This week marks one year since the Hamas attack in Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage, and the devastating bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli state began.  The past year has seen an unbearable escalation in suffering for civilians across the region as a result of ongoing and long-term violations in international law.

Today, we remember the 72 people who lost their lives in Grenfell Tower, whose deaths were entirely avoidable. Our thoughts are also with those left behind, the bereaved and the survivors.

Right now, people up and down the UK are living in fear of violence. Communities are reeling from days of far-right riots. Here at Praxis, we’ve been focused on ensuring the safety of the Praxis community and the security of Praxis as an organisation. 

The Labour Party promised us change. Now they’re in Government, we’re going to hold them to that. We’re calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to change the way people who’ve migrated are treated in the UK. It’s time for humanity, not hostility.

Thousands more refugees are facing homelessness after a Home Office eviction policy change. That’s why we joined over 140 organisations, including Refugee Council, Crisis UK, Shelter, to call on this Government to abandon this policy change.

As a coalition of 290 organisations, we condemn the passage of the Illegal Migration Act today, and stand in solidarity with all who will be affected.

Rishi Sunak’s proposal to fund a public sector pay rise through increased visa fees and NHS surcharge pits working people against each other. With increases of up to 68%, these changes will force more people into poverty, debt, and destitution.

More than four years since the Windrush scandal was brought to light, we are concerned that the Home Office is doubling down on a hostile and punitive policy agenda that continues to destroy lives.

This plan to trade human beings for cash will cause untold harm to thousands people. It is an offense against our shared humanity, and must not be allowed to go ahead.

The Home Secretary yet again declined to waive visa requirements for people from Ukraine , as over half a million people flee the country in the face of the Russian invasion.

Praxis welcomes the Government’s decision to temporarily suspend a harmful policy that effectively punishes migrants for needing help in a crisis. We urge the Government to make this change permanent.

Praxis comments on the decision of the Home Office’s not to establish a firewall which would have allowed victims to safely report domestic abuse and other serious crimes without fear of deportation.

Sally Daghlian OBE, CEO of Praxis, comments on the tragic loss of life in the English Channel on 24 November 2021.

We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement, and the fight against racism. This must end. We must learn. We must listen. And we must work together to combat racism and discrimination.