Our message to the new Labour Government
The votes are in, and we have a new Government.
Here at Praxis, we’re hoping this will be an opportunity for a fresh start. That this marks the end of the performative cruelty and punitive policies.
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.
Rwanda scrapped
Within days of being elected, Keir Starmer officially scrapped the Rwanda plan. We applaud and wholeheartedly welcome this decision. We also congratulate the solicitors, campaigners, and activists who fought tooth and nail to keep the planes on the ground.
The cash-for-humans Rwanda scheme caused serious distress for so many vulnerable people in our communities. The fear of being deported to Rwanda pushed people underground and, in turn, put them at high risk of exploitation and destitution.
Now the Rwanda plan is over, this Government must process the asylum applications of all those stuck in limbo.
Safe routes
Newly appointed Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has just launched the new Border Security Command, with the aim of targeting people smugglers operating in the Channel.
Given this news, here’s some important reminders:
People have the right to seek asylum, it is an issue of basic rights, the foundation of human dignity. Over the course of successive governments, safe routes to seek asylum in the UK have virtually disappeared.
This means people are forced to take dangerous journeys, like crossing the Channel, because there are no safe, alternative routes for them to seek asylum.
Pumping millions into more border controls is not the way forward. Only by opening safe routes can we see an end to the violence and death in the Channel.
Language matters
This Government must reject the divisive scapegoating and toxic anti-migrant language that has dominated the conversation around migration for years. What’s more, they must call out and counter the misinformation normalised today about migrants and refugees.
Instead of pandering to the right, we call on the Government to present a unifying and hopeful vision with our shared humanity at its center. They need to stand up for the human rights of all of us, no matter where we were born.
Radical change
This Government needs to be brave. The hostile environment was created by people so it can be ended by people too.
It’s time we built a compassionate and fair immigration and asylum system where all people are treated with dignity and respect. A huge 80% of Brits agree with us.
We’ve set out what needs to change. We look forward to working with the Government to make these changes a reality.
Beyond the ballot box, the fight for migrant rights goes on
This is not the time to let up. We need every voice to join us and stand with migrants and refugees.