Who are we? 

Not a Stranger is a migrant-led campaigning group established in June 2025 in response to the UK Government’s Immigration White Paper (IWP) proposal. 

The Prime Minister claimed in an already infamous speech that the UK risks becoming an ‘island of strangers’ and that mass immigration had done ‘incalculable damage’ to the British economy, but that’s fundamentally untrue. We have communities, families, and businesses, and we have made the UK our home.  We are not strangers to one another. 

Why does the Not a Stranger campaign exist?

The announcement of the IWP sparked grief, rage and frustration within our migrant communities. We had to come together now to push back because the immigration policies have been getting crueller and harsher.

We have seen over the years how migrants’ rights are being eroded, and the immigration systems becoming more complex and expensive to navigate. The IWP just makes this worse. We cannot allow this to continue in an era where the migrant is constantly the scapegoat for other policy failures.

As people affected by the IWP proposals, there is an opportunity to challenge the proposed changes before they are implemented in the immigration system. We need to  act now. This is our chance to mobilise and make our voices heard before these changes become permanent.

We’re currently carrying out a confidential survey to better understand the views and experiences of migrants, especially in light of recent changes to immigration policy. If you want to share your experiences, you can do so by filling it out anonymously here.

What are our values?

We are a diverse group of individuals from Sussex to Scotland who hold different immigration statuses- skilled workers to international students to people still in the asylum system. While our experiences differ, we are united by shared values that guide how we organise and what we fight for. Our core values are: 

• Collectiveness– We recognise that immigration policies affect us in different ways. Yet, we choose to stand together. We commit to building a collective that resists division, refuses hierarchies based on status, and pushes for changes that benefit all of us – not just a few. 

• Justice – We believe in a just society where no one is punished for how they move, where they move from, or what documents they carry. We challenge a system that criminalises migration and upholds borders over human dignity. Our fight is for a world where rights are not conditional.

• Empowerment – We believe in the power of migrants speaking and acting for ourselves. We organise to build confidence, leadership, and capacity within our communities. Empowerment means ensuring that everyone, regardless of language, background, or legal status, has a voice and role in this movement.

• Solidarity – We reject every attempt to divide us – by nationalities, by visa category, by border status, by racialised identity, by gender. These are the tools of the oppressors, not the language of our struggle. We fight together because our liberation is bound up with one another’s. None of us is free until all of us are free – and we will not wait our turn.

• We are all migrants – Migration is not the exception – it is the commonplace. Some of us move by choice, others by necessity. Some are forced, while others are denied the freedom to move. Yet, no one is truly rooted to one place forever – movement is part of what it means to be human. 

What are we planning?

After a series of meetings, we have decided to focus on the following activities and actions to make the most impact:

• Gather further evidence and information on the impact and potential issues with the IWP proposals
• Raise awareness of the IWP and this group among migrants across the UK
• Public events to raise the profile of the campaign and encourage others to share their concerns and join the campaign
• Engage and influence MPs and relevant politicians with stories and evidence from those affected

Further activities and actions may emerge from collective conversations with the campaign members.

What support do we currently have, and what additional support do we need?  

We have the support of the Migrants’ Rights Network and PAWA, who initially called the meetings to bring people together and discuss their concerns; however, this won’t be enough to bring people together. We need more resources to bring us together from across the UK to strategise and work together, as well as hold public events.

For example, in October, we plan to hold a public event where we encourage everyone to meet their MP on that day in Parliament and then report back on their conversations. We want to encourage this engagement so that MPs can directly hear from constituents how they feel and what concerns them, as well as the alternative solutions or recommendations they may have.

We also want to meet in person so we can get to know each other better and build personal connections as we strategise and plan our actions together. Providing resources is essential for more effective campaigning and organising.

If you are impacted by the changes in the Immigration White Paper, or want to stand in solidarity with those who are, you can sign up to join the ‘Not a Stranger’ campaign group here. 

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Supporting Organisations

Migrants’ Rights Network

The Migrants’ Rights Network (MRN) is a UK-based campaigning charity that stands in solidarity with all migrants in their fights for rights and justice. We co-curate campaigns using anti-oppression practices to create transformational change, extending beyond the individual impact on migrants’ lives, to tackle oppression at its source.

MRN strives to create a situation in the UK in which:

• People are free to move because migration is, and has always been, an integral part of the human experience.
• Everyone, including all migrants, live in a society which is free from all forms of oppression and discrimination.
• Nobody’s access to safety, rights and security should be determined by their immigration status.

PAWA 

Pan African Workers Association (PAWA) is a workers association for African workers aimed at improving working conditions and work possibilities in the UK.

PAWA’s goals are:

1. Educate people about the importance of joining unions
2. Lobby unions to be sympathetic to our cause
3. Build a community through social events
4. Educate people to know more about their employment and visa rights
5. Advocate for better policies
6. Helping workers get appropriate training and supervision

Find out more about the Immigration White Paper:

• Unpacking the Immigration White Paper
• What is the new Immigration White Paper proposing?
• Immigration White Paper-E-petition debate relating to the qualifying period for ILR