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Dear supporters,

On 31 March, the UK hosted the “Organised Immigration Crime” Summit. Over 40 countries and organisations attended this Summit to hear the Government do what it does best: brag about deportations and workplace enforcement. Alongside the general anti-migrant discourse, there was a particularly misguided focus on “people smugglers” – which we call intermediaries. The Government clearly fails to understand its own role in forcing people seeking safety to turn to intermediaries. And so they’ve introduced their new approach against “smuggling gangs”- Prevent, Pursue, Protect, Prepare.

Alongside the Border Security Bill, this marks yet another instance of  “counter-terror” powers being embedded immigration policy. That’s why we’ve wasted no time in calling out this cruelty for what it is, launching a petition, and in mobilising our supporters to act against it! Find out more below.

In extremely hostile times like these, support networks are more important than ever. We are very pleased to share the return of our Solidarity Space, offering joy, solidarity and connection to local communities. After consultation with migrant communities in our network, we are delighted that this free, drop-in space is back for six months. Find out more about this Space, and how to support it, below.

Meanwhile, we have been incredibly busy with our Hostile Office campaign, including a blog on visa fee increases, and resources on changes to the “Good Character Requirement” guidance following our online briefing. We’ve also included some reflections on various events, including our Words Matter Community Organisers Training, kindly funded by Ben & Jerry’s, and presenting our findings on the asylum system at the Public Voices In AI Event at Portcullis House. 

To round off this month’s newsletter, we share a Migrants’ Aspiration Programme Coordinator vacancy, as well as how to apply to become Chair of our Board of Trustees. 

Thank you again for your continued support. We’ve got some exciting things coming up, and we hope that you will stick around to see what we do next!

In solidarity,

The MRN Team

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Protection Not Punishment

Sign our petition

The Government’s new approach against intermediaries– Prevent, Pursue, Protect, Prepare- continues the legacy of the Border Security Bill in embedding “counter terror” into migration policy. This new approach, introduced at the “Organised Immigration Crime” Summit, aims to prevent migrants from using intermediaries by disrupting networks of intermediaries at the UK border. You can read our round-up of the Summit here.

While this approach is aimed at intermediaries, we are concerned that it will ultimately harm people seeking safety by introducing offences for using an intermediary or placing the onus of facilitation on a person seeking safety. 

We demand the UK Government abandon its plans to further criminalise migration. Help us send a message, and sign our petition to the Home Secretary calling for Protection Not Punishment. Together, let’s resist the proliferation of “counter terror” powers against our communities!

Stand Against the Border Security Bill

As we’ve mentioned before, the Border Security Bill marks the first time that “counter terror” powers have been used as the primary approach to migration policy. Read more about the Bill, and watch our video explainer, here.

We’ve let the Government know what we think of this Bill, and have called on MPs to vote it down. But we can’t do this alone. If you want to join us in standing against this cruelty, and amplify our message of Protection Not Punishment, use our email template to urge your local representative to vote down the Bill.

Survey for people seeking safety

We are currently writing a piece to submit to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in response to their call for evidence on the Border Security Bill. As a result, we have created a survey for people seeking safety, to gauge information about the potential harmful effects of the Bill.

Any information we collect will remain anonymous. Aside from demonstrating what the possible consequences of this Bill are for the Joint Committee, the information collected also help inform our general campaigning against expansion of “counter terror” powers into immigration system. Please share the survey with your networks.

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Solidarity Space

Key information

This Space will be running every month, on the second and fourth Thursday of the month, for the next six months, from 1-4pm, and will include an ESOL space, workshops, snacks, games, music, conversation connection and care. For more information, including a programme, click here. If you want to attend, drop us a message at [email protected]. 

Want to get involved?

We’re inviting partner organisations, community members, facilitators and artists to run workshops, share skills or host sessions in the space. We’re also setting up an info point at the Solidarity Space, so if your organisation has any flyers, leaflets or materials you’d like us to share, please send them our way.

If you or someone in your community would like to run a session, host a workshop, provide flyers or find out more, get in touch: [email protected].

Please share this opportunity through your networks with anyone you think would love to take part. To find out how you can support the longevity of this space, click here.

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Other Campaign Updates

Hostile Office

• Blog: Visa, passport renewal and ETA fees are increasing
• Resources: “Good Character Requirement” Guidance Update
• Reflections Blog: Public Voices In AI Event in Parliament
• LinkedIn Reflections: MRN’s AI Under Watch Event

Words Matter

• Reflections Blog: Words Matter Community Organisers Training
• LinkedIn Reflections: Words Matter Workshop with the TUC

Who Is Welcome?

• Blog: Visibility Is Not Liberation (Trans Day of Visibility)
• Event: University of Greenwich’s Human Rights Festival (MRN will be speaking on Thursday 10 April)

Abolition And Decolonisation

• Blog: Palestinian Land Day

General

• Instagram Reflections: Hate Zine Fair

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Get involved

Volunteer With Us

• Chair of the Board (deadline: 28 April, 9am)

Work With Us

• Migrants’ Aspiration Programme Coordinator (deadline: 28 April, 9am)

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Sector Vacancies

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If you want to support our work…

…would you consider making a donation?

We are a small team that receives minimal funding. To keep us going, we need all the help we can get, so we can achieve more in 2025.

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