The government says that the changes to immigration and asylum announced this week are the most significant in modern times.
We’re still picking through the detail, but there’s a clear conclusion: people who come to the UK to find safety are being abandoned.
The faceless “refugees” that politicians talk about are so often dehumanised. It’s important to remind ourselves who they’re talking about.
Refugees are our colleagues, supporters, friends and neighbours.
Someone who believes that refugees are fellow human beings would never support these changes and abandon people who have fled violence and are now trying to find safety.
We know what’s driving this. It’s an attempt to appeal to the far right. This is why Tommy Robinson has been celebrating victory.
For years, the demand of people coming to UK was that they ‘integrate’. These changes will make this harder than ever.
We’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks as we understand the consequences more fully. For now, we’ll say again that we’ll continue to fight alongside people seeking safety, no matter what.
