being cruel and unworkable<\/a>, as it will prevent\u00a0people fleeing war and violence\u00a0from\u00a0being\u00a0able to rebuild their lives with any real security.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cAs war rages in the middle east and conflict continues in unstable states like Sudan and Eritrea, refugees will continue to flee torture and persecution. All that these reforms will achieve is to make life harder for those to whom the UK has already recognised its duty to provide sanctuary.\u201d\u00a0,\u201d the letter states.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The letter\u00a0asks\u00a0for a frank and\u00a0accurate\u00a0conversation around asylum and migration \u2013 one that calls out misinformation\u00a0and acknowledges the\u00a0myriad\u00a0benefits immigration brings to our economy and communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than\u00a0attempting\u00a0to outdo the hostile narrative advanced by those who would divide our communities, we urge the UK Government to show leadership and honesty about the realities of migration. Competing over who can appear \u201ctougher\u201d risks normalising rhetoric that undermines social cohesion and public trust.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The joint statement also raises concerns that responses to a public consultation on the changes were not fully analysed, as the changes were implemented only days after the consultation closed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis approach undermines public confidence in the consultation process and raises serious questions about whether this engagement was ever genuinely intended to shape policy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read the full letter below:<\/p>\n
Dear Home Secretary,\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u00a0are writing as\u00a0frontline organisations in the refugee sector to oppose the changes to the Immigration Rules laid before parliament on 5th\u00a0March 2026, and the wider \u201cRestoring Order and Control\u201d proposals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We are particularly alarmed by the decision to implement the proposed change to refugee leave, which would fundamentally reshape protection and asylum in the UK. These changes will not restore order to the asylum system but will instead, introduce further instability, unfairness and inefficiency.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We are concerned as much by the substance of the reforms as by the message they send, to employers, landlords and communities, that refugees are only temporary members of our communities who will never truly be welcome here. When government sends that message, it fuels the kind of hate and division that fed the summer riots that we have seen in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Refugee men, women and children who have endured torture, war, and persecution will now have to relive that trauma every 30 months and the unbearable fear of possible return to harm in their country of origin. International evidence shows that temporary protection damages refugee integration, and worsens mental health, resulting in worse long-term outcomes for refugees.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
People who are granted protection should be able to settle, find stable housing and work so they can support themself and their family, rebuild their life and participate in their community. Policy should make that path clear and achievable. These changes make it less likely that refugees will stand on their own two feet. This policy fails on these terms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
As war rages in the middle east and conflict continues in unstable states like Sudan and Eritrea, refugees will continue to flee torture and persecution. All that these reforms will achieve is to make life harder for those to whom the UK has already recognised its duty to provide sanctuary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We are especially troubled by the way these changes are being introduced. The public consultation closed only days before implementation began. Responses do not appear to have been fully analysed. Many organisations and individuals engaged in good faith and invested time and expertise. When consultation feels rushed or disregarded, trust is damaged.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
This approach undermines public confidence in the consultation process and raises serious questions about whether this engagement was ever genuinely intended to shape policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The broader social costs of a more conditional route to settlement are unknown. Placing refugees in permanent insecurity will not unite communities, it will deepen division at a time where social cohesion is already fragile.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Across the UK, communities, third sector organisations and local authorities are already doing the work to make integration a success. We need central government to step up and be a meaningful partner in this work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We urge you to withdraw the policy introducing temporary status with 30-month reviews. We also ask you to engage fully with parliamentarians, devolved administrations and the third sector to design an asylum system that is fair, efficient and compassionate. One that supports communities and aligns policy with practical outcomes. A better system is possible, but it requires leadership that focuses on what works rather than what sounds tough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rather than attempting to outdo the hostile narrative advanced by those who would divide our communities, we urge the UK Government to show leadership and honesty about the realities of migration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Competing over who can appear \u201ctougher\u201d risks normalising rhetoric that undermines social cohesion and public trust. The public deserves an evidence-based conversation about asylum and migration\u2014 one that acknowledges both our legal obligations and the tangible benefits that immigration brings to our economy, public services and communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We believe that a fairer asylum system is possible, but that it will require political courage and the rejection of the performative cruelty that has characterised debate in the UK in recent years. We urge you to show that courage and demonstrate commitment to our communities and the dignity of those who come to the UK seeking safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Signatories<\/p>\n
Scottish Refugee Council\u00a0<\/p>\n
Welsh Refugee Council\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Refugee Council\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rainbow Migration\u00a0<\/p>\n
Freedom from Torture\u00a0<\/p>\n
Refugee Action\u00a0<\/p>\n
Helen Bamber Foundation\u00a0<\/p>\n
ECPAT UK (Every Child Protected Against Trafficking)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Immigration Law Practitioners\u2019 Association (ILPA)\u00a0<\/p>\n
HIAS+JCORE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Humans for Rights Network\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Women for Refugee Women\u00a0<\/p>\n
Choose Love\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Care4Calais\u00a0<\/p>\n
Birmingham City of Sanctuary\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read more<\/a> about our response to recent policy changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 We have signed a letter, along with organisations from across the sector, opposing recent changes to immigration…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":459231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-459230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}