The past few weeks have been filled with fear as migrants, Black folks, people of colour and Muslims are being targeted by far-right violence across the UK. We stand in solidarity with all those affected, everyone who’s been counter-protesting, and those working to ensure those in asylum accommodation are protected from the rioters. At Routes, we remain committed to supporting people from asylum and refugee backgrounds in the pursuit of a fairer and more welcoming asylum system. We will continue our efforts with even greater determination, in the face of these events.
We also feel it’s important to do more than just put out a message of solidarity. Here are some resources, care sessions and organisations we want to amplify:
Healing Justice London are offering spaces for breathwork and embodied rage that centre racialised and global majority people. Please spread the word for anyone that might benefit from these.
Muslims Against Facism have created an Allyship in the Workplace resource. We encourage you to read it and use it to advocate for your employer to do what it can to care for people affected
Support organisations like Hope Not Hate and Stand Up To Racism who have been organising counter protests and resources to support those working with and living in places targeted by violence.
The violence we are currently seeing has not started overnight; it is the product of years of racist ideologies and demonising rhetoric in our politics and media. It’s no coincidence that the riots have been targeting asylum accommodation.
Routes has a 45 minute talk about the asylum system that we are offering to organisations for free in light of recent events. The talk provides a clear and accessible overview of the entire asylum process, delving into legal terms and definitions, exploring the meaning of 'refugee' and dispelling misconceptions.
Please contact hello@routescollective.com for more information and to schedule. We hope that in this small way we can contribute to stopping the spreading of misinformation that fuels the horrific, but unfortunately not surprising, events we’ve seen over the last few weeks.
