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Dear supporters, 

Just like clockwork, the Government is back with another migration Bill- the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill. Alarmingly, this Bill marks the first time a counter-terror framework has been used as the primary approach to migration policy. We’ve wasted no time in denouncing this Bill for what it is: yet another example of this Government’s racist and Islamophobic contempt for people on the move. We’ve been busy telling the Government what we think, and encouraging MPs to vote down the Bill. If you want to join us in our message of Protection Not Punishment, we have also drafted an email template to help you urge your local representative to vote down the Bill. Find out more below.
 
This month, we’ve also been incredibly busy working on our Hostile Office campaign, and so we’ve spotlighted our new research: AI Under Watch- Scrutinising the asylum system by those most affected. This research, co-produced with people seeking asylum, explores the use and impact of AI in the asylum system, and highlights concerns relating to racist and ableist bias. This report only marks the beginning of our ongoing investigations into the implementation of AI in the asylum and wider immigration systems. Find out more below.
 
We end this month’s newsletter with a roundup of work from our other campaigns, including blogs, a Know Your Rights update with a survey call-out, and a new episode of our Because You Were There podcast. If you fancy moving for a good cause, we’ve also included information on an opportunity to fundraise for us by joining Team MRN at the Brighton And Hove 10k!
 
There are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline at MRN, and we can’t wait to share what we have planned this year! Thank you to all our subscribers for your support, and we hope you will stay with us as we continue our pursuit of justice for all migrants.

In solidarity,
The MRN Team

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Protection Not Punishment: Say NO to the Border Security Bill

The Border Security Bill will turn seeking protection into a national security issue and expand counter-terrorism powers.

The Bill includes a wide array of alarming clauses, such as: the criminalisation of providing supplies or information meant to assist the travel of an undocumented migrant, the extension of powers to seize people’s devices at the border, the reduction of routes to claim asylum, the expansion of the detention estate, the restarting of deportation agreements, an increase in biometric surveillance, and an expansion of court orders that curtail civil liberties.

We’ve let the Government know what we think of this Bill, and have called on MPs to vote down the Bill. Some of the powers in this Bill extend on previous powers introduced in other anti-migrant policies, and so alongside this, we also asked MPs to:

• Repeal the policy of seizing phones at the border (introduced in 2023 via the Illegal Migration Act)
• Repeal the criminalisation of facilitating crossings (introduced in 2022 via the Nationality and Borders Act

But we can’t make change alone. So if you want to join us in standing against this cruelty, head to the button below and make your voice heard.

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Our New Report: AI Under Watch

Our new research, AI Under Watch, compiles the findings of various workshops and interviews we undertook with people seeking asylum about the ramifications of AI use in their cases.

Several concerns were expressed regarding: errors and inaccuracies in asylum interview transcripts; the limitations of AI in being able to understand human emotions, body language and culture-specific mannerisms; the impact of AI on neurodivergent and other disabled people seeking asylum; and the general opacity around AI’s specific usage and the data sets it is reliant on. 

Thank you to the Public Voices In AI Fund, and to all who participated for sharing their time, knowledge and expertise to make this project happen! Please share this resource with your communities and networks. 

This research is available in English, Arabic, Pashto, Farsi and Dari. Access all the versions below.

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Other Campaign Updates

Hostile Office

• Blog: Refugees who made dangerous journeys could be blocked from UK citizenship
• Head of Policy & Comms quoted in Computer Weekly: UK eVisa system problems persist despite repeated warnings
• Head of Policy & Comms quoted in Hyphen Online regarding the cruelty of GPS tagging and its racist implications
• CEO quoted in the Morning Star on the exploitation inherent in the sponsorship visa system

Words Matter

• Blog: Words Matter and the racist riots [in Representology: The Journal of Media and Diversity (Issue 07, Spring 2025)]

Who Is Welcome?

• Blog: Misgendering as state policy- Transphobia and the expansion of violence against migrants
• Open letter: Six months since the riots, charities urge the Government to take action on the growing threat of the far right
• CEO on ROTA Podcast: Talking about Race Episode 2- The Second Trump Presidency

Know Your Rights

• Blog: A Know Your Rights Update on the Renters’ Rights Bill for International Students

Abolition And Decolonisation

• Upcoming event: MRN’s “Migration and Policing” Workshop at the Mad Kin Zine Launch (15 February 2025) 

Because You Were There Podcast

• Episode 6: Migration narratives with Marvin Reeves, former mayor of Bristol

This research is available in English, Arabic, Pashto, Farsi and Dari. Access all the versions below.

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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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