In follow-up to our statement last week, we wanted to offer some suggestions for actions you can take to resist the proposed Rwanda flights, and speak up for refugee rights and a safe and humane UK asylum system. This comes on the back of a news report by the Guardian that the Home Office will start implementing parts of the new legislation as of Monday 29th April - starting to detain people, weeks earlier than expected.
What’s the Rwanda plan?
Last week, the so-called ‘Safety of Rwanda Bill’ passed Parliament, and will now become law. In it, the government has outlined its powers to outsource its responsibilities under the UN Refugee Convention to Rwanda. Asylum-seekers who arrive in the UK, can be detained and put on flights to Rwanda. If granted refugee status they will not be allowed to return to the UK, but must settle in Rwanda.
The Bill says that Rwanda should be treated as a ‘safe country’, which goes against last year’s ruling of the UK’s Supreme Court. Organisations in the sector have raised the alarm on this unprecedented disregard of international standards to safeguard people’s human rights, including this action by Freedom from Torture, Amnesty and Liberty UK.
Please find below an overview of actions you can take, to show your opposition against the Rwanda Bill, and speak up for refugee rights - with family and friends, in your community, and on your workplace.
Sign and share
This petition by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, to show your opposition against the Rwanda legislation, and solidarity with people at risk of being detained and put on flights.
This petition by Freedom from Torture to email the airline AirTanker directly, to demand they refrain from operating these planned flights to Rwanda.
This petition on Change.org to stop the Rwanda flights. It was started by someone from Afghanistan, who served alongside the British soldiers there and now faces risk of deportation.
Start or join a local support group
From news coming out now, it seems like people might be at risk for being put up for detention either at their accommodation, or when they go to ‘sign in’ as part of their required reporting. This blog by Right to Remain explains how you can set up a signing support group, and what to consider, so you have an action plan and emergency contacts in place.
Care4Calais has created a leaflet, with information in different languages for anyone who might be at risk of detention. There is a number people can message on WhatsApp if they are in a hotel (+447519773268) and a number to memorise, for people to call who are in detention (08000096268). Please share this information with anyone who has received a letter from the Home Office, which mentions ‘Rwanda’ or ‘Notice of Intent’.
Start conversations
City of Sanctuary has compiled this list of facts and FAQs, so you can have well-informed conversation about the UK asylum system. It’s really useful to have a read through, to learn about common misconceptions.
City of Sanctuary has also created this blog, with top tips for starting conversations with your family, friends, community and at your work place.
Follow these simple steps by City of Sanctuary to raise your concerns when a political canvasser knocks on your door - and use your voting power in local and national elections, if you have the right to vote. Conversations around elections can be a really powerful of starting conversations, and making clear that this Rwanda Bill does not have popular support.
Read Refugee Action's What Everyone Needs to Know about the Rwanda Bill.
Please remember that this current legislation sits in a wider spectrum of law and policies that are actively harming people seeking safety. For example, the prison-like conditions on the barge Bibby Stockholm in Dorset, where one resident has already died.
Strategy and creativity
It is important to remember that there are positive alternatives to the way the UK asylum system currently works, and that there are ways to make the asylum system kind, welcoming and fair. Here's a vision by City of Sanctuary of what a positive alternative to the current system could look like - in line with human rights, and much less costly too.
If you have a platform on social media, no matter how small, you can use it to share information by organisations from the sector, and get your wider networks engaged. You can follow @routeswomen on Instagram for updates. Other organisations to follow include Refugee Action, Freedom from Torture, City of Sanctuary, Right to Remain, and more. (Do make sure to check your settings, so that it also allows ‘political’ content. Instagram has recently made updates to their policies, which might mean that otherwise this content remains hidden).
Use your creative skills to raise awareness on this issue! Sew a banner, write an op-ed, use your workplace Lunch & Learn to educate yourself and your colleagues on what is happening. We run engaging and informative Lunch and Learns about the asylum system.
Donate
Many organisations in the sector are providing practical, psycho-social and legal support to people affected by displacement. They need your support now more than ever. If you are able to support financially, many organisations have the option of donation listed on their website.
You can donate to the Care4Calais caseworker appeal here (on Instagram), to make sure there is enough casework support to anyone receiving notices, including linking them up with lawyers.
You can donate to the Routes Access Fund to support our work here.
Protest and other forms of direct action
If you want to join protests or direct actions efforts, These Walls Must Fall is organising solidarity actions in Liverpool and Manchester.
We know joining a protest is not possible for everyone, and is particularly difficult for people with insecure immigration status. Please read these guidelines by the Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants for information.
We stand in solidarity with everyone affected by these anti-refugee laws. Seeking asylum is a human right, and no-one should be faced with the threat of detention and removal after seeking safety.
Routes remains committed to carrying out our Programmes as we do, and speaking out for a fair and welcoming asylum system. Please join us in this effort. If you are in a position of safety, this is your opportunity to shape the policy of the UK and prevent further harm to those who are not.
