My journey to Praxis began before I was born, my grandparents were child survivors of the Armenian genocide when some 1.2 million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were slaughtered or forced on death marches. My orphaned grandparents survived, helped by Bedouins along the way, they reached Baghdad where they found safety, and my father was eventually born. Deep in the soul of every Armenian is a consciousness of the refugee experience and I believe this is what drew me to the migration and refugee field.

Praxis is an amazing organisation centred around solidarity and community, with a strong grounding in human rights, challenging oppression and discrimination and I knew of the organisation from my time as CEO of Scottish refugee Council. The opportunity to lead and shape Praxis to meet the new challenges facing migrant communities was one I embraced with joy, moving from my home in Spain to become Chief Executive in 2014.

The hostile policy environment was already beginning to bite, and it was clear that Praxis needed to review its services and focus. Community building remained important but the need for expert legal services and systemic change were evident.

Looking back over the decade I am most proud of the fact that Praxis has become a strong fighting force for migrant rights, working in partnership with migrants, finding solutions, building alliances and campaigning for change. We are 50 strong and punching above our weight!

There have been many highlights– our award-winning innovative housing project, funded by social investment, supporting families and individuals to resolve complex immigration status and move on with their lives.

Praxis pioneered Street Legal, now a widely adopted model for finding pathways out of destitution, and we changed the narrative, putting migrant homelessness firmly on the policy agenda, working with homelessness organisations including Shelter and Crisis.

In 2018 Praxis was in the global spotlight when we played a key role in unveiling the Windrush scandal.   Our campaigning secured change for many thousands of people who had been forced out of their jobs and homes, denied medical care, and even deported, despite decades of living lawfully in the UK.

This work on Windrush strengthened my determination to build the capacity of Praxis to campaign publicly for migrant rights and in 2021 we led a successful coalition to secure free school meals for children regardless of the immigration status of their parents.

Brexit was seismic, the result of the EU referendum resulted in growing hostility towards migrants, wherever they were from, and we provided legal support to secure rights and livelihoods of EU citizens. Covid exposed the vulnerable and precarious situations of many migrants and we worked throughout, developing new projects.

There have been so many changes in immigration legislation and policies, we are in constant state of flex, trying to anticipate, shape and adapt. 2023 has seen an unprecedented onslaught on migrants who have been vilified and scapegoated. The atmosphere is toxic, and people’s lives are being destroyed. State sponsored cruelty knows no bounds in the Rwanda plan, the Illegal Migration Act, the warehousing of refugees in barges and barracks, the unaffordable visa fees that are driving people to ill health and misery and the forced separation of families by immigration rules. As I prepare to pass on the baton, I know that Praxis is a fighting force for good, it will continue to provide a beacon of hope and solidarity, practical solutions and, more important than ever, alliances for radical change.