Resources Latest news Civil society condemns passage of Illegal Migration Act 18 July 2023 As a coalition of 290 organisations representing the human rights, migrants’ rights, refugee and asylum, anti-trafficking, children’s, violence against women and girls, LGBTQI+, disability rights, health, housing, racial justice, criminal justice, arts, international development, environment, democracy, pan-equality, faith, access to justice, and other sectors, we condemn the passage of the Illegal Migration Act today, and stand in solidarity with all who will be affected. We all deserve to live safe from harm. But this senselessly cruel Act will have a devastating impact on people’s lives. It turns our country’s back on people seeking safety, blocking them from protection, support, and justice at a time they need it most. In abandoning the UK’s moral and legal obligations, the Act risks breaching multiple international human rights treaties including the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights while shielding the Government from accountability. The UK Government has admitted that it cannot confirm if the Act is compatible with the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Act will force people into situations that threaten their lives – whether by placing children in detention or sending people off to countries where their lives might be at grave risk. Moreover, the Act attacks the very core of human rights, which is the principle that we all have them regardless of who we are or where we are from. In stripping the most basic rights from people seeking safety and a better life, the Act dismantles human rights protections for all of us. Either all of us have human rights, or none of us do. While the UK Government’s plans will harm those seeking safety the most, this is an attack on all of us and the values we hold dear. The government has rushed through this law despite broad and deep opposition. But our fight is not over. As caring people, we will continue to fight for the right for people to seek safety and a better life without being forced to take dangerous journeys and without being punished for how they enter the UK. We will keep holding those in power to account for upholding the UK’s international obligations. We will strive for an asylum and immigration system that treats everyone with dignity and respect. We will stand in solidarity with and fight alongside everyone who makes the UK their home and build a society that treats everyone with compassion. Signatories: Akiko Hart, Interim Director, Liberty Alexandra Lopoukhine, Interim Executive Director, JCWI Sonya Sceats, Chief Executive, Freedom from Torture Joyce Kallevik, Director, WISH Professor Robert Moore, NWREN Eiri Ohtani, Director, Right to Remain Alison Pickup, Director, Asylum Aid Jess McQuail, Director, Just Fair Julie Bishop, Director, Law Centres Network Kyle Taylor, Founder, Fair Vote UK Kerry Smith, CEO, Helen Bamber Foundation Andrea Simon, Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition Traci Kirkland, Head of Charity, Govan Community Project Amber Bauer, CEO, forRefugees Anna Rudd, Interim Director, ASSIST Sheffield Jim McAuliffe, Chair, Lighthouse Relief Robina Qureshi, Positive Action in Housing Kayte Cable and Vicki Felgate, Co-founders, Big Leaf Foundation Siân Summers-Rees, Chief Officer, City of Sanctuary UK Christine Bacon, Co-Artistic Director, Ice and Fire Theatre Mark Goldring, Director, Asylum Welcome Shameem Ahmad, CEO, Public Law Project Marguerite Hunter Blair, CEO, Play Scotland Aderonke Apata, Founder and CEO, African Rainbow Family Sarah Teather, Director, Jesuit Refugee Service UK Amos Schonfield, CEO, Our Second Home Emma Ginn, Director, Medical Justice Mia Hassenson-Gross, Director, René Cassin Katie Fennell, National Coordinator, KIND UK Dr Shabna Begum and Laurence Jay, Interim Co-CEO’s, Runnymede Trust Stephanie Habib, Executive Team, English for Action (EFA) London Anna MacDonald, Co-founder, Play for Progress Dr Helen Taylor, Director, Stories and Supper Anne Fox, CEO, Clinks Liz Fekete, Director, Institute of Race Relations Chris Jones, Director, Statewatch Leila Zadeh, Executive Director, Rainbow Migration Anna Jones, CEO & Co Founder, RefuAid Shoaib M Khan, Partner, SMK Law Solicitors William Gomes, Director, The William Gomes Podcast Alphonsine Kabagabo, Director, Women for Refugee Women Bridget Young, Director, NACCOM (No Accommodation Network) Dr Ruth Allen, Chief Executive, British Association of Social Workers Sebastian Rocca, CEO, Micro Rainbow Anber Raz, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Imkaan Naomi Webb, Executive Director, Good Chance Theatre Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church Trustee, Waltham Forest Migrant Action Rosario Guimba-Stewart, CEO, Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network (LRMN) Mel Steel, Director, Voices in Exile Lis Murphy, Creative Director, Music Action International Mariko Hayashi, Executive Director, Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC) Zrinka Bralo, CEO, Migrants Organise Fizza Qureshi, CEO, Migrants’ Rights Network Robbie de Santos, Director of External Affairs, Stonewall Sally Daghlian OBE, CEO, Praxis Emily Crowley, Chief Executive, Student Action for Refugees (STAR) Peter Marsden, CEO, Concordis International Lara Parizotto & Alex Bulat, Co-Directors, Migrant Democracy Project Tim Naor Hilton, Chief Executive, Refugee Action Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive, Amnesty International UK Anthea Sully, Chief Executive, White Ribbon UK Souad Talsi MBE, Founder and Interim CEO, Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Project Ltd Hugh Russell, Chief Executive, Children in Wales – Plant Yng Nghymru Comfort Etim, Director, Refugee Women Connect James Wilson, Director, Detention Action Revd Gill Newton, President of the Methodist Conference Joanne MacInnes, West London Welcome Kerry Scarlett, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference Natasha Eeles, CEO & Founder, Bold Voices Dianna Nammi, Executive Director, IKWRO Alison, JURIES Christine Allen, Director, CAFOD Catharine Walston, Chair of Core Committee, Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign Marissa Green, Chair of Trustees, Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group Jayne Butler, CEO, Rape Crisis England and Wales Marchu Belete & Sarah Cutler, Co-directors, Migration Exchange Aké Achi, Founding Chief Executive, Migrants At Work Aké Achi, CEO, Black Europeans Shaminder Ubhi, Director, Ashiana Network Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director, Human Rights Watch Angie Herrera, Director, Latin American Women’s Aid (LAWA) Harriet Wistrich, Director, Centre for Women’s Justice Iona Taylor, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead, Positive Action in Housing Emma Hutton, CEO, JustRight Scotland Nick Watts, Director, Together with Migrant Children Ruth Davison, CEO, Refuge Mollin Delve, CEO, PHOEBE Enver Solomon, CEO, Refugee Council Sabrina Qureshi, Founder and Coordinator, Million Women Rise Movement Jo Cobley, CEO, Young Roots Laura Tomson and Rachel Adamson, Co-Directors, Zero Tolerance Steven Smith, CEO, Care4Calais Kathy Evans, Chief Executive, Children England Indy Cross, Chief Executive Officer, Agenda Alliance Shari Brown, Partnership and Development Manager, Refugee and Migrant Centre (West Midlands) Kate Roberts, Head of Policy, FLEX Selma Taha, Executive Director, Southall Black Sisters Estelle Du Boulay, Director, Rights of Women Rita Gava, Kalayaan Natalie Collins, CEO, Own My Life Jason Thomas-Fournillier, Senior Administrator, Spectrum Rainbow Community Gisela Valle, Director, LAWRS Catherine Gladwell, Chief Executive, Refugee Education UK Barbara Drozdowicz, CEO, East European Resource Centre Lucy Nabijou, Coordinator, Haringey Welcome Dr David Brown, Chair, Birmingham City of Sanctuary Josie Naughton, CEO, Choose Love Danielle Roberts, Senior Policy and Development Officer, Here NI Khedijah Mohammed-Nur, Cofounder, Network of Eritrean Women-UK Rupert Skilbeck, Director, REDRESS Sophie Neuburg, Director, Medact Sharon Erdman, CEO, RASASC Ghadah Alnasseri, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Hibiscus Initiatives Maddy Crowther, Co-Executive Director, Waging Peace Laura Kyrke-Smith, Executive Director, International Rescue Committee UK Eleanor Brown, CEO, CARAS Jane Lees, CEO, Communityworks Jo Benefield, Campaign Coordinator, Bristol Defend the Asylum Seekers Campaign Nicola David, Founder, One Life to Live Chris Rose, Chair, Craven District of Sanctuary Ben Gilchrist, Chief Executive, Caritas Shrewsbury Skipton Refugee Support Group Ailsa Dunn Secretary to Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for refugees Revd Canon Helen Cameron, Moderator, Free Churches Group Zita Holbourne, BARAC UK Angie Pedley, Treasurer, Settle Area Refugee Support Rosie MacPherson, Artistic Director and Joint CEO, Stand and Be Counted Theatre Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE, CEO, Surviving Economic Abuse Astrid Laich, Secretary, Bournville Amnesty Kush Chottera, CEO, Europia Jeremy Thompson, Manager, Restore – a project of Birmingham Churches Together Anna Pincus, Director, Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group Tess Berry-Hart, Director, Citizens of the World Choir Georgina Fletcher, Chief Executive, Regional Refugee Forum North East Zlakha Ahmed, Chief Executive, Apna Haq Refugee and Migrant Partner Lead, Sector 3 Mike Wild, Chief Executive, Macc Christopher Desira, Director, Seraphus Amanda Church-Mcfarlane, Co-CEO, Abigail Housing Professor Jenny Phillimore, Institute for Research into Superdiversity, University of Birmingham Revd. Ian Rutherford, City Centre Minister, Methodist Central Hall Manchester District Ecumenical Officer, Greater Manchester Churches Together Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain Martin Drewry, CEO, Health Poverty Action Mick Taylor, Project Coordinator, Support for Wigan Arrivals Project Gail Heath, CEO, Pankhurst Trust Miranda Reilly, Director, AVID Hayley Nelson BEM, Director, Learn for Life Enterprise Vivienne Hayes, CEO, WRC Vicar, St Paul’s Church Richy Thompson, Director of Public Affairs and Policy, Humanists UK Jan Foster, Trustee, Doncaster Conversation Club Jo Todd, CEO, Respect Jamie Balfour-Paul, Founder and Performing Magician, Magic for Smiles Sarah Lange, Lead Coordinator, Wyre Forest Supports Asylum Seekers Catherine Mackle, Director, Community Welcome cic Angus Clark, Chief Executive – Herts for Refugees Phil Kerton, Co-Director, Seeking Sanctuary Lisa-Marie Taylor, CEO, FiLiA Warren Elf MBE, Co-Chair, Faith Network for Manchester Sara Alsherif, Migrant Digital Justice Programme Manager, Open Rights group Charlie Zosseder, Director, Samphire Martin Cosarinsky Campos, Managing Director, Breadwinners Tom Cheesman, Trustee, Swansea Asylum Seekers Support Sanchita Hosali, CEO, British Institute of Human Rights Nathan D Ndlovu, Chairman, CARAG Kevin Hanratty, Director, Northern Ireland Human Rights Consortium Ian Hodson, National President, BFAWU Mauricio Silva – Inter-Religious Coordinator, Columbans in Britain Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England Joan Hoult, CEO, Walking With in North Tyneside Johannah Dyer, Chair, Bromsgrove and District Asylum Seeker Support Patrick O’Dowd, Director, Caritas Diocese of Salford Dr Pat Bond, Chair, New to the UK, North Shields Barbara Hungin, Chair of Trustees, Justice First Programme Development Director, Railway Children Jabbar Hasan, Director, Iraqi Association Paul Hook, Director, Asylum Matters Revd Jide Macaulay, Founder & CEO House of Rainbow CIC Stephanie Neville, Project Manager Dr Ruvi Ziegler, Chair, New Europeans UK Robert Hooper, Pastor, Oasis church Abigail Martin, Manager, St Chad’s Sanctuary Darren Knight, Chief Executive, George House Trust Toni Soni, Centre Director, Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre Imogen McIntosh, Aid Box Community Victoria Marks, Director, Anti Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU) Manuchehr Maleki, Co-Chair, SYMAAG Stuart Crosthwaite, Secretary, SYMAAG The Revd Steve Faber, Moderator, URC West Midlands Synod Misak Ohanian, CEO, Centre for Armenian Information and Advice Stan Beneš, Managing Director, Opora M Fahim, Manager, Afghan community and welfare centre Dr Paul Martin OBE, LGBT Foundation Nazee Akbari, CEO, New Citizens’ Gateway Rebecca Stevenson – Read – Centre Manager, St Vincent’s Centre Newcastle upon Tyne Zoe Gardner, National Committee, Another Europe is Possible Nicholas Prescott, Project Manager, Fallowfield & Withington Foodbank Seana Roberts, Manager, Merseyside Refugee Support Network Seana Roberts, Administrator, Liverpool City of Sanctuary Rabbi Warren Elf MBE, Rabbi, Southend and District Reform Synagogue Ros Holland, Chief Exec, Boaz Trust Nick Beales, RAMFEL Lara Bundock, CEO, Snowdrop Project Andrea Cleaver, CEO, Welsh Refugee Council Ailsa MacKenzie, Chief Officer, The Pyramid at Anderston Rachel Wing, Treasurer/Co Ordinator, Refugee and Asylum Seeker Project, Stockton on Tees David Weaver, Chair, Operation Black Vote Lee Jasper, Co-founder, Blaksox Efi Stathopoulou, Programmes Manager, Refugee Legal Support Vicar, St Paul’s Church Birmingham Kat Lorenz, Director, Asylum Support Appeals Project Denise McDowell, CEO, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit Elham Kashefi, Tara Centre Maria Brul, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Children and Families Across Borders Katie Morrison, CEO, Safe Passage Nazek Ramadan, Migrant Voice, Director Daniel Sohege, Director, Stand For All Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive, Bond Revd Kate Gray, The United Reformed Church, Wythenshawe Paddy Kelly, Director, Children’s Law Centre Clare Moody, Joint CEO, Equally Ours Sampson Low, Head of Policy, UNISON Frank Parnham, Secretary, Barnsley Borough City of Sanctuary Salma Ravat, CEO, One Roof Leicester Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive, Mind Yvonne Rendell, Chair, Bromsgrove and Redditch Welcome Refugees Karen Parry, Chief Executive, Inclusion North Christine Rose Chair of the Core Group,Craven District of Sanctuary Beatrice Giaquinto, Director, Nottingham Arimathea Trust Gwen Hines, Chief Executive, Save the Children Jennifer Nadel and Matt Hawkins, Co-Directors, Compassion in Politics Andrew Belfield, Mosaic Justice Network Kamran Mallick, CEO, Disability Rights UK Liz Millman, North Wales Jamaica Society Liz Millman, Learning Links International CIC Garrick Prayogg project Manager, Cultural Diversity Network Rev. Dr. Joseph D Cortis coordinator of Caritas Leeds Zoe Bantleman, Legal Director, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) CEO, Cast – Communities and Sanctuary Seekers Together Jane Grimshaw, Convener, Hastings Supports Refugees Sarah Hayes, Vicar, St Germains Church Birmingham Polly Gifford, Co-Chair, Hastings Community of Sanctuary Ernie Whalley, Chair, Reach group, New North Road Baptist Church, Huddersfield Mojgan Bakhtiary, Development Manager, Taban Louise King, Director, Children’s Rights Alliance for England Alison Page, Chief Executive, Salford CVS Jo Walby, Chief Executive Officer, Salford CVS Aleema Shivji, Chief Impact Officer, Oxfam GB Gill Kelly, Chair, Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK Frank Forman, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum Alex, General Advice Coordinator, Manchester Refugee Support Network Revd Sarah Jemison (Chair of Trustees), BEACON (Bradford Ecumenical Asylum Concern) Pauline Mary Ruth. Chair of Trustees. Trinity Safe Space Charity Abi Brunswick, Director, Project 17 Dr Arabella Hamilton, Lay Chair of the Parochial Church Council Sian Summers-Rees, Chief Officer, City of Sanctuary UK Amy Lythgoe, Trustee, Together Now Miriam Turner and Hugh Knowles, Co-Executive Directors, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) Mark Russell, CEO, The Children’s Society Humma Nizami, Executive Director, Race Equality Network Jonathan Senker, CEO, VoiceAbility Joanna Ewart-James, Executive Director, Freedom United Michael Mark, Trustee, The Cotton Tree Trust Areeba Hamid, Co-Executive Director, Greenpeace UK Andreea Dumitrache, Interim Co-CEO, the3million Stephanie Grimshaw, Head of Public Affairs and Policy, Welsh Women’s Aid Saqib Deshmukh, Interim Chief Executive, AYJ Joseph Kiwango, Manager, Revive Tufail Hussain, UK Director, Islamic Relief Eleni Venaki, Director, The Comfrey Project Amanda Littlewood, Refugees & Mentors CIC Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive, Scottish Refugee Council Úna Boyd, Committee on the Administration of Justice Eleonora Fais, Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group Coordinator, ATMG Rev Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain Emma Hawthorne, Chair, BIRCH Simon Tyler, Executive Director, Doctors of the World UK Laura, Director, Horton Community Farm Phil Davis, Director, Hope Projects Sally Hyman, founder and CEO, CRIBS International Mark Courtice (Chair), Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary, NASUWT Teachers’ Union Trustee, Louth Churches for Refugees Jessica Davidson-Egan, Director, Refugee Welcome Homes Andrew Evans, CEO, METRO Charitye Nick Harborne, CEO, Refugee Support Group Lorie Holliday, Director, Kanlungan Filipino Consortium Jasmine O’Connor, CEO, Anti-Slavery International Patricia Durr, Chief Executive Officer, ECPAT UK Pinar Aksu, Maryhill Integration Network The Border Criminologies Network Carolyne Willow, Director, Article 39 Manage Cookie Preferences