government go ahead with their plans in the autumn, refugees and migrants who already live here and have permission to stay will have to wait years longer for permanent settlement than they do now.

It’s so important we as a country stand up against these proposed changes. The changes would directly affect two million people who are migrants or refugees, but they’d also affect us all – because migration is part of our everyday lives, and these people are our friends, live in our neighbourhoods, work in our hospitals, run businesses, clean our streets, teach in our schools, care for our aging relatives in hospices. It matters how they are treated by the government, and they deserve so much better than this.

Community member Safa’s reflections of the day:

I come from a country where women are strong, but often not heard.

When I went to the House of Parliament with West London Welcome, I was carrying many thoughts and fears. Since the recent announcements about refugee policies, I have felt fear and uncertainty. These feelings are not easy to say out loud, but they are always inside me. It felt like walking in a dark corridor, trying to find light, and then hearing that even this light of safety might be fading. It made it hard to know how to move forward with confidence.

As I entered the space where decisions are made, I still carried all of this with me. But being there, I found people who were not only hearing us, but really listening. This gave me the strength to speak and to share how these decisions affect our lives. It also reminded me that we deserve respect and dignity.

Being with West London Welcome made me feel supported and not alone. Their care and support help people feel that they belong and are part of the community.

That day, I went there with pain, but I left feeling more at peace. No matter what happens, I now believe that our voices can make a difference.

People who currently wait 5 years for permanent settlement could now wait up to 20 or 30 years if they don’t earn a high wage, came to the country through certain routes, don’t have a high enough level of English, or have to rely on benefits for a while – think of what it’s like for single parents in this endless housing crisis, who have to work part-time and rely on a small amount of benefits to pay rent! These proposals are completely unfair, discriminate heavily against those working low-paid jobs that are vital for our society to function, and punish the very people this government have already agreed to give protection to under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

What you can do: Contact your MP and ask them to call for a debate about the proposals in Parliament. Ask them to push the Home Office for an impact assessment on what would happen should these proposals go ahead. And share what we post to make it clear you stand for humanity and the rights of your migrant friends and neighbours.

Thank you to MPs Andy Slaughter, Rupa Huq, Ben Coleman, Joe Powell for meeting with us, and to Praxis UK for the heroic organising of the day.

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Safa is a refugee community member and Advisory Board member of West London Welcome.

Leyla is Deputy Director at West London Welcome.